Editing Spanish conquest of Yucatán (section)

===Early 17th century===
[[File:17th century Spanish routes to Petén flat.gif|thumb|left|alt=Map of the Yucatán Peninsula, jutting northwards from an isthmus running northwest to southeast. The Captaincy General of Yucatán was located in the extreme north of the peninsula. {{lang|es|Mérida}} is to the north, {{lang|es|Campeche}} on the west coast, {{lang|es|Bacalar}} to the east and {{lang|es|Salamanca de Bacalar}} to the southeast, near the east coast. Routes from {{lang|es|Mérida}} and {{lang|es|Campeche}} joined to head southwards towards {{lang|es|Petén}}, at the base of the peninsula. Another route left {{lang|es|Mérida}} to curve towards the east coast and approach {{lang|es|Petén}} from the northeast. The Captaincy General of Guatemala was to the south with its capital at {{lang|es|Santiago de los Caballeros de Guatemala}}. A number of colonial towns roughly followed a mountain range running east–west, including {{lang|es|Ocosingo}}, {{lang|es|Ciudad Real}}, {{lang|es|Comitán}}, {{lang|es|Ystapalapán}}, {{lang|es|Huehuetenango}}, {{lang|es|Cobán}} and {{lang|es|Cahabón}}. A route left {{lang|es|Cahabón}} eastwards and turned north to {{lang|es|Petén}}. {{lang|es|Petén}} and the surrounding area contained a number of native settlements. Nojpetén was situated on a lake near the centre; a number of settlements were scattered to the south and southwest, including {{lang|es|Dolores del Lacandón}}, Yaxché, {{lang|es|Mopán}}, Ixtanché, Xocolo and Nito. Tipuj was to the east. Chuntuki, Chunpich and Tzuktokʼ were to the north. Sakalum was to the northeast. Battles took place at Sakalum in 1624 and {{lang|es|Nojpetén}} in 1697.|17th century entry routes to Petén]]
Following [[Hernán Cortés|Cortés]]' visit, no Spanish attempted to visit the warlike [[Itza people|Itza]] inhabitants of [[Nojpetén]] for almost a hundred years. In 1618 two [[Franciscans|Franciscan]] friars set out from [[Mérida, Yucatán|Mérida]] on a mission to attempt the peaceful conversion of the still-pagan Itza in central [[Petén Basin|Petén]]. Bartolomé de Fuensalida and Juan de Orbita were accompanied by some Christianised Maya.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p773"/> After an arduous six-month journey the travellers were well received at Nojpetén by the current [[Kan Ekʼ]]. They stayed for some days in an attempt to evangelise the Itza, but the Aj Kan Ekʼ refused to renounce his [[Maya religion]], although he showed interest in the masses held by the Catholic missionaries. Attempts to convert the Itza failed, and the friars left Nojpetén on friendly terms with Kan Ekʼ.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p773">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 773.</ref> The friars returned in October 1619, and again Kan Ekʼ welcomed them in a friendly manner, but this time the [[Maya priesthood]] were hostile and the missionaries were expelled without food or water, but survived the journey back to Mérida.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p774">Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 774.</ref>

In March 1622, the governor of Yucatán, Diego de Cárdenas, ordered Captain Francisco de Mirones y Lezcano to launch an assault upon the [[Itza people|Itza]]; he set out from [[Yucatán Peninsula|Yucatán]] with 20 Spanish soldiers and 80 Mayas from Yucatán.<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 774.<br>Jones 1998, p. 46.<br>Chuchiak IV 2005, p. 131.</ref> His expedition was later joined by Franciscan friar Diego Delgado.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p774"/> In May the expedition advanced to [[Sacalum Municipality|Sakalum]], southwest of [[Bacalar]], where there was a lengthy delay while they waited for reinforcements.<ref>Jones 1998, pp. 42, 47.</ref> En route to [[Nojpetén]], Delgado believed that the soldiers' treatment of the Maya was excessively cruel, and he left the expedition to make his own way to Nojpetén with eighty Christianised Maya from [[Tipu, Belize|Tipuj]] in [[Belize]].<ref name="SharerTraxler06p774"/> In the meantime the Itza had learnt of the approaching military expedition and had become hardened against further Spanish missionary attempts.<ref>Chuchiak IV 2005, p. 132.</ref> When Mirones learnt of Delgado's departure, he sent 13 soldiers to persuade him to return or continue as his escort should he refuse. The soldiers caught up with him just before Tipuj, but he was determined to reach Nojpetén.<ref>Means 1917, p. 79.</ref> From Tipuj, Delgado sent a messenger to Kan Ekʼ, asking permission to travel to Nojpetén; the Itza king replied with a promise of safe passage for the missionary and his companions. The party was initially received in peace at the Itza capital,<ref>Means 1917, p. 80.</ref> but as soon as the Spanish soldiers let their guard down, the Itza seized and bound the new arrivals.<ref name="Means1917p81">Means 1917, p. 81.</ref> The soldiers were [[Sacrifice in Maya culture|sacrificed]] to the [[List of Maya gods and supernatural beings|Maya gods]].<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 774.<br>Means 1917, p. 81.</ref> After their sacrifice, the Itza took Delgado, cut his heart out and dismembered him; they displayed his head on a stake with the others.<ref>Means 1917, p. 81.<br>Jones 1998, pp. 47–48.</ref> The fortune of the leader of Delgado's Maya companions was no better. With no word from Delgado's escort, Mirones sent two Spanish soldiers with a Maya scout to learn their fate. When they arrived upon the shore of [[Lake Petén Itzá]], the Itza took them across to their island capital and imprisoned them. Bernardino Ek, the scout, escaped and returned to Mirones with the news.<ref name="Means1917p81"/> Soon afterwards, on 27 January 1624, an Itza war party led by AjKʼin Pʼol caught Mirones and his soldiers off guard and unarmed in the church at Sakalum,<ref>Sharer and Traxler 2006, p. 774.<br>Jones 1998, p. 48.</ref> and killed them all.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p774"/> Spanish reinforcements arrived too late. A number of local Maya men and women were killed by Spanish attackers, who also burned the town.<ref>Jones 1998, p. 48.</ref>

Following these killings, Spanish garrisons were stationed in several towns in southern Yucatán, and rewards were offered for the whereabouts of AjKʼin Pʼol. The Maya governor of [[Oxkutzcab Municipality|Oxkutzcab]], Fernando Kamal, set out with 150 Maya archers to track the warleader down; they succeeded in capturing the [[Itza people|Itza]] captain and his followers, together with silverware from the looted [[Sacalum Municipality|Sakalum]] church and items belonging to Mirones. The prisoners were taken back to the Spanish Captain Antonio Méndez de Canzo, interrogated under torture, tried, and condemned to be [[hanged, drawn and quartered]]. They were decapitated, and the heads were displayed in the plazas of towns throughout the colonial ''Partido de la Sierra'' in what is now Mexico's [[Yucatán|Yucatán state]].<ref>Jones 1998, pp. 48–49.</ref> These events ended all Spanish attempts to contact the Itza until 1695.<ref name="SharerTraxler06p774"/> In the 1640s internal strife in Spain distracted the government from attempts to conquer unknown lands; the Spanish Crown lacked the time, money or interest in such colonial adventures for the next four decades.<ref>Feldman 2000, p. 151.</ref>