chiefdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Cacicazgo of Jaragua

1200 CE – 1503 CE (approx.)

The largest Taíno chiefdom of Hispaniola, in the south-west, ruled by Bohechío and his sister Anacaona until a Spanish massacre in 1503.

Origins

Jaragua (Xaraguá) occupied south-western Hispaniola, including much of today's southern Haiti. It was one of the five principal chiefdoms that the Spanish found in 1492, formed during the growth of Taíno society over the preceding centuries.

Rule and society

Its paramount cacique Bohechío ruled from a town near modern Léogâne, receiving tribute from many lesser chiefs. Jaragua was noted for its elaborate court, cotton cloth and wooden ceremonial seats (duhos). After the death of her husband Caonabo of Maguana, Anacaona returned to Jaragua and, on Bohechío's death, became its ruler; she was celebrated for her poetry and areítos (songs and dances).

Decline and legacy

In 1503 Governor Nicolás de Ovando invited Jaragua's chiefs to a feast, then had them burnt and Anacaona hanged. The chiefdom ended, and Anacaona became a symbol of indigenous resistance in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.

Lineage

Cacicazgo of JaraguaCaptaincy General of Santo Domingo 1493 CE – 1795 CE

Connections (1)

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Cacicazgo of Jaragua. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cacicazgo-of-jaragua
MLA
“Cacicazgo of Jaragua.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cacicazgo-of-jaragua. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Cacicazgo of Jaragua.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cacicazgo-of-jaragua.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Cacicazgo of Jaragua’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/cacicazgo-of-jaragua (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