| Quemuenchatocha | |
|---|---|
| hoa | |
 Quemuenchatocha, ruler of Hunza | |
| Reign | 1490–1537 |
| Predecessor | Michuá |
| Successor | Quiminza |
| Born | c. 1472 Hunza, Muisca Confederation |
| Died | 1538 (aged 65–66) Ramiriquí, New Kingdom of Granada |
| Issue | Quimuinza (nephew) |
| Chibcha | Quimuinchateca |
| Dynasty | Hunza |
Quemuenchatocha orQuimuinchateca (named in the earliest sourcesEucaneme) (Hunza, 1472–Ramiriquí, 1538) was the second-lasthoa ofHunza, currently known as Tunja, as of 1490. He was the ruler of the northernMuisca when the Spanishconquistadores arrived in theMuisca highlands. His contemporary enemypsihipquas of the southern Muisca were successivelyNemequene andBogotá.
Eucaneme was eighteen years old when he accessed the throne, succeeding his predecessorMichuá as ruler of the northern Muisca. His reign was cruel and under his tyranny the Muisca feared him. His rule was so brutal that when the Spanish conquerors entered the outskirts of the capital Hunza and found a hill with poles where bodies were dangling, they named itCerro de la Horca ("Gallows Hill").[1]
Both his predecessor Michuá and their eternal enemies, the southern Muisca led bypsihipquaSaguamanchica died in theBattle of Chocontá in 1490. Eucaneme succeeded the throne for the northern Muisca based in Hunza whileNemequene accessed for the southern Muisca, ruled fromMuyquytá. To halt the northern expansion politics of their southern enemies, Quemuenchatocha sought the help of thecaciques ofGámeza,Sugamuxi,Tundama andSáchica. In 1514 to prevent blood loss Eucaneme proposed to fight only man-to-man battles. This idea didn't work out and the southernzipa Nemequene, while having won the battle of theArroyo de las Vueltas, was fatally hurt. The southern troops retreated and installed the new rulerTisquesusa. Theiraca,Sugamuxi, negotiated a truce between the northern and southern factions of the Muisca which held until the arrival of the Spanish in 1537.[2]
Upon the advancement of the Spanish instead of fighting them, he tried to please them with gifts while hiding the rich treasures of the Muisca, famous for their trade inemeralds and vast quantities ofgold. He forbade his people to show the upcoming Spanish conquerors the way to his fortress and installed harsh penalties for doing so.[3]
The strategy didn't work out. On August 20, 1537, the Spanish conquerors led byGonzalo Jiménez de Quesada found Eucaneme sitting on this throne decorated with gold, emeralds and precious cloths and he was taken prisoner and deported toSuesca. This happened where today theConvento de San Agustín is located. Eucaneme fled to the village ofRamiriquí where he shortly afterwards died. Following the Muisca rules of heritance, his nephewQuiminza succeeded to the throne as last ruler of Muisca before theNew Granada viceroyalty of Spain in northernSouth America was established.[1]
While not named as Quemuenchatocha, the defeat of thehoa of Hunza is described in the work of uncertain authorship about the conquest;Epítome de la conquista del Nuevo Reino de Granada.[4]
In Tunja, capital of the Boyacádepartment, a statue honouring Quemuenchatocha and his successor Aquiminzaque (Monumento a la Raza Indígena) has been erected.[5]
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