The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1888-02-03
THE TARASCAN EMPIRE.
A NATION WHO WE'RE NEVER CON-
ouERED HY THE AzTecs.

An Indomitabie nation OF warriors
which Existed IN Mexico at tho
Time Of The spanish Conquest--How
They Planned Their Campaigns.
The Indians living around Lake Patzcusro
were an independent nation when the Span
iards invaded Mexico, nearly 400 years ago.
They had come from the north, and had
never been conquered by the Aztecs, who
who lived in and controlled the country
south and east of here. They lived In towns
aud cities, and they had laws Their capital
city was on the border of the lake. They
called IL Tzintzuntzan in imitation of tho
sound made by the hlnmlng birds, which
are very numerous. They had king, who
designated his successor They were divided
into four provinces, and at the head Of each
was q cacique, or chief. There was, accord
ing to Cubns, the Mexican ethnologist, n
great variety Of subordinate officials in the
Tarascan empire There were tribute gath
erers who collected from the rich and an
other set who saw that the poor contributed
TO the government. There was head game
keeper, and a chief falconer who looked
after the birds There was a chief for the
fishermen who fished with nets, and another,
for the fishermen who used hooks and lines.
Every industry had It's representative in the
government. These Indians raised cotton,
manufactured domestics, quarried and carved
stone, cultivated sugar cane, fermented wine
from the maguey, made leather garments
and did great many other things all under
the supervision of the sub-delegates, as Cubas
calls the representatives of the government.
There was chief woodsman. The princi-
pal feather worker directed the artists in that
branch. The Curinguri had charge of the
making of drums. The carpenters had their
master. A treasurer general kept in his
safe untold quantities of gold and silver or
naments while the grain collected for the
crown was housed in great granaries under
charge Of a store keeper.
A PATERNAL GOVERNMENT
1t was a strong paternal form OF govern
ment which raised and made all that its peo-
Pile had any use for, which directed and con-
trolled a great variety of industries in such a
manner that there was little export or i'm
port, no overproduction and plenty of time
to go to war. The painters, pottcrs, earthen-
ware makers, sweepers, flower makers, shop
keepers, and even the doctors, had their
masters And all this was before Christie
pher Columbus discovered America
But the Tarascans were more interesting
as warriors. They were simply indomitable.
1t does not appear that it was their policy to
extend the boundaries of the Tarascan en-
pire by conquest. They fought battles,
whipped surrounding nations, settled imme-
diately with the conquered on a cash basis
and returned to Lake Patzcuaro to enjoy the
fruits of victory. There are 100000 Taras-
cans now, and they were probably more nu-
merous before the Spanish invasion.
When war was declared against another
a1s, ,afa 4bav.
mobilizing the fighting material without q
days delay. The whole army was COM
manded by a captain general called the
Eazonci. He was magnificently accoutered.
A plume of green feathers nodded above his
head A silver shield was slung over his
shoulder. His quiver was of tiger skin He
had ear rings and bracelets of gold. A doub-
let of scarlet cotton clothed his hips and
thighs Leggings of tiger skin completed his
dress
The war spirit was very strong in the ma
ton. Tarascans did not wait for invasion.
They marched to their frontier and there
gave battle. While they were on the road
the people came to them, fed them and
cheered them on. One branch of the service
was an organization of war spies under COM
mand of a chief. The vazanoti had a trained
corps of couriers and messengers.
Ihb fLAH VI BATTLE.
When the army reached the locality in
which a battle was to be fought the spies
had already been, over the ground, and the
couriers had conveyed a description of it to
the commander. The plan of action had
been determined upon, and the legions took
| up the positions assigned them without any
delay. This preparation of the plan Of ac-
| ton was very complete, and it was what en-
| abled the Tarascans to be SO uniformly victo-
| rious. Their commander had been informed
of the character of the ground so thorough
ly that he was not only able to assign his
forces advantageously, but he carried on
with wonderful rapidity pretended repuses,
made apparently unsuccessful advances and
retreated until he had drawn the enemy into
just the place he wanted Then his legions
fell upon the opposing army from all sides
and annihilated it, This was so often done
that the Tarascans, although small nation
compared with the Aztecs, maintained their
Independence.
In battle the Tarascan legions carried mag
nificent standards of plumes In some oi
the engagements more than 300 of these stand
ards of white heron feathers glistened Ia the
sun. Each warrior wore plume Of eagle
feathers A column of smoke upon hilltop
was often the signal that the enemy hai beer
drawn into the desired position, and that th,
time had come to uncover the ambuscade
and make general charge Then the bugle
and drums sounded. The long lines of wevinl
plumes seemed to spring up from the sroun,
and TO come from 'front.' hanks and rear
Even boasted Aztec prowess could not stan,
before such an onset. The Tarascans repeat
edly destroyed the armies sent against then
and retired to the lake with great number
of prisoners OF the younger they mad
slaves The older they sacrificed to thei
gods. Human sacrifice was the blot o
Tarascan civilization.
1t was honor to die in battle, and tn
widows and orphans of dead warriors wer
literally pensioned by the government
Globe-Democrat