The history of Chiapas begins when the territory began to be occupied by nomadic groups in the year 7000 BC. What is known about them is that they were hunters, they preferred the central valleys of the state and made archaic tools out of bone and stone.
Over the years this Mexican state was occupied by more organized and sedentary aborigines. In fact, Chiapas was part of the great Mayan civilization.
In the year 900 of the Christian Era the Mayan societies collapsed and were replaced by other groups.
The Aztecs tried to occupy these territories. However, the original groups of Chiapas did not accept this interference and rejected the rule of the Empire.
With the arrival of the Spanish, the indigenous groups were declining because of foreign diseases and wars.
Finally, the territory of Chiapas became part of the Spanish crown. In 1528 the first Spanish city was installed: Villa Real de Chiapa de los Españoles.
The distance between Chiapas and the colonial and regional authorities - located in Mexico City and Guatemala, respectively - meant that this state did not have a relevant participation in the independence process.
Today Chiapas is one of the poorest states in Mexico. Added to this, it is one of the states with the highest percentage of illiteracy.
You may also be interested in the traditions of Chiapas or its culture.
Pre-Columbian period
There is evidence that the territory of Chiapas began to be occupied in the year 7000 BC. C.
Archaeological remains have been found in Ocozoautla that allow determining that these first settlers were nomadic hunters and gatherers. However, no more is known about them.
In the Preclassic period, which is the one that goes from the year 1800 a. C. to the year 300 d. C., sedentary societies developed that practiced agriculture as economic sustenance.
In Sonusco, Chiapas, archaeological remains of the oldest civilization in the state were found: the mokayas.
These remains date from 1500 BC. C., which makes the mokayas one of the first civilizations to develop in Mesoamerica.
The Chiapa de Corzo archaeological site is one of the cities where these aborigines lived.
During the Preclassic period, the indigenous groups of Chiapas established political and economic relations with the Olmecs. The influence of the Olmecs is observed in some of the Chiapas sculptures.
In this period the Mayan Empire began to occupy the territory of this state. However, the Mayans became important in Chiapas during the Classic period, from 300 to 900 AD. C.
Most of the remains of this civilization are found on the borders between this state and Guatemala.
From the year 800 AD. C., the Mayan civilization began to decline due to various reasons: diseases, natural disasters, climate changes, among others. By 900 AD C., almost all these societies had disappeared.
In their place appeared the Chiapas, the Zoques (descendants of the Mokayas) and small groups of Mayan influence.
These dominated the territory of Chiapas until 1500 BC. C. It is known that the Aztecs tried to occupy the state; however, the original groups prevailed.
Conquest of Chiapas
The Spanish arrived in Mexican territory in the 16th century. In 1522 the first interaction between the Spanish and the Chiapas settlers took place, when the emissaries of Hernán Cortés (the conqueror) were sent to collect taxes.
A year later the first reconnaissance expedition was carried out in the territory of the state.
This expedition lasted three years and failed to conquer the mountainous territories, where Aboriginal resistance was strong.
The second expedition was successful. However, many aborigines preferred death rather than having to submit to the Spanish.
Colonial period
By 1528 the aboriginal resistance had been almost completely eliminated. For this reason, the first Spanish city was established in Chiapas: Villa Real de Chiapa de los Españoles, nowadays San Cristóbal de las Casas.
The Spanish implemented systems of evangelization to convert the aborigines to Catholicism. Thus began the missions, most of which were in charge of the Dominicans.
Despite the fact that the Dominicans advocated for the rights of the indigenous people, these were exploited by the Spanish through various methods.
First was slavery. Then came the encomienda, which was a form of disguised slavery.
In the seventeenth century this system disappeared. However, abuse of Aborigines continued in the form of poorly paid and forced labor.
In the 18th century, the Spanish expanded the economy of Chiapas by introducing new agricultural products. Among these, sugar cane, wheat, barley, horse and cattle stand out.
Despite the fact that the Spanish crown prohibited interracial relations, at the end of the 17th century most of the population of Chiapas was mestizo.
Chiapas was always far from the rest of the Mexican colonies in the cultural, geographical and political spheres. For this reason, said state had a null participation in the revolts and battles that were to win the independence of the country.
When independence was declared, a dilemma arose among the population of the state: whether to annex Guatemala, a country with which they shared the culture, or join Mexico.
Finally the second option prevailed and Chiapas was declared part of the Empire of Mexico in 1822.
Contemporary period
Today Chiapas is a largely agricultural state. The production of this state is exported to different countries of the world, which generates economic benefits for Mexico.
The main exported products are cocoa, coffee, corn, tobacco, sugar and fruits. Also, Chiapas generates 55% of the country's hydroelectric energy.
However, in comparison with the other states of the Mexican nation, Chiapas is in a situation of underdevelopment.
This region is one of the poorest in Mexico. Almost 90% of the population lives in a precarious situation. Added to this, approximately 50% of adults are illiterate.
References
- Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from nationsencyclopedia.com
- Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from wikipedia.org
- Chiapas: A Brief History. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from teaching.quotidiana.org
- Chiapas - Mexico. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from history.com
- Chiapas - State, Mexico. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from britannica.com
- History of Chiapas. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from explorandomexico.com
- History of Mexico - The State of Chiapas. Retrieved on November 9, 2017, from houstonculture.org