Davila entrada
Spanish military campaign, 1531–1532
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The Davila entrada[iv] was a Spanish military expedition to the Maya Lowlands in 1531–1532, during the conquest of Yucatan, led by Alonso Davila under commission from Francisco de Montejo, the adelantado of Yucatan, to conquer the eastern Postclassic Maya polities for New Spain. The campaign initially went well for Davila, who marched through Cochuah and Waymil to Chetumal unopposed, founding Villa Real, an administrative centre for pacified polities, in the latter's port in the summer of 1531. Things soon turned south for them though, as first Waymil and then Cochuah rebelled against Spanish dominion, leading to a protracted siege which ultimately saw the conquistadors routed from their villa or small town in the autumn of 1532. The Spanish retreat itself, notably, was a seven-month voyage in Postclassic trading canoes to Honduras-Higueras.
| Davila campaign | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part of the Spanish conquest of Yucatan | |||||||
Contemporary mural depicting La Conquista | |||||||
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| Belligerents | |||||||
| New Spain | |||||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||||
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| Strength | |||||||
| Unkown[i] | c. 50 men, incl 13 cavalry | ||||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||||
| Unknown[ii] | Unknown[iii] | ||||||
Background
The Cordoba expedition is commonly credited with bringing the Maya to the attention of Spanish conquistadors (newly settled in Cuba) in 1517.[7] Their discovery prompted Francisco de Montejo to petition and receive (in 1526) letters patent from Charles I for the conquest of Maya Lowland polities in Yucatan,[9] first attempted to inconclusive results in 1527. The Montejo campaign in the eastern Lowlands having been frustrated, the adelantado now shifted his efforts to the northern and western polities, annexing Chakan, Can Pech, and Ah Canul into New Spain within a few years.[10] The success prompted Montejo, in early 1531, to charge his second-in-command, Alonso Davila, with replicating their recent wins on the eastern coast of the peninsula, with the former providing the latter some fifty men for the task.[12]
Entrada
The Davila party set out from Can Pech, capital of the eponymous polity, in mid-1531, due east.[13] They marched through the adjoining Mani and Cochuah polities unopposed, shortly thereafter reaching Chable, a town in the Waymil province.[14] The settlement's principal inhabitants received them well (either willingly or by force of arms), promptly despatching runners to the capital, Bacalar, to summon the batab or mayor.[15] This summons was straightforwardly rebuffed, with the batab notably declaring they would give Davila "fowls in the form of lances and maize in the form of arrows".[18] Davila therefore carried on his march, leaving half his men in Chable, and taking (by will or force) a number of the townsfolk who had helped him.[19]
They next reached Maçanahau, a large town close to Lake Bacalar. Being well received, the Spaniards sojourned here for three weeks, during which time prominent residents of Chable, Maçanahau, and nearby Yuyumpeten (all in Waymil) seem to have successfully lobbied the batab of Bacalar to not oppose the entrada.[20] Consequently, Davila continued their march south unopposed. In Bacalar, they soon discovered that an overland march to Chetumal (during the wet season) would not possible. Maritime transport aboard several trading canoes was thus arranged.[21] The flotilla navigated from the lake into Chetumal Bay, from where they coasted south into the harbour of Chetumal (in the eponymous polity), and disembarked unopposed, as the port had been deserted. Here, Davila rechristened the settlement Villa Real (per the adelantado's intructions) and sent for the men who had been left in Chable.[24]
Siege
At some point prior to the Spaniards' arrival, Nachan Kan, halach winik or governor of Chetumal, and Gonzalo Guerrero, a nakom or commanding officer, had evacuated the port and retired with their forces to Chequitaquil, a coastal town four leagues north of the same. Within two months of Villa Real's founding, however, Davila had discovered the encampment, and sent a unit of some 25 men to take them by surprise. The assault was a partial success, as Kan and Guerrero apparently managed to evade capture, though at great cost to their own men (many dead, over 60 captured, and all others dispersed).[27]
Now safely ensconced in Villa Real, Davila set out with twenty men on a survey of the newly-Spanish territory towards Maçanahau. In Bacalar, though, and to their great surprise, the Spanish were informed that residents of Maçanahau and other Waymil towns had now resolved to oppose them. The towns and their access roads had been barricaded, but the native opposition was soon routed (first in Maçanahau, then in Chable).[28] In the time it took to effect this, however, the recently-conquered Cochua province had apparently revolted too.[29] Davila therefore returned south to Villa Real to resupply, and set off north with 22 men to suppress the new rebellion, leaving some twenty-odd men in the villa or small town. Along the way (in Bacalar), Davila conscripted some 600 civilians from neighbouring settlements (including many prominent ones).[30]
Unlike the limited opposition in Waymil, the Cochuah revolt proved serious and widespread,[32] forcing Davila to abort their incursion and retreat to Villa Real.[33] The Spanish now found themselves under heavy siege, and with only some thirty men fit for combat, five war horses, and depleting stores, their situation was precarious.[35]
In a bid to better their lot, and being forewarned of a sizeable trading convoy soon to pass by the port en route to Ulua River (in Toquegua territory), Davila next had the merchants captured and their goods seized.[37] One of the captives proved to be the son of the batab of Tapaen (in Waymil), and so was held hostage whilst two other captives were sent to summon his father, who promptly called. The batab was given a month to secure communication with the adelantado (last in the Can Pech capital), and promised his son in return. However, believing his son would be released regardless, the batab dallied until the deadline, whereupon Davila had him and his retinue tortured.[36] To prove "whether the son had more love for the father, than the father had for the son", the Spaniard now despatched the batab's son himself to Can Pech (likewise given a month), keeping the father hostage.[36] This second month came and went without the adelantado's reply, after which Davila led a detachment to Tapaen, only to be informed that the son had made no attempt to reach Can Pech.[38]
The siege, meanwhile, did not let up, and was rather sustained for months, during which the Spanish became increasingly convinced that their position was untenable.[39] Finally, in the autumn of 1532, Davila and the cabildo or town council of Villa Real resolved to abandon their gains and retreat to Trujillo, in Honduras-Higueras.[41] The besieged men thus dismantled the villa and, surreptitiously, aboard 32 trading canoes piloted by (impressed) local merchants, set of due south of Rio Hondo.[43]
Aftermath
The Spanish retreat soon turned into a trying odyssey of seven months, as the men made poor canoers, and the inner Honduras Bay waters and southeastern Lowlands coast proved treacherous to navigate on small craft, despite able piloting.[44] They reportedly progressed a meagre six to seven leagues a day, with raids on riverine settlements (in Chetumal, Dzuluinicob, Mopan, Manche Chol) and seizures from travelling merchants supplementing their dwindling stores.[44] The men, at last, reached Puerto Caballos (in Honduras-Higueras) in the spring of 1533.[45] The siege's success would provide a reprieve for the eastern Lowlands until late 1543, when the Pachecos entrada would finally bring the polities there under Spanish dominion.[46]
See also
- Pachecos entrada – similar campaign in 1543