New Advent
 Home   Encyclopedia   Summa   Fathers   Bible   Library 
 A  B  C  D  E  F  G  H  I  J  K  L  M  N  O  P  Q  R  S  T  U  V  W  X  Y  Z 
New Advent
Home > Catholic Encyclopedia > Z > Zapoteca Indians

Zapoteca Indians

Please help support the mission of New Advent and get the full contents of this website as an instant download. Includes the Catholic Encyclopedia, Church Fathers, Summa, Bible and more — all for only $19.99...

A powerful and numerous Mexican tribe located chiefly in Oaxaca and Guerrero, forming with the Mixteca and Mazateca the Zapotecan linguistic stock. At the time of the conquest of Mexico they were independent of the Aztec, whom they resembled in customs; they were defeated by the Spaniards only after several campaigns between 1522 and 1527, not submitting finally till 1551. They were a sedentary race and well advanced in civilization, living in large villages and towns, in houses constructed with stone and mortar. They recorded the principal events in their history by means of hieroglyphics, and in warfare they made use of a cotton armour. The well-known ruins of Mitla have been attributed to them and were claimed by them to be the tombs of their ancestors.

They had an elaborate religious system, and human sacrifices were offered. The modern Zapotecas are very intelligent, progressive, and hard-working; they make good soldiers and political leaders, and are excellent citizens. Benito Juarez, President of Mexico, was a full-blooded Zapoteca. They number almost 300,000, and with their kinsmen 750,000. Many of them still speak only their native Indian language. Though they are now Catholics, some of their ancient beliefs and practices, such as burying money with the dead, still survive. The first missionaries among the Zapotecas were Bartolomé de Olmeda, a Mercedarian, and Juan Díaz, a secular priest, who was martyred by the natives in Quechula near Tepeaca for having overthrown their idols.

Sources

GILLOW, Apuentes historicos (Mexico, 1889).

About this page

APA citation. MacErlean, A. (1912). Zapoteca Indians. In The Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15751a.htm

MLA citation. MacErlean, Andrew. "Zapoteca Indians." The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15. New York: Robert Appleton Company, 1912. <http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15751a.htm>.

Transcription. This article was transcribed for New Advent by Thomas M. Barrett. Dedicated to the Zapoteca Indians.

Ecclesiastical approbation. Nihil Obstat. October 1, 1912. Remy Lafort, S.T.D., Censor. Imprimatur. +John Cardinal Farley, Archbishop of New York.

Contact information. The editor of New Advent is Kevin Knight. My email address is webmaster at newadvent.org. Regrettably, I can't reply to every letter, but I greatly appreciate your feedback — especially notifications about typographical errors and inappropriate ads.

Copyright © 2023 by New Advent LLC. Dedicated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

CONTACT US | ADVERTISE WITH NEW ADVENT