The Battle of Catirai took place on January 7, 1569, near

Catirai Catirai or Catiray is the region of the Moluche Aillarehue of Catiray in old Araucanía. It is now the Santa Juana commune of the Concepción Province and the Nacimiento commune of the Bío Bío Province of the Bío Bío Region, of Chile. It ...

, Chile between the

Mapuche The Mapuche ( (Mapuche & Spanish: )) are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who sha ...

army of

Toqui Toqui (or Toki) ( Mapudungun for ''axe'' or ''axe-bearer'') is a title conferred by the Mapuche (an indigenous Chilean and Argentinian people) on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament ('' ...

Llanganabal Llanganabal was a Moluche toqui who led the Mapuche army that defeated the Spanish led by Martín Ruiz de Gamboa in the Battle of Catirai in 1569. In 1560 Llanganabal is listed as one of the caciques heading an encomienda along the Bio Bio River. ...

and the

Spanish army The Spanish Army ( es, Ejército de Tierra, lit=Land Army) is the terrestrial army of the Spanish Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is one of the oldest active armies — dating back to the late 15th century. The ...

led by

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa Martín Ruiz de Gamboa de Berriz (; 1533 – 1590) was a Spanish Basque conquistador who served as a Royal Governor of Chile. Biography Early years He was born in Durango, Biscay, the son of Andrés Ruiz de Gamboa and Nafarra de Berriz, an ...

that resulted in a Mapuche victory.

History

In 1569, Llanganabal had risen to command the Moluche army with

Millalelmo Millalelmo or ''Millarelmo'' (died 1570) was a Mapuche military leader in the second great Mapuche rebellion that began in 1561 during the Arauco War. Probably the toqui of the Arauco region, he commanded the Mapuche army of that area at the sieg ...

and other captains as his subordinates. To resist the Spanish army under

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

Melchor Bravo de Saravia Melchor Bravo de Saravia y Sotomayor (1512 – 1577) was a Spanish conquistador, interim viceroy of Peru, and Royal Governor of Chile. Early career He was born in Soria, Spain, the son of Juan de Saravia and María Mayor de Vera y Morales. ...

that had been burning the fields and rucas on the south bank of the

Bio Bio River Bio or BIO may refer to: Computing * bio(4), a pseudo-device driver in RAID controller management interface in OpenBSD and NetBSD * Block I/O, a concept in computer data storage Politics * Julius Maada Bio (born 1964), Sierra Leonean politicia ...

, in the

aillarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue (from the Mapudungun: ayllarewe/ayjarewe: "nine rehues"); a confederation of rehues or family-based units (lof) that dominated a region or province. It was the old administrative and territorial division of the Mapuche, H ...

across from

Talcamávida Talcamávida is a town in the commune of Hualqui in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is located on the north bank of the Bio Bio River across from Santa Juana on the opposite shore. It occupied a plain along the river from the Pacific Ocean that i ...

. Llanganabal's deputy,

had built a strong fortress on a hill in the area in a difficult position on steep wooded slopes. Despite the warnings of

Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado Lorenzo Bernal del Mercado (1530–1593) was a Spanish captain who was one of the more successful soldiers in the Arauco War in Chile rising to the rank of Maestre de Campo and temporary Capitán General of the Captaincy General of Chile. Lorenzo ...

who had reconnoitered the position, Spaniards new to Chile and the

Arauco War The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities and force Mapuche ...

prevailed on Governor Saravia to order Martín Ruiz de Gamboa to take his command and attack the place. Meanwhile, Llanganabal had gathered all his army there at their fortress to resist the attack. Gamboa's force was badly defeated while attempting to attack up the steep thickly wooded hill into Llanganabal's fortified position.Pedro Mariño de Lobera, ''Crónica del Reino de Chile'', libro segundo, capítulo XXXI
/ref>

Additional information

References

Sources

Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo Alonso de Góngora Marmolejo (1523–1575) was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of the early conquest and settlement of the Captaincy General of Chile, and the start of the Arauco War. Biography Marmolejo was born in the town of Carmona, And ...

br>''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) *

**[http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/bameric/02582741011358306311291/p0000004.htm#I_65_ ''Capítulo LXIV'' De cómo el gobernador Saravia hizo consulta de guerra con los capitanes que llevaba, y la plática que propuso por dónde se acertaría mejor a hacer, y de lo que se proveyó] *
''Capítulo LXV'' De cómo el gobernador Saravia envió al general don Miguel a deshacer una junta de indios, y cómo después de venido le mandó ir a deshacer el fuerte de Catiray, y donde lo desbarataron, y lo demás que acaeció
*

Pedro Mariño de Lobera Pedro Mariño de Lobera (1528–1594) was a Galician soldier, conquistador and chronicler of the Arauco War in the Captaincy General of Chile. Biography A professional soldier who served in the war between Spain and France, he went to the Americ ...

''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) *

** [http://www.cervantesvirtual.com/servlet/SirveObras/13582842323460728544424/p0000003.htm#I_96_ ''Libro segundo, Parte tercera, Capítulo XXXI'' De algunas batallas que tuvieron el doctor Bravo de Saravia, don Miguel de Velasco y Lorenzo Bernal contra el indio Millalermo y otros capitanes bárbaros de mucha fama] * Diego de Rosales
''Historia general de el Reino de Chile, Flandes Indiano'' Tomo II, CAPÍTULO XL; Impr. del Mercurio, Santiago 1878, Original from Harvard University Digitized May 21, 2007
*

Diego Barros Arana Diego Jacinto Agustín Barros Arana (; August 16, 1830 – November 4, 1907) was a Chilean professor, legislator, minister and diplomat. He is considered the most important Chilean historian of the 19th century. His main work ''General History of ...

''Historia general de Chile. Tomo segundo'', Capítulo IV Administración de la Real Audiencia (1567-1568). Principio del gobierno del doctor Bravo de Saravia (1568-1569)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Catirai, Battle Of Conflicts in 1569 Battles involving Spain Battles of the Arauco War 1569 in the Captaincy General of Chile History of Biobío Region