AHC - Establish a Maya continutation/successor state

In the same way the short-lived Peru-Bolivian Confederation reputedly viewed itself as a continuation of the Incas. The challenge is establish a state composed of the south Mexican states of Yucatán, Campeche, Quintana Roo, Tabasco, and Chiapas as well as Guatemala, Belize, El Salvador, and western Honduras that roughly corresponds to historic Mayan civilization.

One which similarly ends up viewing itself as a continuation / successor of the Mayans, and may or may not initially be under the protection of the British or other powers after coming into being and surviving up to the present day.

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Skallagrim

Banned
Your best bet is an escalation of the Caste War, with Britain far more actively supporting the Maya rebels-- presumably in return for their agreement to become a British protectorate (self-governing but very much open to British economic activity) after the war. With British support, the whole thing becomes such a success that adjacent (non-Mexican) regions where the Maya population is a majority also rise up and seek to join the independent Maya state that is taking shape. The British, none too shy about getting more economically exploitable land within their sphere of influence, recognise and fund these rebels. Throughout the conflict, the notion of an encompassing Maya identity becomes so deeply entrenched that the new nation's collective identity is well-formed by the end of it. The people's history as Mayans, rather than as hispanicised (ex-)colonial subjects, is deliberately accentuated both during the conflict and afterwards. To the Mayans, the post-Spanish (but definitely Hispanic) countries that formed (such as Mexico) were just as colonialist towards them as Spain ever was, so they accentuate their pre-colonial heritage to stand apart and legitimise their independence.

In the end, the countries afflicted by this mass rebellion go through a very bad decade(-or-so), and ultimately throw in the towel. The Maya state is recognised as independent, merged with British Honduras (modern Belize; also Maya-populated), and placed under British protection. The economic exploitation by Britain is rather irritating, but at least the Mayan inhabitants don't have to fear cultural genocide anymore-- and the protection of the British navy is a deterrent to attempts at re-conquest by the neighbours. During some later wars, Maya troops fight for the British Empire, a bit like the Gurkhas of OTL. When colonialism fades away, the Maya state becomes a loosely affiliated member of the Commonwealth (or ATL equivalent), and feels pretty good about its historical choices.

The tourism business is booming in modern times, even moreso than in OTL. After all, the Mayans deliberately stress their pre-colonial heritage, and this brings in lots of tourists. Having been a unified British protectorate for so long has kept the region tranquil since independence, which has boosted socio-economic standing, and makes the country a beloved destination for travellers from all over the world. Not to mention the fact that the special relationship with Britain makes it the place to be for any Brits who want a tropical holiday.
 
Your best bet is an escalation of the Caste War, with Britain far more actively supporting the Maya rebels-- presumably in return for their agreement to become a British protectorate (self-governing but very much open to British economic activity) after the war. With British support, the whole thing becomes such a success that adjacent (non-Mexican) regions where the Maya population is a majority also rise up and seek to join the independent Maya state that is taking shape. The British, none too shy about getting more economically exploitable land within their sphere of influence, recognise and fund these rebels. Throughout the conflict, the notion of an encompassing Maya identity becomes so deeply entrenched that the new nation's collective identity is well-formed by the end of it. The people's history as Mayans, rather than as hispanicised (ex-)colonial subjects, is deliberately accentuated both during the conflict and afterwards. To the Mayans, the post-Spanish (but definitely Hispanic) countries that formed (such as Mexico) were just as colonialist towards them as Spain ever was, so they accentuate their pre-colonial heritage to stand apart and legitimise their independence.

In the end, the countries afflicted by this mass rebellion go through a very bad decade(-or-so), and ultimately throw in the towel. The Maya state is recognised as independent, merged with British Honduras (modern Belize; also Maya-populated), and placed under British protection. The economic exploitation by Britain is rather irritating, but at least the Mayan inhabitants don't have to fear cultural genocide anymore-- and the protection of the British navy is a deterrent to attempts at re-conquest by the neighbours. During some later wars, Maya troops fight for the British Empire, a bit like the Gurkhas of OTL. When colonialism fades away, the Maya state becomes a loosely affiliated member of the Commonwealth (or ATL equivalent), and feels pretty good about its historical choices.

The tourism business is booming in modern times, even moreso than in OTL. After all, the Mayans deliberately stress their pre-colonial heritage, and this brings in lots of tourists. Having been a unified British protectorate for so long has kept the region tranquil since independence, which has boosted socio-economic standing, and makes the country a beloved destination for travellers from all over the world. Not to mention the fact that the special relationship with Britain makes it the place to be for any Brits who want a tropical holiday.

Nice.

While it is possible that English would be de facto lingua franca akin to Nepal in OTL with Nepali, etc being national languages, what would be the status of the local Spanish language or the Mayan languages? Would attempts be made at creating a unified Mayan language, would Spanish be discarded?

Also what would be the name of this Mayan continuation/successor state along with its capital city? Would others refer to the state as Belize for example, in a similar manner to how the Peru-Bolivian Confederation did not directly call rename their state after the Incans? And would its cities still largely retain their OTL names or be changed to something else entirely?
 
