chiefdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean

Cupul

1441 CE – 1546 CE (approx.) · capital Saci

A large Maya province of eastern Yucatán, including Chichen Itza, whose people led the Great Maya Revolt against Spanish rule in 1546.

Origins

Cupul formed after the collapse of the League of Mayapan around 1441 under the Cupul lineage. It covered a large area of east-central Yucatán, including the ruins of Chichen Itza, with its main town at Saci, where Valladolid now stands.

Rule and society

The province was governed by lords of the Cupul lineage, who appear to have shared power among several branches rather than recognising one supreme ruler. Its people farmed maize, cotton and honey. The Cupul resisted Montejo's first invasions in the late 1520s and early 1530s, forcing him to abandon a base at Chichen Itza.

Decline and legacy

In 1545 the Spanish founded Valladolid at Saci. In 1546 the Cupul rose with Sotuta in the Great Maya Revolt, killing Spaniards and their allies, but were crushed in 1547. The province became part of the Province of Yucatán.

Few sources survive for this state; details are uncertain.

Lineage

League of Mayapan 1220 CE – 1441 CECupulProvince of Yucatán 1542 CE – 1821 CE

Connections (1)

More states of Mesoamerica and the Caribbean →

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

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