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Chapala During Mexico's Conquest

The first conquistador to reach the Chapala valley was Don Alonso de Avalos who arrived in 1531 with friar Martín de Jesús (or de la Coruña), though there may have been visits by this and other clerics in the preceding few years. They met with no resistence from the native population. In what is now the town of Chapala they found chief Chapalac ruling a small band of Nahuatl speakers (the same language group as the Aztecs). Chapalac was christened Martín, and was to be the last traditional chieftain of this band. On his death he was succeeded by Francisco Ixquixúchil and Nicolás Xuili, who were civil administrators under Spanish authority. That the Spanish named the town (and in turn the lake) Chapala after this chief Chapalac is one of the more believable origins suggested for the name.

In nearby San Juan Cosalá the Spanish found a very large group of natives under chief Xitomatl, whom they christened Juan Carlos. He had five wives, much to the chagrin of the good friar Jesús. Under Juan Carlos Xitomatl's orders, groups of his followers dispersed to Ajijic, Zapotitlán, Tomatlán and Jocotepec. The chroniclers imply that those towns were first settled at that time, but it is more likely they were re-settled, following a pattern of shifting settlements by the semi-nomadic natives.

One of the early haciendas in the area was established by the Saenz family in Ajijic. The main house of Hacienda de Cuije was located where the Old Posada now stands.

Martín Chapalac and his followers are said to have migrated to the current site of Chapala from Poncitlán in 1510, after Chapalac had a falling out with another chieftain there. Other groups of natives, living from Ajijic to the west, allowed Chapalac to settle the area without contest - another indication of their pacific nature. But soon after the conquistador Avalos found Chapalac at the current site of Chapala, he moved his people to Ahuehuecuautitlán (modern day Ocotlán? or Cajititlán?). They returned to Chapala in 1537.

With peaceful natives to do the work, the Spanish lost no time in establishing religious houses, with the convent at Ajijic begun that first year of 1831. It was so poorly constructed however, that it did not last long. Also in these early years a church was built at San Juan Cosala.

The indigenous peoples of Jalisco rebelled in 1541, but it is unknown if the Chapala groups participated. Known as the Mixtón War, the rebellion was a reaction to the harsh rule of Nuño Guzmán, and the use of the encomienda system, whereby land was confiscated from the natives and given to Spanish ruling-class leaders, while the natives were forced to pay a tribute of labor or service to their conquerors. When Coronado's expedition took him far to the north, leaving fewer Spanish soldiers in the area, the natives rose up under the leadership of Tenamaxtli and took several towns and threatened Guadalajara. The Spanish got help from Tlaxcaltec and Aztec warriors, and put down the rebellion.

The first church in Chapala was begun in 1548, along with a convent, under friar Juan de Almolón. This enterprising cleric sought to improve more than just the souls of the natives, and established a hospital near the church as well. He is also said to have taught the local inhabitants how to use irrigation. [NOTE: There is a local rumor that there is a 'cave' or tunnel under Chapala. It is known that the Spanish introduced 'Quanat' irrigation in Mexico, a system based on conveying water through subterranean aqueducts. An example is known from the La Venta area just northwest of Guadalajara, could such a system have been used in this area as well?]

The white cross atop the hill overlooking Chapala (Cerro San Miguel) marks the former location of a 16th century hermitage, probably established by friar Miguel de Bolonia.