▁Mexico ▁City , ▁arriv ing ▁to ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁in ▁ 1 8 5 8 . ▁Despite ▁this , ▁Conserv atives ▁in ▁power ▁made ▁J alis co ▁a ▁department ▁under ▁direct ▁rule ▁from ▁Mexico ▁City . ▁J alis co ▁remained ▁mostly ▁in ▁Conserv ative ▁hands ▁until ▁ 1 8 6 1 . ▁The ▁war ▁was ▁dev ast ating ▁to ▁the ▁state ' s ▁economy ▁and ▁forcing ▁mass ▁migr ations . ▁Of ▁the ▁thirty ▁most ▁important ▁batt les ▁of ▁the ▁Reform ▁War , ▁twelve ▁took ▁place ▁in ▁J alis co ▁territory . ▁ ▁During ▁the ▁French ▁inter vention ▁in ▁Mexico , ▁French ▁forces ▁supporting ▁Mexico ' s ▁second ▁em peror ▁Maxim ilian ▁I , ▁entered ▁the ▁state ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 5 . ▁The ▁em peror ▁was ▁mostly ▁not ▁supported ▁by ▁the ▁people ▁of ▁the ▁state ▁and ▁in ▁the ▁following ▁year , ▁French ▁forces ▁were ▁defeated ▁at ▁the ▁La ▁Cor on illa ▁Ha ci enda ▁in ▁A cat lán ▁by ▁Mexican ▁General ▁E ul og io ▁Par ra . ▁This ▁would ▁allow ▁Liberal ▁forces ▁to ▁re take ▁Gu adal aj ara ▁and ▁push ▁French ▁forces ▁out ▁of ▁the ▁state . ▁One ▁permanent ▁result ▁of ▁the ▁French ▁occupation ▁was ▁the ▁separation ▁of ▁the ▁San ▁Bl as ▁area ▁into ▁a ▁separately ▁admin ister ed ▁military ▁district , ▁which ▁would ▁eventually ▁become ▁the ▁state ▁of ▁N ay ar it . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁ 1 8 7 0 s , ▁more ▁than ▁sevent y ▁percent ▁of ▁the ▁population ▁lived ▁in ▁rural ▁areas .( va iv