Tonaya

Tonaya is a town and municipality in the Sierra de Amula vicinity of the state of Jalisco, Mexico. Tonaya became placed east of the modern town on the llanitos of a few hills that also keep the remains of the chapel and foundations of its population. It belonged to the cassicazgo of Tuxcacuesco, dependent in turn on the province of Amole. This province comprised the territory from the foot of the volcanoes of Colima to the seashores of Barra de Navidad.

The name turned into taken from the amole root used by the natives to clean clothes. The founders of the province have been Otomi Tlatoli, Tzamitlocy Tlayomich, who collectively with several natives got here to populate the province. When they settled down, nomerous natives and their families died. The survivors selected Tzomitloc or Amole as cacique. From 1825 it belonged to the 4th canton of Sayula till 1887 when it has become part of the 9th canton of Zapotlan el Grande. Its erection as a municipality predates 1837, as may be visible from the decree of October 6 of that year.