Editing Oaxaca (section)

===Religion===
{{Further|Zapotec peoples}}
{{Further| Religion in Mexico}}
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|image1    = Santo Domingo de Guzman Convent.JPG
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|caption1  = [[Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán (Oaxaca)|Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán]]
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|caption2  = Interior of the Church of Santo Domingo de Guzmán
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Ritualistitic and shamanic religious practices were prevalent in Oaxaca valley, until the Spanish invaded the valley in 1521. Proselytism was also started in 1521, Christianity was ushered into the valley and eventually took firm roots.<ref name=ritual>{{cite web |url=http://www.oaxacaoaxaca.com/archeology-oaxaca.htm |title=7,000 Years of Religious Ritual |access-date=September 12, 2010 |publisher=Oaxaca Travel site}}</ref><ref name=library>{{cite web |url=http://www2.brandonu.ca/Library/cjns/7.2/starr.pdf |title=Zapotec Religious Practices in the Valley Of Oaxaca: An Analysis of the 1580 "Relaciones Geograficas" of Philip Ii |access-date=September 12, 2010 |author=Jean Starr |publisher=Canadian Journal of Native Studies |volume=7 |issue=2 |year=1987 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110706170107/http://www2.brandonu.ca/Library/cjns/7.2/starr.pdf |archive-date=July 6, 2011}}</ref>

The ancient religious practices have been dated by archaeological findings (over a 15 years period of excavations by two Archaeologists of the [[University of Michigan]]) to be more than 7,000 years old. Initially, 7,000 years ago, the people were "hunters and gatherers with no fixed abode".{{attribution needed|date=August 2018}}<ref name=ritual/><ref name=library/> With development of agricultural practices, with maize as the main crop and settled villages getting established over several centuries, a warrior type of societal culture evolved by 500 BC, with the Zapotec state getting into shape. Concurrently, ceremonious religious practices with ritualistic and shamanistic dancing around stone marked floors came to be observed (a pre-Zapotec dance floor dated to 6650 BC testifies this). Even cannibalistic practices were noted. The ritualistic practices were formalized, as permanent settlements were established, and temples were built to perform the rituals as per a set of calendar annual events. There were two interconnected calendars prevalent at the time- one of 260 days and another of 365 days, which synchronized every 52 years. In subsequent years, as upper strata of society (an "elite class") came into existence, the religious practices and the temple got more formalized with priests controlling the community's religion. Religion started to evolve around the ritualistic practices but with more defined role of religion under the monarchic rule which came into effect along with "the religious systems that were the previous source of social authority". Monte Alban was founded around 500 BCE. It is inferred that from 1500 BC, Zapotec society evolved as an organized "autonomous ascribed-status peasant societies". The ritual buildings in the valley dated to this period testify this observation.<ref name=ritual/><ref name=library/> Richard Sosis, an [[anthropologist]] at the [[University of Connecticut]] has summarised the archaeological findings with the observation:<ref name=ritual/>
<blockquote>
the Michigan archaeologists' study delineated the process of religion adapting to different environments as Oaxacan society changed. Among foragers, ritual serves to cement solidarity, he said, and the "powerful moralistic gods that we associate with contemporary religions" are a later development, introduced at the stage when priests have acquired control of a religion and "are effectively controlling the masses through ritual activities that instill the fear of supernatural punishment.
</blockquote>

When Christianity made inroads into the Valley in 1521, the valley was part of the [[Aztec]] tribute empire with [[Tenochtitlan]] as the capital (present day Mexico City) and Spanish settlements came into existence to exploit the rich land and mineral resources of the valley. The first record of [[Baptism]] in the valley was that of the [[King of Teozapotlan]], the most important Valley ruler, in 1521. He was baptized as [[Don Juan Cortes]]. Nobles, who converted to Christianity, were permitted to keep their traditional rights under a 1557 order by [[Philip II of Spain]]. Spaniards pursued proselytisation activity with dedicated single-minded devotion throughout the 18th century with the "goal of saving the souls of their subjects".<ref name=ritual/>

Now, in Mexico, Roman Catholics are 89% of the total population.<ref name=tabulados>{{cite web |title=Religion |work=Censo Nacional de Población Vivienda |year=2000 |url=http://www.inegi.gob.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2000/definitivos/Nal/tabulados/00re01.pdf |access-date=October 4, 2007 |publisher=INEGI |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20051215060031/http://www.inegi.gob.mx/prod_serv/contenidos/espanol/bvinegi/productos/censos/poblacion/2000/definitivos/Nal/tabulados/00re01.pdf |archive-date=December 15, 2005}}</ref> Only 47% of Oaxacan Catholics attend church services weekly, one of the lowest rates of the developing world.<ref>{{cite web |title=Church attendance |work=Study of worldwide rates of religiosity |year=1997 |publisher=University of Michigan |url=http://www.ns.umich.edu/Releases/1997/Dec97/chr121097a.html |access-date=February 23, 2013 |archive-date=May 28, 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130528222128/http://www.ns.umich.edu/Releases/1997/Dec97/chr121097a.html |url-status=dead }}</ref> In absolute terms, Mexico has the world's second largest number of Catholics after Brazil. While most indigenous Mexicans are at least nominally Catholic, some combine or syncretize Catholic practices with native traditions.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20000818085719/http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_romcath.html |url-status=usurped |archive-date=August 18, 2000 |title=The Largest Catholic Communities |access-date=November 10, 2007 |website=Adherents.com}}</ref>

The [[National Presbyterian Church in Mexico]] has a relatively high percentage of followers in Oaxaca, one of its stronger states.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.reformiert-online.net/adressen/detail.php?id=13218&lg=eng |title=Address data base of Reformed churches and institutions |first=Christoph |last=Fasse |website=Reformiert-online.net |access-date=July 9, 2018}}</ref>