If they want a common Mayan language it will be Yucatec, which has a reasonably dominant position, and is the one in which there are books and texts.. In OTL Yucatec has regularly just been called 'Mayan'. Alfred Tozzer's book 'A Maya Grammar' (first published in 1921 and reprinted by Dover Publications Inc in 1977 - you might still be able to obtain a copy) is about Yucatec.

The Mayan past to which this state looks back will be Chichen Itza, Mayapan, and the small Mayan cities of the time of the Spanish conquest. The 'Classical Mayan' age and cities such as Tikal, Palenque etc etc etc will be unknown until archaeologists start digging them out of the jungle, which may happen a bit quicker in TTL.

Perhaps the state would just be called 'Maya'; in English either Mayaland or Yucatan?
 
In OTL Guatemala City seems to be the most populous followed by Villa Nueva, Merida, Cancun and Mixco though not sure how accurate the figures are or to what degree they would retain their names in this ATL (aside from parts of Belize).

Perhaps it would be officially known as the Mayan state of Belize or Yucatan?
 
While it is possible that English would be de facto lingua franca akin to Nepal in OTL with Nepali, etc being national languages, what would be the status of the local Spanish language or the Mayan languages? Would attempts be made at creating a unified Mayan language, would Spanish be discarded?
If they need a lingua franca it would much more likely be Spanish and not English. Being a British protectorate doesn't mean they'd have much reason to learn English, not when there isn't a substantial number of English-speakers in the country spreading the use of their language nor when enough people already know Spanish to communicate to people who speak a different Mayan language.
If they want a common Mayan language it will be Yucatec, which has a reasonably dominant position, and is the one in which there are books and texts.. In OTL Yucatec has regularly just been called 'Mayan'. Alfred Tozzer's book 'A Maya Grammar' (first published in 1921 and reprinted by Dover Publications Inc in 1977 - you might still be able to obtain a copy) is about Yucatec.
That's only the case if you are assuming the Maya state is confined to Yucatan and Belize, but nowadays Yucatec has fewer speakers than K'iche' in Guatemala. If you're talking about a more expansive state that includes all the Maya then Guatemala can't be discounted.
 
If they need a lingua franca it would much more likely be Spanish and not English. Being a British protectorate doesn't mean they'd have much reason to learn English, not when there isn't a substantial number of English-speakers in the country spreading the use of their language nor when enough people already know Spanish to communicate to people who speak a different Mayan language.

Would it have been possible for a similar situation to develop in this ATL Maya continuation/successor state as in Paraguay, where in the case of the latter both Paraguayan Spanish and Guarani are co-official with the former additionally being a rather unique Spanish dialect (along with English as at best a minority language due to historical status as a British protectorate)?

With this ATL state like Paraguay developing a unique dialect of Spanish (or a dialect that has drifted further away from Spanish), which is co-official with either one of the largest Mayan languages or a unified Mayan language?
 
I can't see Mayan Spanish diverging too much from Mexican Spanish aside from making liberal use of Mayan loanwords as they sort of do already IOTL. After all Spanish would serve the role of a language for regional diplomacy, everybody in the region already speaks it unless they're a peasant who only speaks one of a variety of indigenous languages. That and it's the first language of many or likely most of the mestizos in the area who might stay in the region after the Caste War as IOTL some of them did side with the Maya. Can't see any "unified Mayan language" existing though, that would be very artificial and arbitrary and similar language projects are failures.
 

Taimur500

Banned
Classical Mayan' age and cities such as Tikal, Palenque etc etc etc will be unknown until archaeologists start digging them out of the jungle, which may happen a bit quicker in TTL.
Bonampak for example was known to the locals and used as temples before it's """"discovery""" by archaeologists.
I feel that the revealing of the ancient cities and it's restoration etc will take a path that is a bit different than OTL if the effort is being spearheaded by a mayan government instead of a criollo one.
 
Was thinking in terms of a Maya analogue of European unification movements like in Italy and Germany with regards to language, where the most populous Mayan language is used as a template for a common language among the Maya and taught in schools.

While understanding the Mayan peoples were hispanicized to some degree, it would depend on whether this Mayan continuation / successor state would governed by the Maya or by Ladino embracing their Mayan roots.
 
That's only the case if you are assuming the Maya state is confined to Yucatan and Belize, but nowadays Yucatec has fewer speakers than K'iche' in Guatemala. If you're talking about a more expansive state that includes all the Maya then Guatemala can't be discounted.

That's true for present day OTL, and we should never discount the contribution of K'iche, which is the language of the Popol Vuh and of the Rabinal Achi. But in TTL the state established in the aftermath of/as a result of the Caste War would be confined to Yucatan and Belize in the first instance, and the K'iche and other highland peoples like the Kaqchikel and the Mam would only come in later after a successful revolution or conquest, if they decide to join at all, which I'm not totally convinced of. By then Yucatec would be established and the K'iche and others might just accept it as the 'national' language. If they don't then it's going to be Spanish that's used. I agree with you that a "unified Mayan language" is not a practical possibility. The various Mayan language groups, though clearly related, are much too divergent for such a project to be possible.
 
If it is impractical for the Mayan to establish a common language than guess the most populous of the Mayan languages would have official status at the national level, alongside Spanish (and more remotely English).

Population wise would it be accurate for this Maya continuation/successor state to number around 30 million or so?
 
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