García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Don
García Hurtado de Mendoza
Marqués de Cañete
Caballero de Santiago |
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| Royal Governor of Chile | |
| In office 1557–1561 |
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| Monarch | Philip II |
| Preceded by | Francisco de Aguirre Rodrigo de Quiroga Francisco de Villagra |
| Succeeded by | Francisco de Villagra |
| 8th Viceroy of Peru | |
| In office January 8, 1590 – July 24, 1596 |
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| Monarch | Philip II |
| Preceded by | Fernando Torres de Portugal |
| Succeeded by | Luis de Velasco |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 21 July 1535 Cuenca, Spain |
| Died | 19 May 1609 (aged 73) Madrid, Spain |
| Spouse | María Manrique |
| Children | Maricar Mendoza Carla Mendoza |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  Spain |
| Years of service | 1552–1609 |
| Battles/wars | Italian War of 1551–59 |
García Hurtado de Mendoza y Manrique, 5th Marquis of Cañete (born July 21, 1535 – died May 19, 1609) was an important Spanish leader. He served as the Royal Governor of Chile and later as the Viceroy of Peru. People often called him "Marquis of Cañete."
García came from a powerful noble family in Spain. During his time as Governor of Chile, he led successful campaigns in the Arauco War. The city of Mendoza in Argentina is named after him. As Viceroy of Peru, he supported an expedition that discovered the Marquesas Islands, which were also named in his honor.
Contents
Early Life and Adventures
García Hurtado de Mendoza was the son of Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete, who was also a viceroy of Peru. His mother, Magdalena Manrique, came from another very important Spanish family.
In 1552, when he was just 17, García ran away from home. He wanted to join the army and serve his king, Charles I (also known as Emperor Charles V). He showed great skill in military campaigns in Corsica and Tuscany. He was also part of the Imperial army in Brussels. He was with Charles V during a battle called the Battle of Renty.
When García learned that his father was chosen to be the viceroy of Peru, he returned to Spain. He asked to be sent to America. On his journey, he met Jerónimo de Alderete, who was supposed to become the new governor of Chile. But Alderete got sick and died during the trip.
García's father saw an opportunity. There was a disagreement about who should be the next governor of Chile, Francisco de Aguirre or Francisco de Villagra. García's father suggested his son for the role. He hoped García would bring more Spanish people to Chile. He also hoped García could unite the different groups and handle the rebellious Indigenous people.
So, at 21 years old, García left for Chile. He was known for being a strong leader. He was proud of his family and his intelligence. He had a firm way of leading, which sometimes made people dislike him.
Governor of Chile: A New Challenge
In January 1557, García Hurtado de Mendoza left Peru for Chile. He led a large group of 500 Spanish soldiers. Some traveled by land, and García himself traveled by sea. His father, the viceroy, held a big party for him before his fleet sailed off with music and cannon salutes.
García sailed with many important people, including the famous writer Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga. They stopped in Arica and then landed in La Serena on April 23, 1557. The people there were amazed by the large group of soldiers. These soldiers wore armor and helmets with feathers, earning them the nickname emplumados (feathered ones).
Dealing with Rival Leaders
When García arrived in La Serena, Francisco de Aguirre welcomed him. Soon after, Francisco de Villagra also arrived. García knew that Aguirre and Villagra were rivals, both wanting to be governor. To prevent trouble, García arrested both of them in La Serena. He put them on a ship, which many Spanish settlers thought was unfair.
A writer named Mariño de Lobera wrote about this event. He said that Aguirre, already on the ship, greeted Villagra and joked:
- "See, Your Honor, General, how things are in the world: Yesterday the two of us did not fit in one large kingdom, and today Don García has made us fit on a single plank."
García then traveled to Santiago. But instead of staying there, he decided to go by sea to Concepción, even though it was winter and dangerous. He sent his cavalry (soldiers on horseback) by land. He sailed on June 21, 1557, in the middle of winter.
Facing Indigenous Resistance
Eight days later, García arrived in Concepción Bay during a big storm. His troops landed on La Quiriquina island and set up a temporary camp. Once in Concepción, García first tried to be friendly with the Indigenous people. They had accepted Spanish rule but did not want their land occupied.
Indigenous leaders like Lincoyan learned that Spanish cavalry was coming from Santiago. They planned to attack them near Concepción. García found out about this plan. He was also told that the Mapuche people thought his friendly approach was a sign of weakness. So, he decided to change his strategy.
He ordered a fort called San Luis de Toledo to be built in Araucana. The Mapuches soon attacked this fort. But they were defeated by the Spanish cannons and guns.
In October 1557, García launched a new campaign with 500 soldiers and thousands of Indigenous helpers. On November 7, the Battle of Lagunillas took place. The Spanish survived mostly because of the bravery of Rodrigo de Quiroga and other captains. The Mapuches were not well-organized in their attack, which prevented them from winning.
Alonso de Ercilla, who was with García, wrote about an Indigenous leader named Galvarino. The Spanish captured him and cut off his left hand. Galvarino showed no pain and offered his other hand, which was also cut off. He asked to be killed, but the Spanish let him go. He left, planning his revenge.
