Cadeguala facts for kids
Cadeguala (also spelled Cadiguala) was a brave Mapuche leader known as a toqui. A toqui was like a war chief or general for the Mapuche people. Cadeguala became toqui in 1585 after the previous leader, Nangoniel, died in battle.
Cadeguala was a famous warrior. He was also the first Mapuche toqui known for using cavalry (soldiers on horseback) very well in battles. He sadly died in 1586 during a duel against the Spanish commander of the fort at Purén.
Becoming a Leader
Cadeguala joined the Mapuche army when he was quite young. Even though he came from a noble family, he started as a regular soldier. He worked his way up and eventually became a general.
The toqui before him, Cayancaru, gave Cadeguala a large army. His first mission was to attack the city of Angol. This attack was not successful. However, he then led his army to the city of Arauco. They surrounded the city and managed to capture it.
After this victory, Cadeguala planned to attack Fort Trinidad. This fort was important because it controlled a passage near the Bio-bio River. But Spanish soldiers, led by Francisco Hernandez, attacked Cadeguala's forces. Cadeguala was badly hurt in this fight, losing an arm. He had to retreat to the mountains.
The Spanish lieutenant-governor of Chile followed him. He tried to set a trap for Cadeguala. But Cadeguala discovered the ambush. On November 14, 1586, Cadeguala defeated the Spanish forces. The lieutenant-governor and 50 of his men were killed. On that very same day, Cadeguala was chosen as the new toqui by all the Mapuche warriors.
Major Battles and Duel
After becoming toqui, Cadeguala quickly started fighting against the Spanish. He attacked Angol again. This time, some Mapuche people inside the city helped him by starting fires. However, the Spanish governor, Alonso de Sotomayor, arrived. He led a counterattack, forcing Cadeguala's army out of the city.
Without success at Angol, Cadeguala then surrounded the Spanish fort at Purén. This was in the next year, and he had about 4,000 warriors with him. Governor Sotomayor tried to send help to the fort with 150 lancers (soldiers with long spears). But Cadeguala's forces drove them away.
Cadeguala then offered the Spanish soldiers in the fort a chance to leave or join his army. Only one soldier accepted. Next, Cadeguala challenged the fort's commander, Alonso García de Ramón, to a one-on-one fight. The winner of this duel would decide what happened to the fort.
The two leaders fought on horseback using lances. In the very first charge, Cadeguala was struck and killed by his opponent's weapon. Even as he was dying, the brave Mapuche warrior tried to get back on his horse.
After Cadeguala's death, his army stopped the siege of Purén. They then chose Guanoalca as their new toqui. Under Guanoalca, the Mapuche successfully drove the Spanish out of Purén, as the Spanish soldiers there were running low on supplies.
See also
In Spanish: Cadeguala para niños
Sources
- Pedro Mariño de Lobera, Crónica del Reino de Chile
- Diego de Rosales, “Historia General del Reino de Chile”, Flandes Indiano
- Coleccíon de historiadores de Chile, Tomo XV
- Gomez de Vidaurre, HlSTORlA GEOGRÁFlCA, NATURAL Y CIVIL DEL REINO DE CHILE, Tomo II
- Juan Ignacio de Molina, The Geographical, Natural, and Civil History of Chili
- Robert Kerr, A General History and Collection of Voyages and Travels
- José Ignacio Víctor Eyzaguirre, Historia eclesiastica: Politica y literaria de Chile
- Anson Uriel Hancock, A History of Chile
