Juan Santos Atahualpa facts for kids

Juan Santos Atahualpa
Juan Santos Atahualpa Location in Peru
Elevation	719 m (2,358 ft)

Juan Santos Atahualpa Apu-Inca Huayna Capac (born around 1710 – died around 1756) was an important leader. He led a successful rebellion of native people in the Amazon Basin and Andes mountains. This rebellion was against the Viceroyalty of Peru, which was part of the Spanish Empire.

The rebellion started in 1742 in an area called the Gran Pajonal. It began among the Asháninka people. The native people forced out Roman Catholic missionaries. They destroyed or made people leave 23 missions in the central jungle of Peru. Many of these missions were defended. Several Spanish military groups tried to stop the rebellion but failed.

In 1752, Santos tried to spread his rebellion into the Andes mountains. He wanted to get support from the people living there. He captured the town of Andamarca and held it for three days. Then he went back to the jungle. After 1752, Juan Santos disappeared from history.

Santos was educated by Jesuit priests. He had both Christian and ancient native ideas. He claimed to be the return of Atahualpa, the Inca emperor when the Spanish took over Peru. His main goal was to kick the Spanish out of Peru. He also wanted to bring back the Inca Empire. He didn't achieve that big goal. However, he and his followers did succeed in removing Catholic missionaries. They also stopped Spanish and Peruvian people from settling in a large area of the Peruvian jungle for over 100 years.

Who Was Juan Santos Atahualpa?

Very little is known for sure about Juan Santos's early life. He was a native person, born around 1710. He was probably born in Cuzco, a city in Peru. He had three brothers. The Jesuits educated him in Cuzco.

Santos said he had visited Europe and Angola. He likely traveled as a servant to the Jesuits. Quechua was his first language. He also spoke Spanish, Latin, and Asháninka. Spanish reports said he traveled widely in Peru when he was young. He preached his message and prepared for a rebellion. These travels included the Gran Pajonal, where he learned Asháninka.

The Franciscans later claimed he ran away to the Amazon jungles. They said he was a fugitive because he murdered his master, a Jesuit priest. But there is no proof of this story from that time.

The name Atahualpa comes from the Inca ruler Atahualpa. He was the leader of the Inca Empire (Tawantinsuyu) when the Spanish arrived in the 1500s. Santos took the names Atahualpa and Huayna Capac. He claimed to be the reincarnation (a new form) of these past Inca emperors.

The Native People of the Rebellion

The Asháninka people were the largest group of native people in the Peruvian Amazon. They lived in a huge area of about 100,000 square kilometres (39,000 sq mi). This land stretched from the Andes foothills to the Amazon Basin. About 52,000 Asháninka people lived there. Not all Asháninka and other groups joined the rebellion.

Juan Santos's rebellion started on the Gran Pajonal, which is a high plateau. His influence spread to the Cerro de la Sal (Mountain of Salt) and Chanchamayo regions. Other native groups who supported the rebellion were the Amuesha and Nomatsiguenga peoples.

Life in the Missions

The area of the rebellion was the closest part of the Amazon Basin to Lima. Lima was the capital and largest city of Peru. So, the events there were very important to the Spanish.

Franciscan missionaries started their work in 1635. From the beginning, the Asháninka and others resisted them. The Asháninka killed several priests. Missions were often left empty because the local people were hostile.

A strong effort to convert native people to Christianity began in 1709. Many missions were built then. Franciscan efforts reached the isolated Gran Pajonal in 1733. By 1736, missionaries reported 24 mission stations with 4,835 people. The Franciscans kept order in their missions with armed men. These men were often African slaves. Some missions even had soldiers with guns and cannons. The Franciscans also encouraged farmers and craftspeople to settle there. These settlers used native people as forced labor.

Native people were drawn to the missions for three reasons. First, some might have been interested in Christianity. Second, missionaries gave out steel tools like axes and shovels. These tools made life easier for Asháninka farmers who used slash-and-burn farming. These tools could also be used as weapons. Third, native people needed salt for seasoning and preserving food. The missionaries tried to control access to the salt mine at the Cerro de la Sal.

