Battle of Centla
1519 · Centla (in present-day Tabasco, Mexico) · World · Modern
Spanish cavalry charged from the flank and rear, the Indigenous army retreated in disarray, and its leaders then sued for peace with gifts
Belligerents
Spanish expedition
- Commanders
- Hernán Cortés
- Strength
- About 500 men, with a dozen or so horses and a few cannons
Chontal Maya
- Commanders
- Chiefs of Tabasco
- Strength
- Thousands to over 10,000 (accounts vary)
Background
Cortés sailed his expedition along the Gulf of Mexico, landed at the mouth of the Tabasco River for supplies, and clashed with the local Chontal Maya.
Course of the battle
- Landing checkedThe Spaniards moved upriver and met resistance near the town of Potonchán
- Battle on the plainInfantry and artillery engaged a vastly larger Indigenous army on the plain of Centla and were caught in a hard fight
- Cavalry chargeCortés led the cavalry around behind the enemy and charged; the Indigenous army, which had never seen horses, broke and scattered
- Suing for peace with giftsLocal chiefs sent food, gold and twenty women, among them La Malinche, who later became an interpreter
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1519 |
|---|---|
| Place | Centla (in today's Tabasco, Mexico) |
| Result | Spanish cavalry charged from the flank and rear, the Indigenous army retreated in disarray, and its leaders then sued for peace with gifts |
| Winner | Spanish expedition |
| Casualties | Several hundred Indigenous dead and wounded; relatively light Spanish casualties |
| Territorial change | The Spaniards obtained supplies and the interpreter La Malinche |
Impact
The Battle of Centla was Cortés's first major battle in Mexico, and the interpreter La Malinche, gained through this victory, played a crucial role in the conquest that followed.
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