Michimalonco facts for kids
Michimalonco was a brave and important chief of the Picunche people in the mid-1500s. His name comes from the Mapudungun language: michima means "foreigner" and lonco means "head" or "chief." He was born in the Aconcagua Valley, which is in present-day Chile. Michimalonco was educated in Cusco, the capital of the Inca Empire, which made him a very skilled leader and warrior.
The Attack on Santiago
On September 11, 1541, Michimalonco led a large attack on the new Spanish settlement of Santiago, Chile. This attack happened because the Spanish had taken seven local chiefs, called caciques, as prisoners after an uprising. Michimalonco gathered a huge army, with estimates ranging from 8,000 to 20,000 men.
The Spanish town was defended by very few people. The main commander, Pedro de Valdivia, was away at the time. The defense was bravely led by Inés de Suárez, a Spanish woman. During the fierce battle, much of the town was destroyed. To surprise the native attackers, Inés de Suárez made the difficult decision to kill one of the captured caciques herself and had the others killed too. This unexpected act helped the Spanish drive off Michimalonco's forces.
Life After the Battle
After the battle for Santiago, Michimalonco escaped to the Andes mountains. He hid there for a few years. However, he eventually missed his home valley and decided to return.
Interestingly, Michimalonco later formed an alliance with the very Spaniards he had fought. He then joined them in battles against the Mapuche people further south. Because he was raised in Cuzco, he spoke his native language with a Quechua accent. This is why he was known as the "Foreigner Chief."
Sources
- Jerónimo de Vivar, Crónica y relación copiosa y verdadera de los reinos de Chile (Chronicle and abundant and true relation of the kingdoms of Chile) ARTEHISTORIA REVISTA DIGITAL; Crónicas de América (on line in Spanish)
See also
In Spanish: Michimalonco para niños
