Llanganabal facts for kids
Llanganabal was a brave leader of the Mapuche people, an indigenous group from what is now Chile. He was a toqui, which means he was a war chief. Llanganabal led the Mapuche army to a big victory against the Spanish in a battle called the Battle of Catirai in 1569.
In the 1560s, Llanganabal was known as a cacique (a local chief) in the area near the Bio Bio River. This was a time when the Spanish had set up a system called encomienda, which meant they controlled parts of the land and the people living there.
Llanganabal's Rise to Power
Around 1561, the Mapuche people began a major uprising against the Spanish. This was part of the long-running conflict known as the Arauco War. By 1569, Llanganabal had become a top commander of the Mapuche army in the Arauco Province. Other important captains, like Millalelmo, served under him.
The Battle of Catirai
The Spanish had been burning fields and homes on the south side of the Bio Bio River. To fight back, Millalelmo built a strong fort on a hill in a place called Catirai. This fort was in a very difficult spot, on steep, wooded slopes.
The Spanish governor, Melchor Bravo de Saravia, wanted to attack this fort. Some new Spanish soldiers in Chile convinced him to order an attack, even though an experienced commander named Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado had warned them it was a dangerous place.
Martín Ruiz de Gamboa was chosen to lead the Spanish attack. Meanwhile, Llanganabal had gathered his entire army at the fort, ready to defend it. Gamboa's forces tried to attack up the steep, heavily wooded hill where Llanganabal's fort was located. However, the Mapuche, led by Llanganabal, were ready. The Spanish army was badly defeated in the battle.
Sources
- Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo,Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) (History of All the Things that Have happened in the Kingdom of Chile and of those that have governed it (1536-1575), Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile, Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 75–224, (on line in Spanish) (History of Chile 1536-1575)
- Pedro Mariño de Lobera,Crónica del Reino de Chile , escrita por el capitán Pedro Mariño de Lobera....reducido a nuevo método y estilo por el Padre Bartolomé de Escobar. Edición digital a partir de Crónicas del Reino de Chile Madrid, Atlas, 1960, pp. 227-562, (Biblioteca de Autores Españoles ; 569-575). Biblioteca Virtual Miguel de Cervantes (on line in Spanish) (History of Chile 1535-1595)
- José Toribio Medina, Colección de documentos inéditos para la historia de Chile, desde el viaje de Magallanes hasta la batalla de Maipo, 1518-1818, Tomo X. Impr. Ercilla, Santiago, 1896 Original from Harvard University, Digitized May 18, 2007
See also
In Spanish: Llanganabal para niños
