Pedro Bohórquez facts for kids

Pedro Bohórquez (born around 1602 in Granada, Spain – died January 3, 1667, in Lima, Peru) was a Spanish adventurer. He is also known as Pedro Chamijo or Inca Hualpa. He traveled to the Viceroyalty of Peru, which was a large Spanish territory in South America. Around 1656, he managed to convince both the Calchaquí Indigenous people and Spanish officials that he was the true Inca emperor. His life story is a famous example of a "picaresque" tale, meaning it's about a clever but often dishonest person who goes on many adventures.

He likely came from a farming family and might have been a Morisco (a Muslim who converted to Christianity in Spain) or a Mudéjar (a Muslim living under Christian rule). He learned to read and write with the Jesuits in Cádiz. As a young man, he sailed from Spain to America, hoping to find great wealth. He tried many different plans in Peru over the years, but none of them made him rich.

A New Name and a Big Plan

In a region called Alto Perú, near Potosí, he met a priest named Bohórquez. They became friends, and to avoid Spanish authorities, Chamijo started using the last name Bohórquez.

Around 1656, he arrived in San Miguel de Tucumán. This city was important in a large Spanish province that included parts of modern-day Argentina. This area was huge, but the Spanish settlers faced many challenges. One big problem was the strong resistance from the native Calchaquíes people.

The Calchaquíes were a brave group who were part of the Diaguita or Pazioca people. They had once been briefly ruled by the Inca Empire but now strongly opposed the Spanish. Even the Jesuits, who tried to teach them about Christianity, had little success.

The Rumor of Hidden Treasure

By 1656, a rumor was spreading that the Calchaquíes knew where a huge amount of gold and silver was hidden. This treasure was supposedly hidden when the Inca Empire began to decline.

It's not clear how Bohórquez found out about this situation. He had brownish skin and was married to a young Indigenous woman. People also said he spoke Quechua very well. Using these advantages, he managed to convince the Calchaquíes that he was the last descendant of the Inca emperors. He told them his name was Inca Hualpa.

The Calchaquíes probably didn't truly believe his story. They didn't want to be ruled by the Incas any more than by the Spanish. However, they saw "Inca Hualpa" as a chance to free themselves from Spanish rule.

Tricking Both Sides

Bohórquez promised his new "subjects" that if they showed him the hidden Inca treasure, he would help them drive out the Spanish. At the same time, he told the Spanish officials that because the Indigenous people saw him as their emperor, he could get them to obey the Spanish king and reveal the treasure's location. He said this would happen if the Spanish recognized him as a local ruler. He also convinced the Jesuits that as a Christian ruler, he could help convert the Calchaquíes to Christianity.

The governor of Tucumán, Alonso Mercado y Villacorta, met with Bohórquez in June 1657 in Belén, Catamarca. The governor agreed to give him the title of captain general and even held a week of celebrations in his honor. The only person who doubted him was the bishop of Tucumán, Fray Melchor de Maldonado y Saavedra.

Despite the bishop's suspicions, Bohórquez kept his position for two years. During this time, he built a strong government and made the valleys stronger against the Spanish.

The Uprising and His End

When the Spanish discovered what he was doing, Bohórquez led the third major uprising of the Calchaquíes against them. They attacked the cities of Salta and San Miguel de Tucumán, causing serious damage. Eventually, Governor Mercado's forces defeated him, but Bohórquez was not captured right away.

When he was finally arrested, the viceroy of Peru, Baltasar de la Cueva Enríquez, pardoned him. However, bad luck or plots by his enemies revealed another plan he had to start another revolt. He was executed in Lima on January 3, 1667.

As for the Indigenous people who survived, they were divided up and forced to work for the Spanish. Some were moved far away from their mountain homes. For example, the Quilmes people were taken to Buenos Aires, where a town still has their name today.

His story was written down by Padre Hernando de Torreblanca, a Jesuit who had believed in Inca Hualpa, in a book called Relación histórica de Calchaquí (1696). Later, in 1905, Roberto J. Payró published a novel about him called El falso inca (The False Inca).

See also

In Spanish: Pedro Bohórquez para niños