K'iche' people

The predominantly living in the western highlands of Guatemala Quiché ( K'iche also = lots of trees ) are the largest indigenous ethnic group in the country. History and religious beliefs of the Quiché Indians are reflected in one of the most famous books in America - the Popol Vuh.

Settlement areas

The Quiché belong to the large group of Maya and today live mainly in the Guatemalan department of El Quiché, Totonicapán, Solola and Quetzaltenango. The main cities in their settlement area are Quetzaltenango, Zunil, Chichicastenango and Santa Cruz del Quiché.

Language

Most Quiché Indians Quiché speak, that is, together with the neighboring Uspanteco, Sacapulteco, Caqchikel and Tzutuhil to the Mayan languages ​​of the highlands. With about 2 million active speakers Quiché is the most widely spoken Mayan language in Guatemala. In addition, the Quiché, except in some isolated settlements, a simple work Spanish in order to make themselves understood in the factories, farms and the administration of Guatemala can talk.

Name

The proper name K'iche ' derives from K'i ( =' many ') and che' ( = ' tree ' ) from and thus means ' many trees '. The Nahua peoples living north translated this name into Nahuatl as Cuauhtemallan, this name adapted the Spaniards as Guatemala and thus the present state came to his name. Quiché is again the adapted to the Spanish form of K'iche.

History

Before the Spanish conquest spanned the influence and the power range of the Quiché kingdom - at times in cooperation with the Cakchiquel Indians - on the highlands beyond, and included the valley of Antigua Guatemala and the coastal areas of Escuintla of present-day Guatemala. Thus, the Quiché dominated one of the geographically largest and most powerful countries of Central America, which also included parts of El Salvador, and its later capital Q'umarkaj (also spelled K'umarkaj or Gumarcaj; nahuatl: ' Utatlán ') about 2.5 km west of Santa Cruz del Quiché today was located.

The Quiché kingdom was in the years 1524/5 by the Spanish - conquered under the leadership of the conquistador Pedro de Alvarado, with the neighboring and also amongst the Mayan tribal group - along with their central Mexican Nahua auxiliary troops of the mutually hostile Tlaxcalans and the Aztecs the Cakchiquel supported the Spaniards because they lived since the mid-15th century in open enmity with the Quiché. The last leader or commander of the Quiché Tecun Uman, was of Alvarado in 1524 in the valley of Xelaju (pronounced ' Sche -La- Hu ', Xe laju ' noj, Xela -' among the 10 mountains' ), near the same city defeated and subsequently killed in the city. In this great battle up to 10,000 Quiché died. The Spaniards gave the city Xelajú in recognition of their central Mexican (especially TLAXCALAN ) Nahua allies the Nahuatl name Quetzaltenango (either "place of the Quetzal " or " City, were built on the walls '). During the colonial period, the city then became the commercial center of the western highlands.

After the great losses by the defeat of the Quiché were and invited Alvarado to their capital Q'umarkaj one. However, since Alvarado expected an ambush, he had burnt down the city. Today the ruins and temple pyramids of Q'umarkaj ( ' Utatlán ') can be touristy explored.