However, life at the missions also had bad sides. Missionaries tried to make the native people, who were used to moving around, stay in one place. This caused problems with growing enough food. Jungle soils were not very fertile and wore out quickly. The biggest problem was European diseases. These diseases spread quickly among native people living close together in settlements. For example, in 1722-1723, a disease at the Eneno mission caused the population to drop from 800 to 220. Most people died or ran away.

Rebellions against the Franciscans and missions happened often. Before Juan Santos, the most recent revolt was in 1737. An Asháninka leader named Ignacio Torote destroyed two missions. He killed 13 people, including five priests. A survivor said Torote told a priest why he rebelled: "you and yours are killing us every day with your sermons and doctrines, taking our freedom away." Torote's twenty followers were caught and executed by the Spanish. Torote himself disappeared into the jungle.

Around 1740, Juan Santos became an assistant to Franciscan missionaries. This was in the Chanchamayo province in the central jungle. These missions had helped Spaniards come to the area to get salt from the Cerro de la Sal. They used the Asháninka natives as workers, which led to many cruel actions.

At this time, Juan Santos was between 30 and 40 years old. He wore a traditional jungle Indian shirt called a cushma. He always wore a cross made of chonta wood with silver on his chest. He chewed a lot of coca leaf, which he called "God's herb." He had mixed features, meaning he looked like a mix of native and European. A Franciscan friar who met him described him as tall with tanned skin.

The Rebellion Begins

Juan Santos Atahualpa's Plan

In May 1742, Juan Santos appeared at the Franciscan mission called Quisopango. He was with a Yine (Piro) man named Bisabequi. Quisopango was at the southern edge of the Gran Pajonal. We don't know exactly what he did or said. But he gained support from the Amuesha and other native people, as well as the Asháninka. Within a few days, native people abandoned half a dozen missions in the Cerro de la Sal and Chanchamayo regions.

Where the Movement Spread

Juan Santos knew the Quechua language and several Amazonian languages. This helped him communicate easily with the native people of the central jungle. They joined his fight with great excitement. The rebellion brought together people from the central jungle. These included the Ashaninka, Yanesha, and even Shipibo. These groups lived along the Tambo, Perené, and Pichis rivers. This whole area was known as the Gran Pajonal. It was where the Franciscan missions were located.

Juan Santos had more than 2,000 men. With them, he took control of the central jungle. This was a large area that the Spanish government did not truly control.

How the Rebellion Developed

The rebels' first goal was to take over the Eneno mission. Then they planned to attack Matranza, Quispango, Pichana, and Nijandaris. They destroyed a total of 27 missionary bases. They also threatened to attack the mountains.

The viceroy, Marquis de Villagarcía, ordered two governors to enter the troubled region. They were told to surround the rebels. This was done, and one governor reached Quisopango. He met some resistance but managed to drive the native people away. Juan Santos avoided this fight and went to the town of Huancabamba. Colonial forces left Tarma to find him, but he escaped.

In June, a priest named Santiago Vásquez de Calcedo went to Quisopango to meet Juan Santos. From this meeting and other reports, Santos's personality and goals became clearer. Santos said he was a Christian and recited a prayer in Latin. He said he had come to the Pajonal to take back "his kingdom." He claimed to be the return of Atahualpa, the last Inca emperor. He planned to take back his kingdom with the help of native people. Santos said he was against violence. But he planned to expel the Spanish and their African slaves from Peru with help from the British. (There is no proof Santos was in contact with the British. But his claim of British help worried the Spanish.)

A scholar named Stefano Varese said Santos's "attitudes were those of a moderate man." He was full of "mystical inspiration." He based his rebellion on religion. Juan Santos promised that the rebellion would bring peace and wealth to all the Andes. It would start in the jungle and spread to the highlands and the coast. Juan Santos said the rebellion would end with him being crowned as Sapa Inca (supreme ruler of Tawantinsuyu).

