Why go
This period explains why colonial Mérida's founding did not settle the peninsula. The Xiu ruler of Mani supported the Spanish, while eastern communities including Cupul, Cochua and Chetumal continued to resist. Their 1546 alliance links the eastern coast to the wider conquest and the movement of people toward independent Petén.
The full story
In 1540 Francisco de Montejo transferred his rights to colonize Yucatán to his son. Spanish forces established a permanent town council at Campeche and founded Mérida in 1542. Tutul Xiu, ruler of Mani, approached the Spanish at Mérida with food and later converted to Christianity. His decision encouraged some western rulers to accept Spanish authority, but it did not speak for the whole peninsula. Eastern campaigns met fierce resistance from Cochua and Cupul, and Spanish control there remained insecure. An attempted crossing from the eastern coast to Cozumel was thwarted by stormy weather, underscoring how geography shaped operations. In November 1546, several eastern provinces, including Chetumal, joined a coordinated uprising. Spanish forces eventually defeated the alliance, establishing control in the north. Some Maya people from eastern and southern territories moved toward Petén, where independent polities remained. The period reveals alliances, revolt and migration behind the neat dates often attached to colonial foundations.