The Battle of Curalaba ( es, Batalla de Curalaba, links=no ) is a 1598 battle and ambush where

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 s ...

people led by

Pelantaru Pelantaro or Pelantarú (; from arn, pelontraru, lit=Shining Caracara) was one of the vice toquis of Paillamachu, the ''toqui'' or military leader of the Mapuche people during the Mapuche uprising in 1598. Pelantaro and his lieutenants Angan ...

soundly defeated Spanish conquerors led by

Martín García Óñez de Loyola Don Martín García Óñez de Loyola (1549 in Azpeitia, Gipuzkoa – December 24, 1598 at Curalaba) was a Spanish Basque soldier and Royal Governor of the Captaincy General of Chile. Very likely Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of ...

at Curalaba, southern

Chile Chile, officially the Republic of Chile, is a country in the western part of South America. It is the southernmost country in the world, and the closest to Antarctica, occupying a long and narrow strip of land between the Andes to the east a ...

. In Chilean

historiography Historiography is the study of the methods of historians in developing history as an academic discipline, and by extension is any body of historical work on a particular subject. The historiography of a specific topic covers how historians ha ...

, where the event is often called the Disaster of Curalaba ( es, Desastre de Curalaba, links=no), the battle marks the end of the

Conquest of Chile The Conquest of Chile is a period in Chilean historiography that starts with the arrival of Pedro de Valdivia to Chile in 1541 and ends with the death of Martín García Óñez de Loyola in the Battle of Curalaba in 1598, and the destruction of ...

(''la conquista'') period in Chile's history, although the fast Spanish expansion in the south had already been halted in the 1550s. The battle contributed to unleash a general Mapuche uprising that resulted in the

Destruction of the Seven Cities The Destruction of the Seven Cities ( es, Destrucción de las siete ciudades) is a term used in Chilean historiography to refer to the destruction or abandonment of seven major Spanish outposts in southern Chile around 1600, caused by the Mapuc ...

. This severe crisis reshaped

Colonial Chile In Chilean historiography, Colonial Chile ( es, link=no, La colonia) is the period from 1600 to 1810, beginning with the Destruction of the Seven Cities and ending with the onset of the Chilean War of Independence. During this time, the Chilea ...

and forced the Spanish to reassess their mode of warfare.

History

On December 21, 1598, governor Martín García Oñez de Loyola traveled to

Purén Purén is a city (2002 pop. 12,868) and commune in Malleco Province of La Araucanía Region, Chile. It is located in the west base of the Nahuelbuta mountain range (650 km. south of Santiago). The economical activity of Purén is based in f ...

leading 50 men. On the second day they camped in Curalaba without taking protective measures. The Mapuche people, aware of their presence, with their cavalry led by

and his lieutenants, Anganamón and Guaiquimilla, with three hundred men, shadowed his movements and made a surprise night raid. Completely surprised, the governor and almost all of his soldiers and companions were killed. This event was called the Disaster of Curalaba by the Spaniards. It not only involved the death of the Spanish governor, but the news rapidly spread among the Mapuche and triggered a general revolt, long-prepared by the

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 ('' c ...

Paillamachu Paillamachu (died 1604), was the Mapuche toqui from 1592 to 1603 in what is now Chile. Paillamachu replaced the slain Paillaeco, then organized and carried out the great revolt of 1598 that expelled the Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items fr ...

, that destroyed Spanish camps and towns south of the Bío-Bío River over the next few years.

References

Sources

Vicente Carvallo y Goyeneche Vicente Carvallo y Goyeneche (1742–1816) was a Chilean soldier, author and historian of Basque descent, born in Valdivia. Author of the ''Descripcion Histórico Geografía del Reino de Chile'', covering the history and geography of the Captaincy ...

Descripcion Histórico Geografía del Reino de Chile (Description Historical Geography of the Kingdom of Chile), PDF E Libros from Memoria Chilena
(History of Chile 1542–1788)
Tomo I History 1542–1626, Tomo 8 de Colección de historiadores de Chile y de documentos relativos a la historia nacional. Santiago : Impr. del Ferrocarril, 1861.
Primera parte. Tomo I; Capítulo LXXIX. Llega a Chile un refuerzo de tropa del Perú – Levanta el Gobernador una ciudad en la provincia de Cuyo – Visita el país meridional de su gobernacion, i los indios le quitan la vida. Conflicts in 1598 Battles involving Spain Battles of the Arauco War 1598 in the Captaincy General of Chile History of Araucanía Region Battles won by indigenous peoples of the Americas {{Chile-hist-stub

History

See also

References

Sources