Santos's goals seemed more aimed at the highland peoples. These people had been part of the Inca Empire. The Asháninka and other jungle peoples had not been part of it. They probably did not share his big goals. Two African captives said their reason for supporting Santos was that "they wanted no priests and they did not wish to be Christians." Santos's early dislike of Africans changed quickly. Several former African slaves of the Franciscans became important supporters. The Africans were valued for knowing about European weapons and battle methods. Many native people and mestizos (people of mixed native and European descent) from the Andes also joined the rebellion.

The next year, the Spanish sent a group to Quimiri (today La Merced). This was in the Chanchamayo valley. They were led by the mayor of Tarma, Alfonso Santa y Ortega. On October 27, 1743, they reached Quimiri. There, they built a fort, finishing it in November. It had four cannons and plenty of ammunition. On November 11, the mayor left, leaving Captain Fabricio Bertholi with 60 soldiers in the fort.

Juan Santos knew all his enemy's moves. He planned to attack the small group of soldiers. First, he captured a food shipment going to the fort. Then he started to surround the fort. Many Spanish soldiers died from disease. The rest became discouraged. Soldiers were hungry, and some ran away. Then, Juan Santos told Bertholi to give up, but he refused. He trusted that help would arrive soon. Finally, Juan Santos decided to attack the fort. All the Spanish soldiers were killed. This happened in late 1743.

Meanwhile, a new viceroy took power. He was José Antonio Manso de Velasco, a very experienced military man. Juan Santos kept attacking. He took the town of Monobamba on June 24, 1746. This expanded his movement. There were even rumors of support for him in the distant province of Canta.

Viceroy Manso de Velasco appointed Joseph de Llamas to lead a third expedition. But Juan Santos took action first. He captured Sonomoro in 1751 and Andamarca on August 4, 1752. Capturing Andamarca was a serious threat. It was in the mountains and near Tarma, Jauja, and Ocopa. The rebellion could spread to the mountains, where many native people lived. Their uprising would have greatly changed the rebellion.

The Marquis of Menahermosa tried to catch Juan Santos, but he escaped. This made the viceroy very angry. The important battle did not go well, and the rebels still controlled a large jungle area. Rumors spread that Juan Santos would attack Paucartambo. People also feared that Tarma and Jauja would be destroyed. But none of this happened. Strangely, the leader did not carry out his bold attacks. The people of the region had peace again.

Victory for the Rebels

Juan Santos and his supporters facing Franciscan priests.

The Franciscan priests, other religious people, and converts living at 21 of the 23 missions in the central jungle ran away. They went to two missions that were still standing: Quimiri and Sonomoro. Juan Santos moved his main base about 110 kilometres (68 mi) east from Quisopango to Eneno. Eneno was less isolated and better for strategy. It was on the Perené River in the Cerro de la Sal region.

The first violence of the rebellion happened in September 1742. A local group of armed men led by three Franciscans left Quimiri. They were ambushed and killed. That same month, two Spanish army groups were sent from the Andes to stop the rebellion. But they could not find Juan Santos. The Spanish built a fort in Quimiri. They left 80 soldiers with cannons there. Most of the army went back to the city of Tarma in the Andes.

Santos surrounded the fort. He offered the Spanish safe passage to Tarma, but they refused. A Spanish group from Tarma tried to bring food to the fort. They were ambushed, and 17 men were killed. Later, the desperate, starving Spanish soldiers decided to run away from the fort. But the native forces stopped them, and all 80 were killed. When a group of 300 men arrived at the fort in January 1743, the native forces fired cannons at them. The relief force retreated. Only Sonomoro, among the former missions, remained in Spanish hands. Santos and his followers were in complete control of a large area for more than two years.

In 1746, the viceroy José Manso de Velasco sent nearly 1,000 men into Asháninka territory. This force was defeated more by the rain and jungle than by the native army. The Spanish thought the native army had 500 fighters. But it was actually a spread-out, part-time group of fighters. After this failure, the Spanish stopped trying to stop the rebellion. Instead, they built forts in Chanchamayo and Oxapampa. These forts were meant to stop the rebellion from spreading into the Andes highlands.

