Favorite Short Lived States

[Gucumatz]

Chan Santa Cruz - Northern Maya declared their independence and kept control of their state for about 60 years. Might be a bit too long of a state to be called a short lived state. It was officially recognized by the English and Russians and defeated the Mexican Army several times. It almost liberated all of the Yucatan too after pretty much destroying most of the Mexican army near Merida.

In fact the Maya armies had surrounded the Mexican and Yucatan armies in a siege against the town of Merida. It should have been an easy defeat of the Mexican army, but unfortunately the new religion that the Chan Santa Cruz state formed forced them to abandon the siege of Merida and effectively let the Yucatan fall back into Mexican control. The Yucatan elites were so afraid of defeat to the Maya armies that they applied to join the US and almost succeeded too. The bill to annex the Yucatan passed the house but died in the US senate

Here was the flag of the Cruzob/Chan Santa Cruz state:

 

[Bowsling]

Postcolonial resistance is one of those very interesting and very overlooked parts of history. Also relevant is the pre-Jackson Cherokee nation and the Tawanitsuyu centred around Vilcabamba in Peru, which lasted almost until Peruvian independence.

 

[Tee Kay]

1572 is not "almost until Peruvian independence"

 

[Bowsling]

Ohhhh my I mixed up a pair of dates there. It's been too long since I've read up on that. I was conflating the Vilcabamba state with the rebellion of Tupac Amaru II I think. My bad.

 

[Wondering Kid]

No one so far has thought of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation? It is one massive "What it could have been" in South America really...

 

[Kyriakos]

Despotate of Epirus--->Empire of Thessalonike.

Damned Klokonitsa ambush ruined it all :/

 

[Traitorfish]

No one so far has thought of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation? It is one massive "What it could have been" in South America really...

Well, it's not exactly as if that part of the world is lacking in short-lived confederations.

 

[Domen]

Actually some Mayan city-state lasted until 1697 (or even 1699) before being conquered by Spain.

Over 100 years longer than Vilcabamba.

 

[Wondering Kid]

Well, it's not exactly as if that part of the world is lacking in short-lived confederations.

Ouch. Thanks mate, now I need ice for that burn.

 

[Traitorfish]

No burn meant, just saying that dead-end confederations seem to be something of a regional pass-time. Gran Columbia, West Indies Federation, Republic of Central America, etc.

 

[Gucumatz]

Actually some Mayan city-state lasted until 1697 (or even 1699) before being conquered by Spain.

Over 100 years longer than Vilcabamba.

Flores, its still a pretty major city today [Called Tayasal back then]. The Lacadones never were really defeated either and kept their automony too in the southwest [They are famous for those "crystal skulls"]

Tayasal is an interesting case in the Maya world, it was one of the last refuges of the Itza Maya priests. Rumors have it that after the falls of numerous cities on the coasts, priests brought countless books, objects, etc. to Tayasal to save them from the Spanish. I am sure there are still codices around Flores today hidden away.

If you go to Flores today, you will realize why it was able to hold out, the Itza realm of the Maya had pretty much collapsed before the Spanish arrived, the cities around Tayasal had all collapsed and there was relatively a lot of jungle to obscure the city from the Spaniards.