Juan Manqueante was a
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 ...
cacique from
Mariquina in the mid-17th century. While he is a historical figure there are many legends and tales associated to him. In local lore Manqueante is considered him the most notable person born in the lands of Mariquina.
[ There is a street in San José named after him.][Rivera 2018, p. 82.]
Dealing with the Dutch
At the time the Dutch led by Elias Herckmans were in the ruins
Ruins () are the remains of a civilization's architecture. The term refers to formerly intact structures that have fallen into a state of partial or total disrepair over time due to a variety of factors, such as lack of maintenance, deliberate ...
of Valdivia
Valdivia (; Mapuche: Ainil) is a city and commune in southern Chile, administered by the Municipality of Valdivia. The city is named after its founder Pedro de Valdivia and is located at the confluence of the Calle-Calle, Valdivia, and Cau-Cau R ...
Manquente approached the Dutch expressing his support for them.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 285.] Despite being in friendly terms with the Dutch staunchly refused them to access the gold mines of Madre de Dios in his lands.[Rivera 2018, p. 85.] Manquente explained this by telling the Dutch of his people's negative experiences of Spanish gold mining.[ As the ]Dutch expedition to Valdivia
The Dutch expedition to Valdivia was a naval expedition, commanded by Hendrik Brouwer, sent by the Dutch Republic in 1643 to establish a base of operations and a trading post on the southern coast of Chile. With Spain and the Dutch Republic ...
planned to retreat back to Brazil Manquante provided relief to the hungry Dutch in the form of cattle.[Lane 1998, p. 89.] This relief was only temporary since Manqueante probably considered it a farewell gift.[ Before leaving, Manqueante was contacted by Herckmans to let him know that the Dutch intended to return with 1,000 African slaves to take care of mining and agriculture in order to leave the indigenous peoples free of forced labour. This promise was never fulfilled.][ Spanish enquiries about Dutch activities in ]southern Chile
Southern Chile is an informal geographic term for any place south of the capital city, Santiago, or south of Biobío River, the mouth of which is Concepción, about {{convert, 200, mi, km, sigfig=1, order=flip south of Santiago. Generally cities ...
led Gaspar Álvarez, a soldier, to the recovery of a letter from Herckmans to Manqueante where the Dutch explained, with sincerity, the motive behind their withdrawal. The Spanish however distrusted the letter as possible disinformation.[Barros Arana 2000, p. 291.]
Alignment with the Spanish
Manqueante aligned himself with the Spanish from Dutch departure in 1643 to the Mapuche uprising of 1655
The Mapuche uprising of 1655 ( es, alzamiento mapuche de 1655 or ) was a series of coordinated Mapuche attacks against Spanish settlements and forts in colonial Chile. It was the worst military crisis in Chile in decades, and contemporaries even ...
.Cruces River
The Cruces River ( es, Río Cruces) is a river in south-central Chile. Río Cruces originates from hills near the Villarica volcano and flows then in south-west direction. The southern and final part of the river flows in a south-south-west di ...
.[Rivera 2018, p. 87.] The fort was likely built in the spring and summer of 1649–1650 and allowed Manqueante to dispose of Spanish soldiers to fend off against the incursions of rival Mapuche-Huilliche.[Rivera 2018, p. 86.] Manqueante's chief enemies were three rival chiefs, all them from the same 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 ...
as him.[ This group of three was headed by Curimanque who was staunchly anti-Spanish.][
The Spanish benefited from the alliance by gaining an ally against the Dutch,][ This alliance gave origin to a legend that holds Manqueante died by turning into stone as he would have betrayed his people by allying with the Spanish.][
Manqueante was a catholic Christian according to contemporary Jesuit missionary and chronicler ]Diego de Rosales
Diego de Rosales (Madrid, 1601 - Santiago, 1677) was a Spanish chronicler and author of ''Historia General del Reino de Chile''.
He studied in his hometown, where he also joined the Society of Jesus. He came to Chile in the year 1629, without ha ...
.[
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References
Bibliography
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Manqueante, Juan
Lonkos
17th-century Mapuche people
History of Los Ríos Region
People from Valdivia Province