Museo de la Guerra de Castas - Caste War Museum - Tihosuco - Quintana Roo

The Caste War Museum In 1517, the Spanish first arrived on the shores of the Yucatan. The Spanish arrivals were awed at the size and complexity of the Mayan cities, as they were also with the Aztecs and other pre-Columbian New World civilisations. The Spanish then proceeded to fight for their conquest of the Mayan lands. They took well over 20 years to subdue the major Maya groups, and over a century and a half to gain their rule over the last of the Mayan kingdoms. The Spanish conquest of the Maya was only a part of the plans they had for their new kingdom. The Spaniards then began to depersonalise the Maya and to systematically destroy the Mayan identity, forcing their own Hispanic culture on the native people there. Mayan books and idols were burnt and destroyed. The Spanish language, culture and way of life were imposed on the millions of New World colonial subjects. The Mayan way of life was to be erased and the Hispanic colony extended. However, despite centuries of brutality and repression against the Maya, the Spanish never fully succeeded in breaking the Mayan identity. There were many insurrections against the Spanish, eleven major uprisings between 1546 and 1761. Each of these were crushed by the Spanish forces. For over 80 years after the last insurrection, the Mayan peoples settled to a life of Hispanic domination. In 1847, a new Mayan offensive was launched from the village of Tepich (the next village to Tihosuco) by two rebel leaders; Cecilio Chi from Tepich and Jacinto Pat from Tihosuco. The Mayan attack grew quickly and advanced at great speed. The Spanish were not able to suppress this offensive, which came to be known as the Caste War. It became one of the most violent conflicts in the history of the Mayan world and lead to the eventual freedom and restoration of the identity of the Maya. The story of the Caste War is told within a museum in Tihosuco, restored in 1993 especially for this purpose. The text and images below give a brief description of the museum and tell a little of the story of the Caste War. It is hoped that a more detailed account of the war will be added to this WebPage within the next few months. The museum is open Tuesdays until Sundays (closed on Mondays) from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. The entrance fee is just 5 pesos, and a guide by the director of the museum or another of the personnel there can be given in either Spanish or Maya. As the visitor enters Tihosuco, the museum is easy to find. Just ask anyone for directions. Head for the centre of the village by turning from the main through road at the bus stop to the right (if coming from Valladolid) or left (if coming from Filip Carillo Puerto).
Entering Tihosuco	Sign for the museum		The Caste War museum
The open main door	The church of Tihosuco		Looking to the exhibition
As you look to the main door leading to the exhibition, a sign in Maya welcomes the visitor and asks the visitor to go on through if they are interested in finding out more about the war. The exhibition within the museum is divided into four rooms. As you walk through the door, you are greeted by one of the many fine paintings by Marcelo JimÈnez in the museum depicting the Caste War. The first painting shows how the Maya rose up against the Spanish, fuelled not only by their own culture and religion, but also by the religion brought over and enforced by the Spanish themselves.
A Mayan welcome		The Caste War
The first room tells of the pre-Hispanic Maya, the Spanish arrival, the destroying of the Mayan culture, the 11 Mayan insurrections against the Spanish and how the Maya were finally forced into their servitude. These are told by using models, paintings (again by Marcelo JimÈnez), maps and text, all clearly laid out. The text is mostly in Spanish, but there are plans to put Maya and English text around the museum as well. A guide to the text in English will also be written.
Room 1	2 insurrections		5 insurrections
Fray Diego de Landa		Text
The second room tells of how the Yucatecean population was organised in the late 18th and first half of the 19th centuries. It describes how the Maya were forced to work on large farms, producing crops which were then exported away from the peninsula, how taxes to the general population was high and how the conditions were set for the Mayan revolt.
Mayan suppression	Text		Room 2
Tax paying		Text
The third and forth rooms tell of how the Caste War began and grew, of how the Mayan struggle almost defeated the Spanish, how religion motivated the struggle and how the war ended with great political and social changes.
Resistance leaders	Text		Room 4
As you move from room 4, you come to a stand containing the skull of Bernardino Cen, who was a leader of the rebels during the Caste War. Also you can visit the museum shop, selling all kinds of goods from herbal preparations, local crafts, beeswax candles, ornaments and other crafts, the sale of which help the local crafts people and the raise funds for the museum.
Bernardino Cen		The museum shop
Walking around the museum you can sometimes see activities underneath the 'palapa', or outdoor hut, such as people learning traditional dancing or the Maya language, or there may be a meeting going on. You could also visit the botanical garden for medicinal herbs in the museum grounds.
The palapa		Museum from the garden
Walking around Tihosuco is a pleasant experience. It is worthwhile visiting the semi-ruined but still used church there. Clear remnants of the previous Spanish colonial Tihosuco can be seen by the ruins which still stand around the village.
The church		Ruins
The story of the Caste War can also be followed in the neighbouring village Tepich, where they have a library devoted to the war. Also, take the chance to visit Filipo Carillo Puerto, which was a centre-point for the Mayan resistance during the war.
Church Chan		Santa Cruz Mural
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The Caste War Museum