The Battle of Sangarará was fought on November 18, 1780 in Sangarará,

Viceroyalty of Peru The Viceroyalty of Peru ( es, Virreinato del Perú, links=no) was a Spanish imperial provincial administrative district, created in 1542, that originally contained modern-day Peru and most of the Spanish Empire in South America, governed from ...

, between rebel forces under

Túpac Amaru II José Gabriel Condorcanqui ( – May 18, 1781)known as Túpac Amaru II was an indigenous Cacique who led a large Andean rebellion against the Spanish in Peru. He later became a mythical figure in the Peruvian struggle for independence and in ...

and

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Cana ...

colonial forces under

Tiburcio Landa Tiburcio, the Spanish form of Tiburtius, may refer to: *Tiburcio Carías Andino (1876–1969), Honduran military strongman *Tiburcio de León, Filipino general (the Philippine Revolution and Philippine-American War) * José Tiburcio Serrizuela (bo ...

. Túpac Amaru II's forces won decisively.

Background

The Battle of Sangarará took place nine days after the execution of

Antonio de Arriaga Antonio is a masculine given name of Etruscan origin deriving from the root name Antonius. It is a common name among Romance language-speaking populations as well as the Balkans and Lusophone Africa. It has been among the top 400 most popular male ...

, the

corregidor Corregidor ( tl, Pulo ng Corregidor, ) is an island located at the entrance of Manila Bay in the southwestern part of Luzon in the Philippines, and is considered part of the Province of Cavite. Due to this location, Corregidor has historically b ...

Tinta Grand Noir de la Calmette (or simply Grand noir) is a red ''teinturier'' grape variety that is a crossing of Petit Bouschet and Aramon noir created in 1855 by French grape breeder Henri Bouschet at his vineyard in Mauguio in the Hérault de ...

. Sangarará was the first major conflict between Spanish and rebel forces in the Rebellion of Túpac Amaru. Following the capture of Quiquijana, which had been abandoned by its corregidor, on November 12, 1780, meetings were held in

Cuzco Cusco, often spelled Cuzco (; qu, Qusqu ()), is a city in Southeastern Peru near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region and of the Cusco Province. The city is the seventh most populous in Peru; ...

to establish a war council.Walker, Charles. ''Smoldering Ashes: Cuzco and the Creation of Republican Peru''. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1999, page 36. Forces consisting of 800 from surrounding areas were combined with volunteers and militia from Cuzco and were organized under Tiburcio Landa. They arrived in Sangarará on the night of November 17 and based themselves in the town's church.Walker, page 37. The expectation of the arrival of a snowstorm may have influenced the Spanish decision to fortify the church in addition to strategic reasons.

The battle

In the morning hours of November 18, the rebel forces occupied nearby hills and surrounded the church. Sympathetic historical accounts outline Túpac Amaru II's request that Creoles, women, and children be allowed to leave the church before the attack. The rebels began attacking the Spanish with slingshots until the church caught fire, either through arson by Túpac Amaru II or through the sudden spark of Spanish gunpowder. The Spanish fled the church and were routed by the surrounding forces, who were armed with only spears and slings. Spanish troops had brought cannons with them, but they were rendered ineffective by the walls of the church. Historical casualty estimates for the Spanish ranged from 300 to 576. Estimates for rebel casualties number only 15 killed and 30 wounded.

Aftermath

Túpac Amaru II's decisive victory helped to boost his support among Indians and gained him Spanish arms.Walker, page 38. It also helped to create fear among the Spanish in the area, although Spanish colonial officials used the violent nature of the battle in propaganda against the rebels. The Bishop of Cuzco excommunicated Túpac Amaru II from the church for the destruction of the church in Sangarará. The violent, anti-religious portrayals of the rebel leadership helped to limit support from Creoles and Mestizos. Following the battle, the rebels solidified their hold on the outside areas instead of attacking Cuzco, going against the advice of fellow commander (and Túpac Amaru II's wife)

Micaela Bastidas Micaela Bastidas Puyucahua (born in Tamburco, 1744; died in Cusco, May 18, 1781) was a pioneering indigenous leader against Spanish rule in South America, and a martyr for Peruvian independence. With her husband Túpac Amaru II, she led a rebelli ...

.Walker, page 41

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Battle of Sangarara Sangarara Colonial Peru Conflicts in 1780