| Battle of Chocontá (~1490) | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Part ofMuisca Confederation wars | |||||
 Battle of Chocontá byLucas de Piedrahita (1676) | |||||
| |||||
| Belligerents | |||||
| Zipazgo of the southernMuisca | Zacazgo of the northernMuisca | ||||
| Commanders and leaders | |||||
| Saguamanchica † | Michuá † cacique ofGuatavita | ||||
| Strength | |||||
| ~50,000[1] | ~60,000[2] | ||||
| Casualties and losses | |||||
| Unknown | Unknown | ||||
  Battle of Chocontá Location of the battle | |||||
TheBattle of Chocontá was one of a series of battles in the ongoing conflict between the northern and southernMuisca ofpre-Columbian centralColombia. The battle was foughtc. 1490 in the vicinity ofChocontá. An army of 50,000 southern Muiscaguecha warriors, led by their ruler, orzipa,Saguamanchica, attacked 60,000 northern Muisca troops commanded byZaqueMichuá, who was supported by theCacique ofGuatavita.
In the decades before theSpanishconquistadors arrived in the central highlands of Colombia in 1537, the area was ruled by two main groups: thezacazgo of the northern Muisca and thezipazgo of the southern Muisca. While the two factions were joined in a confederation, they fought numerous wars to conquer terrain and to gain access to the resources of the area, mainlygold,copper, andemeralds.[3]
The northern Muisca inhabited the area of the currentdepartment ofBoyacá while the southern Muisca lived in the present-dayCundinamarca Department. The capital of thezaque wasHunza, today known as Tunja, and thezipa resided inBacatá, the later Colombian capital Bogotá.[2]
The invading southern guecha warriors of Saguamanchica gathered near Chocontá to face the Michuá. The battle lasted three hours and was recorded as being exceptionally bloody. The leaders of both armies were killed during the battle. Thezipazgo of the southern Muisca was victorious.Quemuenchatocha became the newzaque of Hunza and thezipa of Bacatá was succeeded byNemequene.[1][2]
The battle was one of the first Muisca acts of war documented by the bishop andchroniclerLucas Fernández de Piedrahita.[4]
| History of the Muisca | |||||||||
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