K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj

The K'iche' Kingdom of Q'umarkaj was a state in the highlands of modern day Guatemala which was founded by the K'iche' (Quiché) Maya in the thirteenth century, and which expanded through the fifteenth century until it was conquered by Spanish and Nahua forces led by Pedro de Alvarado in 1524.

The K'iche' kingdom reached its height under the king K'iq'ab who ruled from the fortified town of Q'umarkaj (also called by its Nahuatl name Utatlán) near the modern town of Santa Cruz del Quiché. During his rule the K'iche' ruled large areas of highland Guatemala extending into Mexico, and they subdued other Maya peoples such as the Tz'utujil, Kaqchikel and Mam, as well as the Nahuan Pipil people.

Read more about K'iche' Kingdom Of Q'umarkaj:  Historical Sources, Social Organization

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