ENCYCLOPAEDIA of Rebellions

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Tehuecos rebellion 1597

Synopsis
Since the last quarter of the 16th century, the Tehuecos were evangelized by the Jesuits. Since the first contact, they have strongly resisted accepting Christianity. In 1597, an open conflict lasted for 6 months. At the beginning of Lent, the village priest discovered some stone images, ordering its destruction. The indigenous authorities announced to the people that an illness was coming. The Tehuecos began to perform a series of traditional religious ceremonies, blaming the Jesuits for all the harm that was coming and threatening the priest. A part of the village's men went into exile to form an army with another tribe, the Tepagues. Meanwhile, in the Tehuecos nation, some people tried to set fire to the church, stole and broke some sacred images. The Spanish captain got an army to pursue the rebels who were hidden 40 miles far. They tried to fight the rebels for a month and a half, but they got lost and faced hunger. On August 15th, the captain promised the Virgin Mary that if they escaped with life and won the coming battle, they would celebrate a special mass and a procession in her honor. In the battle many rebels were killed and, following the indigenous custom, had their heads cut off. Other seven Tehuecos were arrested and found guilty in trial. They faced a death sentence by hanging and two of the top leaders had their heads cut off and their bodies burned in front of the Tehuecos nation.
Additional info

Starting date: . Ending: . Duration: 6 months. Name in sources: Alzamiento de los Tehuecos. Location: Western Nueva Vizcaya, near Rio Fuerte, current Sinaloa State Country (current): Mexico. Monarchy: Spanish. Main participants: Indigenous. Number of participants: unknown. Main reasons & motivations: Religion. Leadership: Unknown. Relevance: low.

Further reading
FOLSON, Raphael Brewster (2014). The Yaquis and the Empire. Violence, Spanish imperial power and Native resilience in Colonial Mexico. New Haven/ London: Yale University Press, p. 67. HUERTA, Maria Teresa; PALACIOS, Patricia (1976). Rebeliones Indigenas de la Época Colonial. Mexico: Instituto Nacional de Antropologia e Historia.
Cite this entry

(2023) "Tehuecos rebellion 1597", in J. V. Serrão and M. S. Cunha (coord), Rebellions in the Early Modern Iberian World. (accessed on ).