Ayotlán is a

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having municipal corporation, corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality' ...

and town in

Jalisco Jalisco, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Jalisco, is one of the 31 states which, along with Mexico City, comprise the 32 Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is located in western Mexico and is bordered by s ...

in central-western

Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America, and borders the United States to the north, and Guatemala and Belize to the southeast; while having maritime boundar ...

. The municipality covers an area of 430.9 km. As of 2005, the municipality had a total population of 35,150.

Etymology

Ayotlán comes from "Ayotl" (its former name) and means "place of turtles" or "squashes"

History

In 1583 the Spaniards called it "Ayo el Chico" to distinguish it from large town that was near San Pedro Piedra Gorda, in the now state of

Guanajuato Guanajuato, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Guanajuato, is one of the 32 states that make up the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided into Municipalities of Guanajuato, 46 municipalities and its cap ...

. In the year 620 and 623 came the Aztecs found the place already populated by indigenous groups. About 10 km south of the town is a hill called "Old Town" which was the first seat of the population. Before the conquest had approximately 15,000 Indians living scattered throughout the Valley Coin. Manor depended Coin, whose capital was Tototlan. Worshiped "Ixtlacateolt", highly revered deity in the contours of Chapala lake. The natives had erected shrines or "cues" on the hill of the Villas.

Cristóbal de Olid Cristóbal de Olid (; 1487–1524) was a Spanish adventurer, conquistador and rebel who played a part in the conquest of the Aztec Empire and present-day Honduras. Born in Baeza, Olid grew up in the household of the governor of Cuba, Diego V ...

sent by

Hernán Cortés Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro Altamirano, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca (December 1485 – December 2, 1547) was a Spanish ''conquistador'' who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions o ...

in the conquest of

Michoacán Michoacán, formally Michoacán de Ocampo, officially the Free and Sovereign State of Michoacán de Ocampo, is one of the 31 states which, together with Mexico City, compose the Political divisions of Mexico, Federal Entities of Mexico. The stat ...

in 1521, and registered as a resident grabbed the Ayotl natural. Valley Coin was given instructed to Juan de Villaseñor the Elder, who ruled 9 years. When

Nuño de Guzmán Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán (1558) was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was the governor of the province of Pánuco (province), Pánuco from 1525 to 1533 and of Nueva Galicia from 1529 to 1534, and president of the ...

arrived in the population, the 16 February 1530, ignored the rights of Villaseñor. Ayotl was then under the jurisdiction of the

Nueva Galicia Nuevo Reino de Galicia (New Kingdom of Galicia; ) or simply Nueva Galicia (''New Galicia'', ''Nova Galicia''), known in Nahuatl as Chimalhuacán (‘the land of shield bearers’), was an autonomous kingdom of the Viceroyalty of New Spain. It w ...

. The people of Ayotl participated in the war Miztán in 1541 then was encomendero Verdugo Fco. They burned the church and their houses and went back to Peñoles Coin. The number of natives amounted to 12,000 rebels. On October 26 the same year, personally Viceroy

Antonio de Mendoza Antonio de Mendoza (1495 – 21 July 1552) was a Spanish colonial administrator who was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from 14 November 1535 to 25 November 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from 23 September 1551, until his d ...

besieged El Penol with a powerful army and gave them so fierce battle that nearly ended with them. The town was established on October 8, 1884.

Geography

Location

Ayotlán is located at coordinates 20 ° 20 '05 "to 20 ° 37' 30" north latitude and 102 ° 15 '00 "102 ° 39' 40" west longitude at an altitude of 1.630 meters above sea level. The town is bordered on the north by the municipalities of the

Atotonilco El Alto Atotonilco El Alto is a town and municipality, in Jalisco in Los Altos (Jalisco) region in central-western Mexico Mexico, officially the United Mexican States, is a country in North America. It is the northernmost country in Latin America ...

, Arandas and Jesús María, on the east by the municipalities of Jesús María, Degollado the south by the municipality of Yurécuaro the west by the municipalities of La Barca and

Localities

has over 100 towns of Acahuales la colonia de villafuerte, La Isla, El Palo Blanco, la ladera grande, la ladera chica. (San Miguel de Acahuales), Agua Blanca, Ayotlán, Betania, Cañada de San Ignacio, Carboneras, Carretas, Colonia Lázaro Cárdenas (El Sicuicho), El Bajío (Bajío de Tejas), El Caracol, El Chaveño, El Edén, El Fraile, El Jaral, El Ojo de Agua, El Rosario, Granja Ballesteros, Granja la Gaby, La Concepción, Las Higueras, El Venado, El Guayabo, Mirandillas, El Volantin, La Raya, La Nopalera and La Esperanza.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ayotlan Municipalities of Jalisco Populated places established in 1884 1884 establishments in Mexico