Taguzgalpa
Encyclopedia
Taguzgalpa is a region or district located in northeastern Honduras
, known historically through Spanish sources, and heir to a longer and richer archaeological tradition. It was usually called a "Province" in Spanish sources, and its internal social organization is unclear. Spanish missionary sources put its location as roughly the northeastern quarter of Honduras, bounding on the Wanks River, the interior jurisdiction of Olancho, and the coast as far as Trujillo
as well as the Bay Islands of Honduras. It appeared on the Dutch map of Montanus in 1671 with an alternate spelling of "Tigu zigalpa."
It was frequently confused in nineteenth century travel literature with Tegucigalpa
, the present capital of Honduras, and it is possible that both words share the same root. However, a study of the location information of the two places in the original sixteenth and seventeenth century sources shows that they are not in the same place, and are both mentioned, in different areas in the same texts. In his classic study of indigenous names in Honduras,Alberto Membreño wrote, "For a long time it was believed that [Tegulcigalpa] was a corruption of Taguzgalpa and that it meant “mountain of silver.” [Tegulcigalpa] did not form a part of Taguzgalpa, and when this province was conquered, Tegulcigalpa already existed. Don Pedro de Alvardo wrote Teguycegalpa in the repartimiento of 1536." Membreño gives the etymology of Taguzgalpa as "tlalli, earth, cuztic, yellow, calli, house, and pan, in. This province is so called because there is a great deal of gold on its surface and in the sands of its rivers; and it refers to the tradition that the Mexicans went to Taguzgalpa to take that metal to Moctezuma."
. Early accounts by Columbus, who passed the region during his fourth voyage (not not mentioning Taguzgalpa by name) suggest a number of chiefdoms along the coast. The earliest accounts of the region suggest that a more hierarchically organized political structure may not have existed in the early sixteenth century, and that a larger, more hierarchically organized polity emerged in the late sixteenth century, possibly in response to the European threat. Subsequent references to the province, however, suggest a semi-nomadic population with a fairly egalitarian social organization, and not a unified polity.
The coastal regions of Taguzgalpa were lost to Spanish settlers at Trujillo, and then in the seventeenth century to raiding Miskito from today's Nicaragua.
Honduras
Honduras is a republic in Central America. It was previously known as Spanish Honduras to differentiate it from British Honduras, which became the modern-day state of Belize...
, known historically through Spanish sources, and heir to a longer and richer archaeological tradition. It was usually called a "Province" in Spanish sources, and its internal social organization is unclear. Spanish missionary sources put its location as roughly the northeastern quarter of Honduras, bounding on the Wanks River, the interior jurisdiction of Olancho, and the coast as far as Trujillo
Trujillo, Colón
Trujillo is a city and a municipality on the northern Caribbean coast of the Honduran department of Colón, of which the city is the capital. The municipality has a population of about 30,000 . The city is located on a bluff overlooking the Bay of Trujillo. Behind the city rise two prominent...
as well as the Bay Islands of Honduras. It appeared on the Dutch map of Montanus in 1671 with an alternate spelling of "Tigu zigalpa."
It was frequently confused in nineteenth century travel literature with Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa
Tegucigalpa , and commonly referred as Tegus , is the capital of Honduras and seat of government of the Republic, along with its twin sister Comayagüela. Founded on September 29, 1578 by the Spanish, it became the country's capital on October 30, 1880 under President Marco Aurelio Soto...
, the present capital of Honduras, and it is possible that both words share the same root. However, a study of the location information of the two places in the original sixteenth and seventeenth century sources shows that they are not in the same place, and are both mentioned, in different areas in the same texts. In his classic study of indigenous names in Honduras,Alberto Membreño wrote, "For a long time it was believed that [Tegulcigalpa] was a corruption of Taguzgalpa and that it meant “mountain of silver.” [Tegulcigalpa] did not form a part of Taguzgalpa, and when this province was conquered, Tegulcigalpa already existed. Don Pedro de Alvardo wrote Teguycegalpa in the repartimiento of 1536." Membreño gives the etymology of Taguzgalpa as "tlalli, earth, cuztic, yellow, calli, house, and pan, in. This province is so called because there is a great deal of gold on its surface and in the sands of its rivers; and it refers to the tradition that the Mexicans went to Taguzgalpa to take that metal to Moctezuma."
Early history
The primary inhabitants of the region were the Pech, formerly known as Paya. Archaeological research, beginning in 1933 located evidence of social complexity in the Early Selin Period (300-600 CE). It was archaeologically connected to the Late Cocol phase at the time the Spanish arrived. At that time and from considerably earlier periods, the region was involved in a fairly extensive inter-regional trade by sea, reaching as far as YucatánYucatán
Yucatán officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Yucatán is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 106 municipalities and its capital city is Mérida....
. Early accounts by Columbus, who passed the region during his fourth voyage (not not mentioning Taguzgalpa by name) suggest a number of chiefdoms along the coast. The earliest accounts of the region suggest that a more hierarchically organized political structure may not have existed in the early sixteenth century, and that a larger, more hierarchically organized polity emerged in the late sixteenth century, possibly in response to the European threat. Subsequent references to the province, however, suggest a semi-nomadic population with a fairly egalitarian social organization, and not a unified polity.
Relations with the Spanish
Taguzgalpa successfully resisted several attempts by the Spanish to conquer it in the sixteenth century. Plans and royal permission to conquer and settle Taguzgalpa were issued in 1545, 1562, 1577 and 1594, though none was successful.< As a result of their failure to conquer the region, and the increasing competition with English traders, privateers and other interlopers in the region, Spain attempted, quite unsuccessfully to convert the people in an effort to win their loyalty. In 1604 Franciscans began their attempt to "reduce" the area, including resettlement of people into larger missionary supervised villages. These efforts, reinforced by those of other missionary orders continued sporadically throughout the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. While they achieved some success,and at times used armed force, only a relatively small number of people were affected.The coastal regions of Taguzgalpa were lost to Spanish settlers at Trujillo, and then in the seventeenth century to raiding Miskito from today's Nicaragua.