kingdom · Mesoamerica and the Caribbean
Tz'utujil kingdom
Origins
The Tz'utujil were one of the highland Maya peoples whose lineages, like those of the K'iche', claimed origins in migrations from the east. From about 1250 they established a kingdom around Lake Atitlán, with their capital at Chuitinamit, on a hill near modern Santiago Atitlán.
Rule and society
The kingdom was ruled by its Ajtz'ikinajay lineage and controlled the lake shores and the cacao-growing lands of the Pacific slope to the south. It fought repeatedly with the K'iche' and Kaqchikel kingdoms over these valuable lands. Lake fishing and highland farming also supported its people.
Decline and legacy
In 1524 Pedro de Alvarado, aided by Kaqchikel allies, defeated the Tz'utujil in a battle by the lake, and their ruler Tepepul submitted. The kingdom became part of the Captaincy General of Guatemala. Tz'utujil is still spoken around Lake Atitlán.
Lineage
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- Tz'utujil kingdom was conquered by Spanish Empire1524 CE
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Cite this page
- APA
- The Epoch Institute. (2026). Tz'utujil kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tzutujil-kingdom
- MLA
- “Tz'utujil kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tzutujil-kingdom. Accessed .
- Chicago
- The Epoch Institute. “Tz'utujil kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tzutujil-kingdom.
- Harvard
- The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Tz'utujil kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/tzutujil-kingdom (Accessed: ).
Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