Duitama

Before the Spanish conquest, the Muisca were organized in a loose Muisca Confederation.[3] The confederation was composed of four main political and religious leaders, from south to north; the zipa based in Bacatá, the zaque of Hunza, the iraca of Sugamuxi and the Tundama of Duitama, then called Tundama. Additionally, more independent caciques governed other villages.

The Tundama ruled over the villages of Onzaga, Soatá, Chitagoto, Susacón, Icabuco, Lupachoque, Sátiva, Tutazá and Cerinza.[1] The Tundama lived on the hill currently called La Tolosa.

In 1536, Spanish conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada set foot from the Caribbean coastal city of Santa Marta towards the inner highlands of then unexplored Colombia with an army of 800 men. After conquering the southern areas of the Muisca, accessed from the shores of the Magdalena River he and a reduced number of troops marched towards the northern Muisca territories. He first submitted Hunza, the seat of the zaque and in September 1537 he arrived in Sugamuxi, sacred City of the Sun where his soldiers accidentally burned the Sun Temple.[4][5]

The cacique Tundama heard about the invading foreigners and tried to win time while hiding his treasures from the Spanish. One of his men proposed to surrender to the soldiers armed with superior weapons, and Tundama cut off his ears and left hand.

At the end of 1539, another Spanish conquistador who proved himself in the Kingdom of Quito and Peru, Baltasar Maldonado, entered the Tundama territories and after several battles Tundama surrendered to the Spanish rule. Tundama was killed by a hammer of Maldonado in late December 1539.[4]

During the colonial period of the newly established state New Kingdom of Granada, Duitama was converted to catholicism by friars of Santo Domingo, arriving in 1556. They held their positions until 1775.[1]

Modern Duitama was not founded until 1819, before Simón Bolívar liberated the later state of Gran Colombia from the Spanish rule.[1]

Duitama was an agricultural community that grew after the installation of the train station in 1923 and the connection with the Colombian capital via highway. From 1950 onwards the city hosted more industry.[1]