Kayb'il B'alam

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Kayb'il B'alam (* 1500, † after 1527) was a prince and commander of Mam - Maya at the time of Conquista .

He was a son and designated successor of Prince Acab. He had qualified as the leader of the Mam warriors through various exams. At the time of the Conquista, the Mam were tributary vassals of the Quiché . When Gonzalo de Alvarado wanted to conquer the fortress-like capital of the Mam, Zaculeu , in 1525 , Kayb'il B'alam and his 18,000 Mam warriors were able to successfully resist for four months. After they succeeded in taking the city, the Spaniards avoided it. He went to the surrounding mountains and waged a guerrilla war against Alvarado's troops for years.

Because of his military skill, one can only speak of success to a limited extent in view of the submission of the Mam-Maya, he became a national hero. The Kaibiles , elite soldiers of the armed forces of Guatemala proudly derive their name from Kayb'il B'alam.

literature

  • Ronald Wright: Time Among the Maya , 2000, p. 219.

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Valerie M. Hudson, Patricia Leide: The Hillary Doctrine , 2015, p. 136.