Mapuche military facts for kids

The Mapuche people were known for their strong warrior culture. Their history in the Araucanía region was often filled with wars and battles. They believed that fighting was a key part of how history was made, so they often took part in military conflicts.

Mapuche Military Culture and Organization

Among the Mapuche, wars between different groups were common. One lof (a family group or clan) led by its lonko (chief) might fight another. Sometimes, larger groups called rehue or aillarehue (alliances of clans) would join forces under a toqui (war leader). These fights often happened to get revenge for a real or imagined wrong. They also fought to gain women or valuable items.

Choosing a Leader: The Toqui

When the Inca Empire and later the Spanish arrived, the Mapuche started to change how they organized for war. They began holding special meetings called Butalmapu (assemblies). In these meetings, leaders would choose a Toqui. This Toqui would then lead all their armies with a single command.

If an invasion happened, or during later revolts against the Spanish, a Mapuche Ulmen (a respected elder or rich person) would call a Butalmapu. They would send out a special arrow called a "Pulquitin." This arrow was stained with the blood of a llama's heart. It had red threads tied to it, showing where and when the Butalmapu would happen. At this meeting, they would decide if they should go to war and what their plan would be. Sometimes, the heads of enemies they had killed were sent to other clans. This was a gift to encourage them to join the alliance.

The Toqui was chosen by the Lonkos (chiefs) from different Lofs (clans) or Aillarehues (confederations of clans). These groups would ally together for the war. The Toqui had the power to make soldiers obey, organize them, and choose other leaders. A Toqui would stay in command until the war ended. Or, if the Lonkos decided in an assembly that the Toqui was not doing a good job, they would choose a new one. If a Toqui died, a new one was quickly appointed.

The Mapuche were very well organized even before the Spanish colonists arrived. In the century before, they had fought against the growing Inca Empire. They even stopped the Inca invasion at the Battle of the Maule. When invaders came, the Mapuche could gather large, organized groups of warriors. From the time of Lautaro's revolt, they could also build strong forts and complex defenses. These helped them protect themselves from invaders.

Smart Fighting: Mapuche Tactics

After the Spanish first conquered parts of their land, new Toquis like Lautaro brought in many new ways to fight. Lautaro had been captured by Pedro Valdivia early in the Spanish campaigns in Araucanía. As Valdivia's page, Lautaro learned about the Spanish army's strengths and weaknesses. He especially learned about their powerful cavalry (soldiers on horseback).

After escaping, Lautaro became a leader in the revolt against the Spanish. He taught Mapuche warriors new tactics. Before, they usually fought on foot in open fields. Lautaro taught them guerrilla tactics. This meant using the land to their advantage, like hiding and ambushing. This made the Spanish cavalry less effective. Lautaro also used spies, who were Mapuche people pretending to be conquered. These spies would tell him what the Spanish were planning. He also built and used strong fortresses as bases when he invaded Spanish territory in central Chile.

By 1553, the Mapuche started to have their own cavalry. Thanks to Lautaro, these Mapuche horsemen soon became skilled enough to defeat the Spanish cavalry. By the 1560s, the Mapuche began using hidden pits and trenches. They also started using captured Spanish cannons and firearms. By 1570, they had learned to use infantry formations, similar to the Spanish Tercio. These formations allowed them to defeat Spanish cavalry even in open fields.

After 1600, Mapuche foot soldiers started riding horses for faster movement. They also developed a tactic called the malón. This was a quick raid or attack. By the 1620s, it was common for two-thirds of their army to fight on horseback as lancers (soldiers with spears). These horsemen would be on the sides, with foot soldiers in the middle. This was similar to how the Spanish fought. When retreating from a malón, the Mapuche would often try to trick their pursuers. They would lead them into a narrow valley where their main army was waiting. If the pursuers attacked this main group, hidden ambush teams would attack them from the sides. All these clever tactics helped the Mapuche hold off the Spanish and later the Chileans for 350 years!