Inés Peraza facts for kids

Inés Peraza de las Casas (born around 1424 in Seville, died 1503 in Seville) was an important noblewoman. She was the ruler of the Canary Islands, a group of islands off the coast of Africa. She inherited these islands from her father, Hernán Peraza the Elder, and her brother, Guillén Peraza.

Inés was the first ruler to govern all the Canary Islands after her father brought them together. Because of this, she called herself "Queen of the Canary Islands." She held this title until 1477, when she gave up control of La Palma, Gran Canaria, and Tenerife to the Catholic Monarchs of Spain.

Biography

Early life and marriage

Inés Peraza was born in Seville, Spain, around 1424. Her parents were Hernán Peraza the Elder and Inés de las Casas. Her father was a powerful lord and mayor in Seville. Her mother's family came from France.

While her father and brother were busy ruling the Canary Islands, Inés stayed in Seville. She was cared for by Don Juan de Guzmán, the Duke of Medina Sidonia, until 1447. The next year, in 1448, she married Diego García de Herrera.

Ruling the Canary Islands

In 1445, Inés's father, Hernán Peraza the Elder, made an important trade. He exchanged his late wife's olive farm for the rights to rule the islands of Tenerife, La Gomera, La Palma, and Gran Canaria. These islands were added to the lands he already owned: El Hierro and Lanzarote, which he had bought in 1430.

After her father died in 1452, and her older brother Guillén had died earlier (around 1447/1448), Inés became the only person to inherit all the Canary Islands.

Protecting her rule

Inés and her husband, Diego de Herrera, had to work hard to keep their control over the islands. They faced challenges from both the Spanish Crown and the Kingdom of Portugal.

For example, the island of Lanzarote had been sold to Henry the Navigator of Portugal in 1448. But the people of Lanzarote didn't want Portuguese rule. This made the island a disputed territory.

In 1454, Inés and Diego had a big success. King Enrique IV of Castile ordered that Lanzarote be returned to their rule. In the same year, they also managed to remove Henry the Navigator from parts of La Gomera. Later, in 1468, King Enrique IV had to cancel a deal he made with some Portuguese nobles. This deal would have given them rights to conquer some of the islands.

In 1476, the Catholic Monarchs allowed Inés and her husband to set up a special system. This system would ensure that the islands would stay in their family for future generations. This was later confirmed for their son, Hernán Peraza the Younger, in 1486.

Helping conquer Tenerife

Inés Peraza played a direct role in the conquest of the island of Tenerife. In 1495, she provided a lot of supplies to Captain Alonso Fernández de Lugo. He needed this help for his second attempt to conquer Tenerife. His army had been defeated by the native Guanches the year before.

To make sure Lugo paid her back for the supplies, Inés held his sons, Fernando and Pedro, as hostages. The debt was a very large amount of money, about 600,000 maravedí.

Dividing the islands

Uprising in Lanzarote

In 1476, the people of Lanzarote rebelled against the rule of the Herrera-Peraza family. They complained to the Catholic Monarchs about Inés Peraza and her husband. They wanted to be direct subjects of the King and Queen instead of their lords. Inés and her husband then punished the rebels, sending some away or even executing them. The King and Queen sent a judge to Lanzarote to investigate the situation.

Giving up rights to some islands

In October 1477, Inés and her husband decided to give up their rights to the islands that had not yet been fully conquered. These were Gran Canaria, La Palma, and Tenerife. They transferred these rights to the Catholic Monarchs. In return, they received money and the title of Count of La Gomera.

Further family divisions

After selling some islands to the Catholic Monarchs, the Peraza-Herrera family only ruled Lanzarote, Fuerteventura, La Gomera, and El Hierro. But more divisions happened within the family starting in 1474. As their children grew up, Inés and Diego began to divide the islands among them. Pedro, their oldest son, received El Hierro when he got married. In 1478, Hernán Peraza the Younger received La Gomera.

In 1482, Inés disinherited Pedro because he caused trouble for his parents and stirred up revolts. She then gave control of El Hierro to her second son, Hernán the Younger. After Hernán the Younger died in La Gomera in 1488, there were more family struggles. His ambitious widow, Beatriz de Bobadilla, fought to keep control of the islands. She successfully became the ruler of La Gomera and El Hierro. Her son, Guillén Peraza de Ayala, later took over and became a count.

In 1502, Inés divided Lanzarote and Fuerteventura among her other children. Sancho de Herrera, María de Ayala, and Constanza Sarmiento each received parts of these islands. Inés died early the next year in her hometown of Seville.

Inés Peraza was the last person to rule all the Canary Islands as one unified territory. However, her family, the Peraza family, continued to be very important in governing the Canary Islands for a long time.

Family life

Inés Peraza married Diego García de Herrera y Ayala in Seville in 1448. Diego was a respected knight and a "Vassal of Her Majesty," meaning he served the King and Queen.

They had five children:

• Pedro García de Herrera
• Hernán Peraza the Younger, who became the first lord of La Gomera and El Hierro. He married Beatriz de Bobadilla and Ulloa.
• Sancho de Herrera the Elder, who became the first lord of Lanzarote. He married Violante de Cervantes.
• Constanza Sarmiento, who became the first lady of Fuerteventura. She married Pedro Fernández de Saavedra.
• María de Ayala, who married Diego de Silva y Meneses, who became the first count of Portalegre in 1496.

See also

• Peraza family
• Conquest of the Canary Islands
• History of the Canary Islands