When the
Spanish arrived in the central
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country primarily located in South America with Insular region of Colombia, insular regions in North America. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Caribbean Sea to the north, Venezuel ...
n highlands, the region was organized into the
Muisca Confederation
The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...
, which had two rulers; the ''Zipa'' was the ruler of the southern part and based in
Muyquytá. The ''Zaque'' was the ruler of the northern area and based in
Hunza, known today as
Tunja.
Organization
''Zipa (Psihipqua)'' and ''Zaque (Hoa)'' were the titles given to these rulers of the ancient confederation. Neither exercised absolute power, not rigid or strict control over those to whom they owed their power, so that they can be considered kings. However, these positions of power were of great honor and were surrounded by a rather elaborate ceremony. The position of the ''Zipa'' was such that not even the members of the nobility dared to look him in the face, and it is said if the ''Zipa'' needed to spit, someone would hold out a piece of rich cloth for him to spit on, because it would be sacrilegious for anything so precious as his saliva to touch the ground. Whoever held the cloth (all the while carefully looking the other way) then carried it off to be reverently disposed of.
[
The ''Zipa'' was also given the responsibility of offering gold to the gods. He would cover himself with gold and float out on a royal barge to the middle of the ]sacred
Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects ( ...
Lake Guatavita, where he would offer up golden trinkets. This is widely believed to be how the legend of El Dorado started.Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada
Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada y Rivera, also spelled as Ximénez and De Quezada, (; 1509 – 16 February 1579) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador in northern South America, territories currently known as Colombia. He explored the territory n ...
arrived in the Muisca territories the ruling ''Zipa'' was Bogotá and the ''Zaque'' was Eucaneme.
Non-patrilineal heritage of rule
The position of the ruler was inherited, but the line of succession was not patrilineal. Instead, the king was succeeded by his nephew, the oldest son of his oldest sister. There were exceptions, and the ruler's subjects, apparently, had some say in the matter, if only to confirm the successor in his post.
Zaque
Zipa
Other rulers
See also
*Spanish conquest of the Muisca
The Spanish conquest of the Muisca took place from 1537 to 1540. The Muisca people, Muisca were the inhabitants of the central Andes, Andean highlands of Colombia before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. They were organised in a loose M ...
* Muisca
*Muisca Confederation
The Muisca Confederation was a loose confederation of different Muisca rulers (''zaques'', ''zipas'', ''iraca'', and ''tundama'') in the central Andes, Andean highlands of what is today Colombia before the Spanish conquest of the Americas, Spanis ...
References
{{Muisca topics, state=expanded
Titles of national or ethnic leadership