Jaragua

Jaragua was a Taíno chiefdom in the southwestern country of Hispaniola, governed by Bohechío and later by his sister Anacaona. Its political relationships joined the leading ruler to subordinate chiefs and their communities. Spanish demands for tribute entered that structure during the first years of colonisation, when the conquerors sought supplies as well as gold.

In 1496 Bohechío accepted an arrangement under which tribute could be delivered in products such as cotton, maize and cassava bread. Bartolomé Columbus returned by sea the following year to collect it and was received with ceremonies and gifts. These exchanges combined accommodation with an unequal demand backed by colonial power. Early in the sixteenth century, Governor Nicolás de Ovando turned against Jaragua's leadership. Chiefs gathered for a reception were killed, and Anacaona was captured and executed. The violence broke the political accommodation through which Jaragua's rulers had tried to manage relations with the newcomers.

The later city of Port-au-Prince lies here.