The originality of its development stems from a whole complex of new features in urban planning, architecture, fine arts, Mexican in origin. Some of these innovations have already appeared in the country of Puuk; others seem to come straight from Tula, the Toltec capital of the Mexico City basin. For this reason, Chichen Itza of the post-classical period is called the Maya-Toltec city. One of the main mysteries of Mesoamerican archeology is the apparently exceptional connection between Tula and Chichen Itza.
Recently, some researchers have suggested that Chichen Itza of the Puuk country and the Toltec Chichen Itza did not replace one another, but were contemporaries, in whole or in part. They differed not chronologically, but functionally. As seductive as this hypothesis may seem, it raises many objections: if Chichen Itza is a city of the late classical period (800-950), which took place in the ancient post-classical period (950-1250), before in the late post-classical period (1250 -1520) Mayapan became the main city? How to explain the undeniable introduction of Toltec features, clearly dating from the 11th century, to Central Mexico. It is impossible to deny the existence of Chichen Itza Puukskaya with inscriptions in the Maya language, and Chichen Itza "Maya-Toltec" (for lack of a better term) without inscriptions, but with the production of gold items and the use of turquoise in them. Same,as in the early classical period, contacts between Teotihuacan and the Maya country were carried out in both directions, relations between Central Mexico and Chichen Itza were reciprocal; indeed, if Chichen Itza exhibits "Toltec influence", such highland centers of Mexico as Cacastla and Shozicalco show "Mayan influence."
With the exception of Chichen Itza, cities in the interior of the Mayan country are rare. In the central zone of the Mayan country in the post-classical period, some settlements of the classical era are sporadically revived by groups of "squatters" who settle on their ruins, practically building nothing. In the lowlands, settlements are concentrated around cenote wells, along river banks, lagoons or on the ocean coast, starting from Isla Kerritos in the north of the Yucatan Peninsula to Tipu and Tayasal, including San Hervasio (on the island of Cozumel), Tulum, Santa Rita Corozal and Lamanai. The abundance and relative wealth of coastal settlements confirm the importance of the maritime trade route around the Yucatan Peninsula, already flourishing at the end of the Classical period, judging by the Yucatec influences found at Copan.
The upheavals seen in the highlands at the end of the Classical era become even more pronounced in the subsequent period. Inhabitants leave settlements on the plains, moving to places where it was easier to defend, for example, to the tops of hills or mountain plateaus surrounded by ravines. This change in the nature of the habitats is believed to be the result of a new wave of foreign invasions that took place along the course of the Usumacinta and Motagua rivers and are directly related to the domination of Chichen Itza over the Yucatan.
With the exception of Chichen Itza, the early postclassical period remains very little studied in the Mayan lands - there is still a lot of unclear about them, which does not allow us to assess with a sufficient degree of reliability their relationship with Central Mexico. Chichen Itza is a city that clearly differs from the Mayan cities of the classical era due to a departure from traditions that have been in force for many centuries, such as the periodic erection of stelae and the creation of inscriptions, as well as due to the fact that foreign cultural influences are adopted here. especially manifested in architectural motives, ornaments and style. But apart from these manifestations of a break with the past, there is also a continuation of the classical traditions, especially in cosmology; this leaves no doubt that Chichen Itza is a Mayan city. On its ruins, a completely new political and social organization of society appears: there is a weakening of the royal power and an increase in the power of the small elite - the nobility, priests and soldiers.
In the X century. it is a cosmopolitan city, whose development was based on the fact that it concentrated in its hands the most important economic wealth of the Mayan lands. It was also the only significant city in Yucatan, and remained so for two and a half centuries. This semblance of hegemony, which had never existed before, was based much more on its openness and distributional function than on power and strength. Provincial rulers were invited to Chichen Itza for major holidays to participate in the religious activities of the city. It is this participation, this unity through ritual that ensures political stability; they do not prevent the city from having enemies, which, however, are necessary for the warriors and for the gods, whose character begins to take shape precisely in this era. The unifying role of Chichen Itza is also facilitated by the presence of a sacred cenote, which is visited by thousands of pilgrims who throw their offerings into it. This city will remain an important pilgrimage site until the era of the Spanish conquest.
Spanish conquest
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Chichen Itza was defeated in 1221; soon Mayapan was built, which became the new center of the lowlands. The city was surrounded by a wall, within which the ruins of about 3,500 buildings are currently concentrated, which corresponds to a population of 10,000-15,000 people. The most important buildings are located in the city center, where you can count a dozen of the same type of architectural ensembles, each of which, no doubt, belonged to a noble "house" of this city; the most impressive of these ensembles is the main pyramid, a replica of Castillo at Chichen Itza. Most likely, she was a pyramid of the Kok family, which is often mentioned in the chronicles. The gods, different in origin, make up a real pantheon, their images are found on numerous lamps used both in temples and in homes. The cult of gods and ancestors unites and becomes the business of the whole society; in any home, no matter how modest it may be, there is a place dedicated to the gods.
The Shiu clan organizes a rebellion against the Kok clan, completely exterminating the latter; Mayapan was plundered and abandoned. Other cities in the region are weakening and, in turn, also abandoned. The Mayapan noble clans founded new settlements: Chel - in Tekohe, the surviving representatives of the Kokom clan - in Tibolon. Tutul Shiu are being built in Mani. Other localities on the Yucatan East Coast, such as Tulum and Santa Rita Corozal, flourished before the Spanish conquest. The highlands also underwent the expansion of the Maya peoples, "Mexican" in the late classical period. Parts of the Pacific Plain were occupied by groups of people from Central Mexico who spoke the Nahua (pipil) language. After the thousandth year, new waves of invaders come from the north, and the state of instability leads to a change in the habitat:flat areas are abandoned, and people move to places that are easier to defend, such as the tops of hills surrounded by ravines. In the XIII century. there has been a transformation of small centers into powerful rival regional capitals such as Hilotepec, Sakuleu Ishimche and Kumarkah (Utatlan). The latter city became the capital of the Quiche people, whose history we know from the Po-pol Vuh. It has significantly expanded its territory to the detriment of its western and southern neighbors. This continued until the end of the 15th century, when their king was defeated by the Kakchikels.whose history we know from Po-Paul Vuh. It has significantly expanded its territory to the detriment of its western and southern neighbors. This continued until the end of the 15th century, when their king was defeated by the Kakchikels.whose history we know from Po-Paul Vuh. It has significantly expanded its territory to the detriment of its western and southern neighbors. This continued until the end of the 15th century, when their king was defeated by the Kakchikels.
The Spanish conquest began with the colonization of the islands of Cuba and Hispaniola (which today is divided between Haiti and the Dominican Republic), after which expeditions of the discoverers of new lands began from these islands. In 1517, Hernandez de Cordoba went in search of slaves, gold and new lands.
He discovered the island of Women near Cozumel (so named because female figurines were found there), then he proceeded along the Yucatan Peninsula to Champoton, where the Maya caused serious damage to sailors. The next on the expedition was Juan de Grijalva, who for five months traveled around the peninsula and reached the Panuco River, in order to turn back from there to Cuba. And finally, Hernando Cortez, on February 18, 1519, set out on an expedition in 11 ships, with 508 satellites and 16 horses. After arriving in Cozumel, Cortes moved along the peninsula, circled the Gulf of Mexico and landed at Veracruz, where he burned his ships and set out to conquer the Aztec empire, which he brought to its knees in just one year.
Cortes first crossed the south of Yucatan in 1525, heading for Honduras to suppress an attempt at independence by one of his assistants. For the first time the Spaniards tried to take possession of the Mayan country in 1527-1528, then, without much success, in 1531-1535; the country was finally conquered only at the end of the 16th century, when there were about eighteen independent kingdoms on the peninsula. However, it was not over yet.
Those who survived the destruction of Chichen Itza in 1221 founded the city of Tayasal on the islands of Lake Peten; this town successfully resisted several attempts to convert its inhabitants to Christianity, and was finally conquered in 1697 during an attack, carefully planned and prepared for a long time, led by the governor of Yucatan himself. The considerable distances, the political fragmentation of the Maya country, and the small number of conquerors all explain why the Spanish took twenty years to conquer Yucatan.
The first monks - Franciscans - landed on these shores in 1535. Spiritual conquest, which involves the destruction of previous religions, local festivals, intellectual and artistic activities, in which they saw the devil's inspiration, completed and justified the activities of the conquistadors.