| Tundama | |
|---|---|
| cacique | |
| Reign | until 1539 |
| Predecessor | unknown |
| Successor | Don Juan |
| Born | 15th century Muisca Confederation |
| Died | end of December 1539 Duitama, New Kingdom of Granada |
Tundama orSaymoso (15th century – late December 1539 inDuitama) was acacique of theMuisca Confederation, a loose confederation of differentrulers of theMuisca who inhabited the central highlands (Altiplano Cundiboyacense) of theColombianAndes. The city ofTundama, currently known as Duitama and part of theTundama Province,Boyacá, were named after thecacique. Tundama ruled over the northernmost territories of the Muisca, submitted last by the Spanishconquistadores.
Tundama was killed late December 1539 with a large hammer by SpanishconquistadorBaltasar Maldonado. His successor,Don Juan was killed shortly after, ending the reign of the Muisca in theNew Kingdom of Granada, the name for present-day Colombia and a part ofVenezuela in theSpanish Empire.
Knowledge about Tundama has been compiled byscholarLucas Fernández de Piedrahita.[1]
In the time before theSpanish conquest of central Colombia, there were several main rulers and several independentcaciques who governed the Muisca. From south to north thepsihipqua ofMuyquytá, thehoa ofHunza, theiraca ofSugamuxi and the psihipqua ofTundama were the ruling elites of the area. Duitama in those ages was a lake surrounded by hilltops. On the hillLa Tolosa the tundama lived in abohío (hut) ornamented withgolden figures.
Tundama was the lastcacique of Duitama and thecaciques ofCerinza,Chitagoto, Icabuco, Lupacoche,Sátiva,Soatá andSusacón were loyal to him.[2] When a newiraca for Sugamuxi had to be elected alternating between thecaciques ofFiravitoba andTobasía, thecacique of Tundama intervened in case of conflict.[3]
In 1536 the Spanish conquistadores led by LicentiateGonzalo Jiménez de Quesada set foot towards the interior of modern-day Colombia fromSanta Marta. looking for the beginning of the Magdalena River, and a land path ro Peru, and equipped with approximately 800 soldiers, an unknown number of native companions, black slaves, and dozens of horses they started their march to the Andes along theMagdalena River. The Spanish troops arrived first in the southern Muisca territories, in the early March of 1537. From there they marched north and in August of that year they conqueredHunza, a capital of the northern Muisca. They were informed of the sacredIraka Valley around Sugamuxi and found theSun Temple which soldiers of De Quesada burned by accident in September 1537.[2][3]
Saymoso got notice of the submission of the neighbouringindigenous groups, thePanche,Guane and others and told hisguecha warriors not to bow for the Spanish invaders.[2] When one of his warriors suggested surrender was the best option, Tundama cut off his ears and left hand.[4] Thecacique declared a "death war" against the Spanish and gathered an army of 10,000 guecha warriors.[2]
To keep the conquistadores away, he sent a delegation of his people withemeralds, gold andmantles to offer the Spanish with the promise that Tundama would surrender bringing eight more of these. Gaining time, Tundama hid his treasures and prepared the defence of Tundama.[2]
On December 15, 1539, captainBaltasar Maldonado, a companion of Jiménez de Quesada (who had already left for Europe, to give account in Spain), entered the territories of Tundama and offered him a peace proposal if he would surrender. Tundama, informed by the Spanish murders ofpsihipquaTisquesusa andhoaEucaneme, did not accept and Maldonado attacked Tundama and his army on the island in Vargas Swamp, where 280 years later theBattle of Vargas Swamp bySimón Bolívar would be fought.[2][4][5] Maldonado, enforced with 2000yanakunas; natives from Peru and allied people from Muyquytá andRamiriquí, was accompanied by the Muisca whose ears and hand had been cut off by Tundama. The Spanish conquistador with his weapons, cavalry and the inside knowledge of the earless Muisca killed 4000 guecha warriors of Tundama. Seeing this battle was fruitless, Tundama fled to Cerinza to ally with thecacique from there and prepared a new attack on the Spanish and indigenous troops, losing again. Thecaciques of northern Boyacá convinced Tundama to not fight anymore and Tundama surrendered to the Spanish troops. Maldonado demanded huge quantities of gold and emeralds to pay his loss to the Spanish. When handing over the valuables, Maldonado deemed the payments not enough and before the end of the year Maldonado killed Tundama with a large hammer.[2][6]
After Tundama was killed,according to the Muisca tradition of inheritance, his nephewDon Juan took over the role ofcacique. He was killed shortly after, ending the era of the Muisca in northern Boyacá.[6] The last independent of the Muisca,Aquiminzaque, was killed by public decapitation by Hernán Pérez de Quesada in January 1540. Native caciques continued ruling their towns, working together with a Spanish encomendero.[7]
| History of the Muisca | |||||||||
 | |||||||||
.png) Altiplano |  Muisca |  Art |  Architecture |  Astronomy |  Cuisine |  El Dorado |  Subsistence |  Women |  Conquest |
