| Saguamanchica | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Zipa of Bacatá | |||||
 Saguamanchica depicted in 1688 on the cover ofHistoria general de las conquistas del Nuevo Reyno de Granada byJuan de Castellanos | |||||
| Zipa of Bacatá | |||||
| Reign | c. 1470 – 1490 | ||||
| Predecessor | Meicuchuca | ||||
| Successor | Nemequene | ||||
| Nephew | Nemequene | ||||
| Cacique of Chía | |||||
| Zipa | Meicuchuca | ||||
| Born | unknown Bacatá,Muisca Confederation | ||||
| Died | c. 1490 Chocontá,Guatavita,Bacatá,Muisca Confederation | ||||
| Issue | Usminia | ||||
| |||||
| House | Bacatá | ||||
| Religion | Muisca religion | ||||
Saguamanchica (diedChocontá, 1490) was the second ruler (zipa) ofMuyquytá, as of 1470. Hiszaque enemy ruling over the northern area of theMuisca territory wasMichuá.
Alternative spellings of his name areSacuan Machica,Saguanmachica andSaguanmanchica.
As formercacique ofChía, Saguamanchica accessed the throne of the southern Muisca around 1470. His predecessor, the firstzipa of MuyquytáMeicuchuca, left him a rich kingdom with manyguecha warriors. This led Saguamanchica to seek expansion of hiszipazgo.
The first campaign of warfare he planned was to submit the eternal enemies of the Muisca, thePanche and theSutagao to the west of the Muisca territories. TheCarib-speaking peoples formed an alliance against their common and far outnumbered enemy. Saguamanchica together with hisvassalPasca defeated his enemies led by general Uzatama with ease and annexedFusagasugá andTibacuy.[1]
The expansion policies of the southern Muisca upset thecacique ofGuatavita and he sought help with thezaque inHunza, Michuá. The northern ruler sent a messenger to the court of Saguamanchica in Bacatá but he was mistreated there. Saguamanchica and Michuá confronted each other with armies of 40,000 respectively 30,000 warriors but there was no battle fought and a truce settled. In the meantime however thecacique ofUbaque, ally of the northern Muisca, had conqueredUsme andPasca on Saguamanchica's rule. Thezipa sent his army to the taken areas and defeated thecacique, banishing him.[1]Saguamanchica also submitted the towns ofZipaquirá,Ubaté,Simijaca andSusa.[2]
The times ofwar were continuing as Saguamanchica attacked the Panche, who had takenZipacón andTena, and thecacicazgo of Guatavita having conqueredChía andCajicá upon thezipa.[1]
Around 1490 Saguamanchica decided to attack thehoa with an army of 50,000 warriors marching through Guatavita toChocontá facing 60,000 troops led by Michuá. In the three hourBattle of Chocontá both rulers Saguamanchica and Michuá died, while the former has won.Eucaneme took over thehoa rule for the northern Muisca andNemequene, as nephew of Saguamanchica legal heir for the throne in Muyquytá, succeeded his uncle, eventually becoming a brutal ruler.[1][3]
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