Tehuantepec

Tehuantepec stands near the Pacific coast of the narrow isthmus joining central Mexico to Chiapas. In the late fifteenth century it became a major centre of Zapotec power as the rulers of Zaachila extended their influence eastward. The town lay on routes used by merchants and armies between the Oaxaca valley and the tropical lands beyond the isthmus.

Spanish conquest brought Tehuantepec into a colonial order of tribute and forced labour. In March 1660 Indigenous officials and townspeople rose against the abuses of the Spanish magistrate Juan de Avellán. The uprising spread to nearby communities, and local leaders exercised a measure of autonomy for over a year before colonial authority was restored. Their resistance exposed the tensions beneath the administration of the isthmus.