Galvarino led another attack on November 30, known as the Battle of Millarapue. Despite some surprise elements, the Mapuches were defeated again. As punishment, 30 of them were executed, including Galvarino, who had fought bravely.
The Spanish soldiers began to get tired of the fighting. They had hoped to find riches. To reward them, García declared the encomiendas (land grants with Indigenous labor) in Concepción available. The city of Concepción was then rebuilt for the third time. Soon after, the city of Cañete de la Frontera was also founded and its lands given to soldiers.
The Mapuche leader Caupolicán decided to attack Fort Tucapel. However, an Indigenous person named Andresillo betrayed him. Andresillo told the Spanish about the attack plan. So, the attackers became the attacked. The Indigenous forces suffered many losses and were greatly weakened.
The Spanish morale improved. In a surprise attack on Caupolicán's camp, they captured him. He was taken to Fort Tucapel. Some historians say he tried to make a deal, promising to become Christian. But Alonso de Reinoso, the fort commander, sentenced him to death.
In another battle, the Indigenous people built a fort at Quiapo. But they were defeated again in the Battle of Quiapo. The city of Concepción and fort Arauco were rebuilt in 1559. Other forts were founded, like San Andrés de Angol (also called Los Infantes) and fort Talcamávida in 1560. On the other side of the Andes mountains, the city of Mendoza was founded in 1561.
Changes in Leadership and Rules
Around this time, García Hurtado de Mendoza had made many enemies because of his strong personality and pride. One of them was Hernando de Santillán. Santillán created the Tasa de Santillán, a set of rules for Indigenous labor. These rules allowed some Spanish people to mistreat the Indigenous population, which led to future rebellions.
Later, García learned that his father, the viceroy, had been replaced by the king. He also heard that Francisco de Villagra had been named the new governor of Chile. García expected Villagra to treat him badly, just as he had treated Villagra. So, he decided to leave Chile quickly. He first went to Santiago, a city he had not visited during his time as governor.
In Santiago, he received news that his father's replacement had died. This meant his father would remain viceroy for a while longer. Because of this, García decided to stay on as governor. He remained in Santiago and had a polite meeting with Villagra to discuss the state of the colony. Villagra did not humiliate him as García had expected.
During his stay in Santiago, the Tasa de Santillán rules were officially announced. These rules set up a system called mita (forced Indigenous labor). Instead of all Indigenous people in a village having to work, this system created a rotation. It required the chief of each tribe to send one man out of every six to work in the mines. One man out of every five had to work in the fields. These workers, who had not been paid before, were now supposed to receive one-sixth of what they produced. This payment was to be regular, at the end of each month. Women and men under 18 or over 50 were excused from this work. The rules also said that the encomenderos (Spanish landowners) had to feed, care for, and teach Christianity to the Indigenous workers.
García Hurtado de Mendoza then heard that his father was close to death. He decided to leave for Peru right away. He chose Rodrigo de Quiroga to be the temporary governor of Chile, instead of Villagra.
Review of His Time in Chile
In Peru, García had to go through a juicio de residencia. This was a legal review of his actions as governor of Chile. People accused him of unfair actions, like taking away encomiendas and mistreating soldiers. He was the first governor of Chile whose performance was judged this way. The court found him guilty of many charges. He was ordered to stay in Lima until he was cleared or paid fines.
Return to Spain and New Role
However, García Hurtado de Mendoza had already left Peru for Spain. He wanted to explain his military campaigns and his time as governor directly to King Philip II and the Council of the Indies. His family's good reputation, along with positive reports from the court in Lima and loyal captains from Chile, helped clear his name. He was also recognized for winning the Arauco War. This made some older Spanish conquerors look bad, as it suggested they hadn't done enough to stop the Indigenous rebellions.
In Madrid, he joined the Royal Guard. He also served as the king's representative in Milan.
Viceroy of Peru: A Second Important Role
In 1590, García Hurtado de Mendoza returned to America. This time, he was the Viceroy of Peru, a very high position. He held this role for about six years. It was very helpful for the Spanish in Chile to have someone who knew their region so well in such a powerful position.
As viceroy, García sometimes had disagreements with Turibius de Mongrovejo, the Archbishop of Lima. These conflicts happened when the power of the government and the power of the church overlapped. For example, they argued about whose symbol should be on the entrance of a new school.
At the end of his term, García left Lima to return to Spain. He passed away in 1609.
Legacy and Impact
García Hurtado de Mendoza tried to stop the Spanish colonizers from mistreating the Indigenous people. Five years after he died, in 1614, his "Ordinances" were published. These rules aimed to fix the problems caused by judges who took advantage of Indigenous people.
The national sport of Chile, the Chilean rodeo, actually comes from an order García Hurtado de Mendoza gave. He ordered all cattle in Chile to be branded. The yearly branding event held in Santiago's main square eventually turned into the modern Chilean rodeo.
See also
In Spanish: García Hurtado de Mendoza para niños
