The Caste War of Yucatan began on the year 1847 and ended until 1901. This war took 54 years of long and violent conflicts between the indigenous Maya people of the Yucatan Peninsula and the European descended Mexican elites, particularly those of Spanish heritage, which were known as Yucatecos. It was rooted for several reasons such as social, economic, and racial inequality. It is known for its lengthy war which ensued between the Yucateco forces in the north-west of the Yucatán and the independent Maya in the south-east. One of the main reason for officially ending was with the occupation of the Maya capital of Chan Santa Cruz by the Mexican army in 1901, although skirmishes with villages and small settlements that refused to acknowledge Mexican control continued for over another decade.