Bacatá

Quick Facts: Who was Bacatá?

Subject:

Bacatá

Known for:

Historical name for the main Muisca settlement on the Bogotá savanna.

Verified Source:

2Day Chrono-Wiki & Primary Historical Archives

Origins & Early Life

Bacatá (Chibcha: Muyquytá or Muequetá) is the name given to the main settlement of one of the Muisca Confederations on the Bogotá savanna. It mostly refers to an area, rather than an individual village, although the name is also found in texts referring to the modern settlement of Funza, in the centre of the savanna. Bacatá was the main seat of the zipa, the ruler of the Bogotá savanna and adjacent areas.

Career & Major Achievements

The name of the Colombian capital, Bogotá, is derived from Bacatá, but founded as Santafe de Bogotá in the western foothills of the Eastern Hills in a different location than the original settlement Bacatá, west of the Bogotá River, eventually named after Bacatá as well. The word is a combination of the Chibcha words bac, ca and tá, and means "(enclosure) outside the farmfields", referring to the rich agricultural lands of the Sabana Formation on the Bogotá savanna.

Enduring Legacy & Impact

Bacatá was submitted to the Spanish Empire by the conquistadors led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada on April 20, 1537. Santafe de Bogotá, the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada, was formally founded on August 6, 1538.

Chronological Milestones & Life Events

1. 1537: 1537 Milestone — Bacatá was submitted to the Spanish Empire by the conquistadors led by Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada on April 20, 1537.
2. 1538: 1538 Milestone — Santafe de Bogotá, the capital of the New Kingdom of Granada, was formally founded on August 6, 1538.

Historical Fact-Check Quiz: Bacatá

True or False: “True or false: The modern city of Bogotá was founded in the exact location of the original Muisca settlement of Bacatá.”

Answer (FALSE ❌): False. While the modern city was named after Bacatá, it was founded in a different location in the western foothills of the Eastern Hills, west of the Bogotá River.

Contemporary Figures & Related Historical Timelines

• Ashikaga Yoshiaki — Historical peer (Born in 1537) (1537): The 15th Shogun who struggled to maintain the Ashikaga authority against rising warlords.
• Edward VI — Historical peer (Born in 1537) (1537): Protestant monarch of England; reigned 1547–1553, initiating major religious reforms.
• Ashikaga Yoshihide — Historical peer (Born in 1538) (1538): The 14th Shōgun of the Ashikaga shogunate, whose reign was brief and ended with Oda Nobunaga's rise.
• Askia Muhammad I — Historical peer (Died in 1538) (1538): Founder of the Askia Dynasty, Great Emperor of the Songhai Empire

Frequently Asked Questions about Bacatá