| In 1847, two men
from Tihosuco and Tepich, Cecilio Chi and Jacinto Pat (featured in this
painting by Marcelo Jimenez) met to make plans for a Mayan offensive. Their
plans were discovered prematurely, and so they launched their offensive
earlier than planned. The Maya advanced with vengeance and took over many
parts of the peninsula. However when, in May 1848, they were only 24 km
from taking Merida and 8 km from gaining Campeche, the Mayan troops decided
to abandon their advance and return to their homelands to plant maize. The
rains were soon to come, and they were reluctant to miss growing their subsistence
staple food. The Spanish led forces then counter-attacked and regained many
parts of the peninsula. The peninsula became divided between the north and
west Spanish controlled areas and the eastern Mayan controlled land. |
