Editing Cobán (section)

=== Order of Preachers in the Vera Paz ===
{{Main article|Bartolomé de Las Casas}}

[[File:Fray Bartolomé de las Casas.jpg|150px|thumb|left|Fray [[Bartolomé de las Casas]], [[Order of Preachers|O.P.]] who along friars Rodrigo de Landa, [[Pedro Angulo]] and Luis de Cáncer, O.P, started Vera paz Christian indoctrination in 1542.]]

Between 1530 and 1531, captain {{Interlanguage link|Alonso de Ávila|es}} on his way to [[San Cristóbal de las Casas|Ciudad Real]] accidentally discovered the lagoon and hill of {{Interlanguage link|Lacam-Tún|es|Reserva de la biosfera Lacan-Tun}}. People of that place had historically traded with all the people that the Spaniards had conquered, so, knowing what was coming, they sought refuge in the jungle. The Spaniards tried in vain to conquer the [[lacandon people|lacandones]]: from [[Nueva España]] Juan Enríquez de Guzman tried; from the [[Yucatán Peninsula]], [[Francisco de Montejo]] tried; [[Pedro de Alvarado]] attempted it from Guatemala along with captain Francisco Gil Zapata and, finally, Pedro Solórzano from Chiapas.<ref name=pons>{{cite book|last=Pons Sáez|first=Nuria|year=1997|title=La conquista del Lacandón|location=México|publisher=Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México|language=es|isbn=968-36-6150-5|page=XIX to XXIX}}</ref> That is when the Order of Preachers tried to convert the Tezulutlán "War Zone" into a peaceful region.

In the meantime, after a series of setbacks in [[Cuba|La Española]], the island Audiencia allowed [[Bartolomé de las Casas]] to accept Friar Tomás de Berlanga's invitation to go to [[Peru|Nueva Granada]] in 1534, where he had just been appointed as Bishop. Both sailed toward [[Panama]], to then continued to [[Lima]], but during the trip a storm tossed their ship to [[Nicaragua]], where Las Casas chose to remain in the Granada convent. in 1535, he proposed to the King and the [[Council of the Indies]] to start a peaceful colonization of the unexplored rural zones in the Guatemala region; however, in spite of Bernal Díaz de Luco and Mercado de Peñaloza intentions to help him, his suggestion was rejected.  In 1536 Nicaraguan governor [[Rodrigo de Contreras]] organized a military expedition, but Las Casas was able to postpone it by a couple of years after he notified queen [[Isabel de Portugal]], wife of [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Carlos V]]. Given the authorities' hostility, Las Casas left Nicaragua and went to Guatemala.{{sfn|Anabitarte|1991|p=105}}

In November 1536, Las Casas settled in [[Ciudad Vieja|Santiago de Guatemala]], then the capital of Guatemala; a few months later, his friend, bishop Juan Garcés, invited him to move to Tlascala, but after a few weeks he came back to Guatemala. On May 2, 1537, governor [[Alonso de Maldonado]] granted him the Tezulutlán Capitulations - a written commitment ratified on July 6, 1539, by [[Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco|Antonio de Mendoza]], México Viceroy- in which everybody agreed that Tezulutlán natives, once conquered, would not be given as [[encomienda]] but would be King's subjects.{{sfn|Anabitarte|1991|p=107}} Las Casas, along with friars Rodrigo de Landa, [[Pedro Angulo]] and [[Luis de Cancer]], looked for four Christian natives and taught them Christian hymns where the Gospel's basic principles were explained. [[Luis de Cancer]] visited the [[cacique]] of [[Sacapulas]] and was able to perform the first baptisms among his people.  Later, Las Casas lead a retinue to bring girts to the cacique, who was so impressed that he decided to convert and become his people preacher{{clarify|date=December 2017}}. The cacique was baptized with the name of Don Juan and the natives granted permission to build a small church; however, Cobán, another cacique, burned the church. Don Juan, along sixty men, Las Casas and [[Pedro Angulo]], went to talk to Cobán's people and convinced them of their good intentions;{{sfn|Anabitarte|1991|p=109}} Don Juan even took the initiative to marry one of his daughters with cacique Cobán by the Catholic Church.

[[Image:Cobán Rabin Ajau Guatemala 1980.jpg|thumb|left|150px|"Rabin Ahau" festival 1980]]

In 1539 pope [[Paul III]] authorized the diocese of Ciudad Real;<ref group=lower-alpha>Ciudad Real diocesis included [[Chiapas]], [[Soconusco]], la Vera Paz (including the Lacandon jungle), [[Tabasco]] and the still non-conquered [[Yucatán Peninsula]].</ref> that year, Alonso de Maldonado—under pressure by Spanish settlers—began a military campaign in Tezulutlán [...] gave all the natives in [[encomienda]]s.  This flagrant violation of the Capitulations enraged Las Casas, who traveled to Spain to denounce it before king [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor|Charles V]].  On January 9, 1540, a royal document was issues which the {{Interlanguage link|Tezulutlán Capitulations|es|Capitulaciones de Tezulutlán}} were ratified and gave the region to the protection of the [[Order of Preachers]]. On October 17 of that year, [[Cardinal (Catholicism)|Cardinal]] [[García de Loaysa y Mendoza|García de Loaysa]] -then president of the Indias Council- ordered the México Audiencia to comply with these laws. The Capitulations were officially published on January 21, 1541, in the church of [[Sevilla]].<ref>* {{cite book|last=Yáñez Delgadillo|first=Agustín|author-link=Agustín Yáñez|year=1992|title=Doctrina. Fray Bartolomé de las Casas|location=México|publisher=Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México|isbn=968-36-2016-7|page=168|language=es}}</ref>

Las Casas was appointed bishop of Chiapas in 1544, but he tried to apply the new ways in his diocese, they were flatly rejected by the [[encomendero]]s.<ref name=pons/> In 1545, Guatemala bishop [[Francisco Marroquín]] visited Tezulutlán and met with the preachers. Back in the city of [[Gracias a Dios Department|Gracias a Dios]], where the Audiencia de los Confines had its main office- met with Las Casas and with [[Nicaragua]] bishop [[Antonio de Valdivieso]]. There was a lot of tension between Marroquín and Las Casas in this meeting<ref group=lower-alpha>Las Casas accused Marroquín of having slave Indians and to have a [[repartimiento]] along with preaching "toxic doctrine"; Marroquín on the other hand, accused Las Casas of going beyond his jurisdiction.</ref>  The conflict moved on to [[Ciudad de México]] and finally everybody agreed to favor the freedom of the natives; however, this could not be accomplished for the Lacandon Jungle would not be conquered for another two century, becoming the rebel maya people favorite hideout.{{sfn|García Icazbalceta|1998| p=149-151}}

Las Casas and Angulo founded [[Rabinal]], and the city of Cobán was the center of the new Catholic doctrine. A few years later, the natives started settling following the Spanish model and several towns were settled, like Tactic. The name "War zone" was change for "Vera Paz" (true peace), name that became official in 1547.<ref name=pons/> Cobán received the title of an imperial city by [[Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor]] and in 1599 Cobán became bishop's see. It was briefly known during this period as '''Ciudad Imperial''' ([[Spanish language|Spanish]] for "Imperial City") in Charles's honor.{{sfnp|''EB''|1911}}