 Although hostilities existed between the Mam and the K 'iche ' of Q 'umarkaj after the rebellion of the Kaqchikel people against their K 'iche ' allies , the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors shifted the political landscape . Conquistador Pedro de Alvarado described how the Mam king Kayb 'il B 'alam was received with great honour in Q 'umarkaj . 
