Xinca people
Nation | Active
820 CE to 2057 CE
The Xinca, also known as the Xinka, are a non-Mayan indigenous people of Mesoamerica, with communities in the southern portion of Guatemala, near its border with El Salvador, and in the mountainous region to the north.
Their language (the Xinca language) is generally classed as a language isolate with no demonstrated affiliations with other language families,although it has a large number of loan words from Mayan languages.
The Xinka (also spelled Szinca or Xinca) may have been among the earliest inhabitants of southeastern Guatemala, predating the arrival of the Maya and the Pipil.
The Xinka themselves spell their name with a 'k' rather than with a 'c'.
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Pedro de Alvardo describes his encounter in Guazacapán, now a municipality in Santa Rosa, with people who are neither Maya nor Pipil, speaking a different language altogether; these people are probably Xinca.
Alvarado's force at this point consists of two hundred and fifty Spanish infantry accompanied by six thousand indigenous allies, mostly Kaqchikel and Cholutec.
Alvarado and his army defeat and occupy the most important Xinca city, named as Atiquipaque, usually considered to be in the Taxisco area.
The defending warriors are described by Alvarado as engaging in fierce hand-to-hand combat using spears, stakes and poisoned arrows.
The battle takes place on May 26, 1524 and results in a significant reduction of the Xinca population.
Alvarado's army continues eastwards from Atiquipaque, seizing several more Xinca cities.
Tacuilula feigns a peaceful reception only to unsuccessfully raise arms against the conquistadors within an hour of their arrival.
Taxisco and Nancintla fall soon afterwards.
Because Alvarado and his allies cannot understand the Xinca language, Alvarado takes extra precautions on the march eastward by strengthening his vanguard and rearguard with ten cavalry apiece.
In spite of these precautions, …
…the baggage train is ambushed by a Xinca army soon after leaving Taxisco.
Many indigenous allies are killed and most of the baggage is lost, including all the crossbows and ironwork for the horses.
This is a serious setback and Alvarado camps his army in Nancintla for eight days, during which time he sends two expeditions against the attacking army.
Jorge de Alvarado lead sthe first attempt with thirty to forty cavalry and although they rout the enemy they are unable to retrieve any of the lost baggage, much of which has been destroyed by the Xinca for use as trophies.
Pedro de Portocarrero leads the second attempt with a large infantry detachment but is unable to engage with the enemy due to the difficult mountain terrain, so returns to Nancintla.
Alvarado sends out Xinca messengers to make contact with the enemy but they fail to return.
Messengers from the city of Pazaco, in the modern department of Jutiapa offer peace to the conquistadors but when Alvarado arrives there the next day the inhabitants are preparing for war.
Alvarado's troops encounter a sizable quantity of gathered warriors and quickly rout them through the city's streets.
From Pazaco, Alvarado crosses the Río Paz and enters what is now El Salvador.
The conquered inhabitants of the Pacific plain pay tribute to the Spanish in the form of valuable products such as cacao, cotton, salt and vanilla, with an emphasis on cacao.
Many of the Xinca people are forced into slavery and compelled to participate in the conquest of modern-day El Salvador.
It is from this that the names for the town, river, and bridge "Los Esclavos" (The Slaves) are derived in the area of Cuilapa, Santa Rosa.