Muisca rulers

When the Spanish arrived in the central Colombian highlands, the region was organized into the Muisca Confederation, which had two rulers; the zipa was the ruler of the southern part and based in Bacatá, now known as Bogotá. The zaque was the ruler of the northern area and based in Hunza, known today as Tunja.[1]

Map of the Muisca territory
Rule of zaques in yellow, zipas in green

Organization

Zipa and zaque 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.[1]

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 Lake Guatavita, where he would offer up golden trinkets. This is widely believed to be how the legend of El Dorado started.[1]

When Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada arrived in the Muisca territories the ruling zipa was Tisquesusa and the zaque was Quemuenchatocha.

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.[1]

Zaque

Muisca rulers of Hunza (zaques)
Image	Name	Start	End	Details
	Hunzahúa	?	1470	Founded city of Hunza, now Tunja
	Michuá	1470	1490	Died in the Battle of Chocontá
	Quemuenchatocha	1490	1537	Ruled when the Spanish arrived in Colombia
	Aquiminzaque	1537	1539	Last Muisca ruler

Zipa

Muisca rulers of Bacatá (zipas)
Image	Name	Start	End	Details
	Meicuchuca	1450	1470	According to legend slept with a snake
	Saguamanchica	1470	1490	Died in the Battle of Chocontá
	Nemequene	1490	1514	Introduced the brutal Nemequene Code
	Tisquesusa	1514	1537	Ruled when the Spanish arrived in Colombia
	Sagipa	1537	1539	Last southern Muisca ruler

Other rulers

Muisca rulers of Tundama, Sugamuxi and Turmequé
Image	Name	Start	End	Details
	Tundama		-1539	Last ruler of Tundama
	Sugamuxi		-1539	Last iraca of Sugamuxi
	Nompanim			Second-last iraca of Sugamuxi
	Diego de Torres y Moyachoque	1571	1590	Mestizo cacique of Turmequé

See also

• Spanish conquest of the Muisca
• Muisca
• Muisca Confederation

References

1. Bushnell, David (2012). Colombia: Una nación a pesar de sí misma (in Spanish). Bogotá, Colombia: Planeta. pp. 26–27. ISBN 978-958-42-1729-5.