Martín Ruiz de Gamboa facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Martín Ruiz de Gamboa
Royal Governor of Chile
In office 1580–1583
Monarch	King Philip II
Preceded by	Rodrigo de Quiroga
Succeeded by	Alonso de Sotomayor
Personal details
Born	1533 Durango, Biscay, Spain
Died	1590 (aged 56–57) Santiago, Chile
Spouse	Isabel de Quiroga

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa de Berriz (1533 – 1590) was a Spanish Basque explorer and soldier. He became a conquistador (a Spanish conqueror). Later, he served as a Royal Governor of Chile.

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa: A Spanish Governor

Early Life and Adventures

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa was born in Durango, a town in Biscay, Spain. His parents were Andrés Ruiz de Gamboa and Nafarra de Berriz. When he was young, he served in the royal navy. This was in a region called the Levant, which is in the eastern Mediterranean Sea.

Before he turned 18, Martín traveled far away to Peru. He eventually arrived in Chile in 1552. He stayed in this area for a long time.

Joining the Arauco War

Martín took part in the Arauco War. This was a long conflict between the Spanish and the native Mapuche people. In 1565, he became a top military leader. He was named lieutenant general for the governor, Rodrigo de Quiroga. Martín had family ties with Quiroga. He married Quiroga's daughter, Isabel de Quiroga.

Conquering Chiloé Island

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa helped conquer Chiloé. This island is located in southern Chile. He managed to bring the local Cuncos people under Spanish rule. They were known to be peaceful.

He named the island New Galicia. On November 12, 1567, he founded a city there. He called it Santiago de Castro. Martín then became the governor of Chiloé. In 1568, another leader, Melchor Bravo de Saravia, made him a general. He also became chief justice of Arauco and Tucapel.

Because of his experience in the Arauco War, he was put in charge of the war effort. This was by the Real Audiencia, a high court. However, in 1569, he faced a big defeat. This happened in the Battle of Catirai. He lost his encomienda, which was a grant of land and native labor. After this, he stepped back from public life for a while.

Becoming Governor of Chile

Martín became important again when Rodrigo de Quiroga was governor for a second time. Governor Quiroga was sick. So, he once again trusted Martín to lead the war. In 1577, Quiroga named Martín as his successor in his will. Just before he died, Quiroga made Martín the temporary governor. This was allowed because King Philip II had given special permissions.

When Quiroga died on February 25, 1580, the city council (called the cabildo) of Santiago sent for Martín. They asked him to come to the capital to take over. He was officially sworn in on March 8, 1580. After this, he worked to get his position confirmed. He needed approval from the Viceroy of Peru and the king.

New Rules for Native People

The Viceroy took almost a year to confirm Martín's role. The king was even slower to decide. To gain the king's full trust, Martín wanted to show he was protecting the native people. This was something the king wanted. So, Martín changed the existing tax system. He replaced the Tasa de Santillán with a new one. This new system is known as the Tasa de Gamboa.

The old system required native people to work for the Spanish. Martín's new system changed this. It asked for a simple money tax instead. Native people in certain areas had to pay a yearly tax. Those near Santiago paid nine pesos. Those near La Imperial paid seven pesos. A new official, called a corregidor, was created. Their job was to manage the tax system. They also had to protect the native people. These officials were paid from a part of the tax. Most of the tax money went to the encomenderos. These were the Spanish settlers who had received the grants of land.

This new system caused many problems. The encomenderos were angry. They believed the native people would not pay the new tax. They thought the native people would just relax instead. These new enemies of Martín started spreading rumors. They sent negative reports to the Viceroy. This made the Viceroy think badly of Martín.

Challenges and Changes

During this time, Martín also had to deal with a rebellion. His lieutenant governor, Lope de Azócar, opposed his leadership. But Martín managed to control the situation. He pressured Azocar and eventually forced him to leave Chile.

Martín spent the last years of his time as governor (1581-1583) in the southern part of the country. He was constantly fighting with the native groups. On June 25, 1580, he founded a city. He named it San Bartolomé Chillán y Gamboa. This city later became known as Chillán. The war situation got worse during his time. The Mapuche people continued their rebellion. The Huilliche people, who had been peaceful before, also joined the fight. Even the Pehuenche people near Chillán became aggressive.

Final Years

Because of these problems, Martín had to ask for more soldiers. These reinforcements came from Spain and Peru. Many soldiers left during the journey, but enough arrived. However, they came under the command of Alonso de Sotomayor. He was the new governor chosen by the king.

Martín was in Chillán when he heard the news. He politely handed over his command to Sotomayor. But Sotomayor had also heard many complaints against Martín. He was there to judge Martín's actions. So, Sotomayor had Martín held in the government house in Santiago. Martín was later released on bail. Eventually, he was cleared of the charges and set free.

Martín had hoped to get permission to travel to Spain. He wanted to explain his actions to the king. But he never made this trip. He lived his last days in Santiago, away from government work. He passed away in Santiago in 1590.

See also

In Spanish: Martín Ruiz de Gamboa para niños