The Conquest of the Last Maya Kingdom

by Grant Jones

On March 13, 1697, Spanish troops from Yucatán attacked and occupied Nojpeten, the capital of the Maya people known as Itzas, the inhabitants of the last unconquered native New World kingdom. This political and ritual center—located on a small island in a lake in the tropical forests of northern Guatemala—was densely covered with temples, royal palaces, and thatched houses, and its capture represented a decisive moment in the final chapter of the Spanish conquest of the Mayas. The capture of Nojpeten climaxed more than two years of preparation by the Spaniards, after efforts by the military forces and Franciscan missionaries to negotiate a peaceful surrender with the Itzas had been rejected by the Itza ruling council and its ruler Ajaw Kan Ek’. The conquest, far from being final, initiated years of continued struggle between Yucatecan and Guatemalan Spaniards and native Maya groups for control over the surrounding forests. Despite protracted resistance from the native inhabitants, thousands of them were forced to move into mission towns, though in 1704 the Mayas staged an abortive and bloody rebellion that threatened to recapture Nojpeten from the Spaniards. The first complete account of the conquest of the Itzas to appear since 1701, this book details the layers of political intrigue and action that characterized every aspect of the conquest and its aftermath. The author critically reexamines the extensive documentation left by the Spaniards, presenting much new information on Maya political and social organization and Spanish military and diplomatic strategy. This is not only one of the most detailed studies of any Spanish conquest in the Americas but also one of the most comprehensive reconstructions of an independent Maya kingdom in the history of Maya studies. In presenting the story of the Itzas, the author also reveals much about neighboring lowland Maya groups with whom the Itzas interacted, often violently.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

599 pages, Paperback

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Drake Tungsten · Rating 3 out of 5]

I just finished reading "Conquest" and I must say that the story it tells has many classic elements to it. While author Grant Jones is concerned with getting all the facts, dates and listing of sources right, I found the drama behind his words more exciting.

The real story of Nojpeten, the last Maya kingdom to be conquered by the Spanish, is better than fiction. There are political machinations on both the Spanish and Maya sides. Unfortunately for the Maya, the political machinations on their side, namely that their king had essentially lost control of his kingdom, spelled their ultimate doom.

While it is not certain that, in the long run, the Spanish would've maintained their promises of not using force in terms of dealing with the area, attacks by Maya kingdoms adjacent to Nojpeten created the perception that the Maya were not to be trusted.

Overall, I found the information in this book very useful. I found it helped me understand the Maya as a real people, with family and political problems just as we do today. I'd say the only other book that does a better job of describing these elements (on a grander scale) is "Lost Chronicles of the Maya Kings" by David Drew.

[Josh Learn · Rating 4 out of 5]

And exhaustively well-researched history into the fall of Nojpeten and the events leading up to it for the previous 150 years or so. From the moment Cortez first left a lame horse on the lakeside then left in peace to the eventual conquest in the end of the 1600s, Jones doesn't miss much. He even incorporates some archaeological evidence along with his historical sources.

His writing jars a little sometimes. His inconsistent use of names, for example, and constant jumping back and forth between historical personages is very hard to follow at times. The various Maya powers are also hard to keep track of sometimes, as Jones sometimes uses their own names for themselves and other times uses what the Europeans called them. The structure is a little odd as well, based more on what he gleaned from different historical perspectives rather than focusing on a clear narrative.

But overall, it paints an unflattering picture of the motives that drove the conquistadores to colonize this far off kingdom, and the various disasters it caused them before and after.

[Kutay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Detailed view of the events. A deep look inot a small but important window. Starts as a difficult read and the middle can be difficult to get through due to a lot information. but teaches the reader a lot. By seeing repeating characters and locations you get an understanding of the context. Extremely well sourced.

[AskHistorians]

Jones offers us a look at Colonial New Spain through the events of the conquest of the Itza Maya in 1697. Jones digs through the events that lead up to, during, and following the conquest with an abundant and impressive list of primary and secondary sources. Jones uses his book as a bridge to meld ethnographic accounts with archaeological evidence to not only shed light on the pre-Columbian Maya, but also to better understand the Itza at the time of conquest. It is a surprisingly insight and entertaining read that sometimes goes unnoticed by scholars, but treasured by the few who do read it.