Still, small revolts broke out in three highland towns. The Spanish stopped these revolts very harshly. A Franciscan priest expressed the Spanish fear. He said, "If this (Santos)...headed for Lima with 200 Indian archers, one could fear...a generalized rebellion among all the Indians in the provinces of the Kingdom." In 1750, the Spanish sent another military group into rebel territory. It was easily defeated by the Asháninka and their allies using guerrilla tactics (surprise attacks).

In 1751, groups of Asháninka and their Piro allies moved south. This was more like people moving to new lands than a military operation. They took back old territories in the Satipo and Mazamari regions. They forced the Spanish fort in Sonomoro to be emptied. This was the last of the 23 missions in the central jungle. In August 1752, Santos's rebellion reached its highest point. He led an Asháninka force that captured the highland town of Andamarca in Jauja Province. They held it for three days before leaving. Santos avoided killing the residents and priests in the town. He hoped to start a rebellion in the highlands.

After taking back their land and expelling the Spanish, the active part of the rebellion ended. The area freed by the native people from the Spanish was about 200 kilometres (120 mi) long. It stretched from Pozuzo in the north to Andamarca in the south. This area was where the jungle meets the high Andes. It also extended about 170 kilometres (110 mi) east to the Ucayali River.

Juan Santos's Disappearance

After 1756, nothing more was known about Juan Santos. Viceroy Manso de Velasco wrote in 1761: "since 1756 ... the rebellious Indian has not been felt and his situation and even his existence are unknown." One idea is that there was a disagreement among the rebels. Juan Santos might have ordered the death of his assistant, Antonio Gatica, and other men for possibly betraying him.

Many different stories spread about how Juan Santos died. One story says he died in Metraro. He was hit by a stone from a sling during a public celebration. Others claim he was poisoned. Another idea is that he died of old age. Some even say he had a special burial place in Metraro. His remains were there and people honored them.

His disappearance and likely death became legendary. For some, he had not died. They believed he was immortal. For others, he had gone up to heaven surrounded by clouds. They believed he would return to Earth in the future.

A friar named José Miguel Salcedo said that when he arrived at San Miguel del Cunivo, 14 canoes with about 80 men greeted him. They showed strange signs of joy. Two of the rebel captains told him that Juan Santos "... died in Metraro, and asking them to where he had gone they told me that to hell, and that in front of them his body disappeared, fuming ...".

Juan Santos Atahualpa's Treaties

There is no clear proof that Juan Santos made deals with the English. However, some guesses can be made based on events at the time.

For example, the English and Spanish had a long struggle. England wanted more trade and new markets in America. Spain guarded these markets closely. There were agreements and permissions, like the ship permission given by the Spanish Crown to England after the Treaty of Utrecht. Juan Santos Atahualpa was well-informed and educated, so he would have known about these events. What is recorded about him says, "he spoke with the English, who agreed to help him by sea, and that he would come by land, gathering his people, in order to save his crown." Some believe this agreement is possible because of the events mentioned. It might have been made in 1741.

What Happened to Juan Santos?

Effigy of Juan Santos Atahualpa in the Panteón de los Próceres in Lima.

The exact date and way Juan Santos died are not known. After he captured Andamarca in 1752, he disappeared. Most Spanish sources believe he died in 1755 or 1756. However, a Franciscan priest thought he was still alive in 1775. In 1766, two Asháninka followers of Santos said that "his body had disappeared in a cloud of smoke." A small pile of rocks on the Cerro de la Sal remembers him.

In 1788, the Spanish tried again to enter the land Juan Santos's rebellion had taken from them. The Spanish built two forts on the southern edge of the Chanchamayo region. However, it wasn't until 1868 that most of the Chanchamayo and Cerro de la Sal regions were opened for settlement by non-native people. This happened with the founding of the city of La Merced.

See also

In Spanish: Juan Santos Atahualpa para niños