''Miquelets'' or ''Micalets'' (; es, Migueletes) were irregular

Catalan Catalan may refer to: Catalonia From, or related to Catalonia: * Catalan language, a Romance language * Catalans, an ethnic group formed by the people from, or with origins in, Northern or southern Catalonia Places * 13178 Catalan, asteroid #1 ...

and Valencian mountain light troops. They enjoyed a certain prominence in the wars in the Iberian Peninsula during the 17th and 18th centuries, and in peace seem to have on occasion plundered travellers.

Overview

The name is a diminutive of

Michael Michael may refer to: People * Michael (given name), a given name * Michael (surname), including a list of people with the surname Michael Given name "Michael" * Michael (archangel), ''first'' of God's archangels in the Jewish, Christian an ...

; it is claimed it comes from Miquel or Miquelot de Prats, a Catalan mercenary captain in the service of

Cesare Borgia Cesare Borgia (; ca-valencia, Cèsar Borja ; es, link=no, César Borja ; 13 September 1475 – 12 March 1507) was an Italian ex- cardinal and '' condottiero'' (mercenary leader) of Aragonese (Spanish) origin, whose fight for power was a major ...

. The term was used for many unconnected groups of Catalans who took up arms in many wars, as well as in banditry. The ''Miquelets'' were maintained at the parish level, not by the central or the provincial governments, and as they had to turn out for duty on sound of the village alarm-bell (''someten'') they are frequently called ''sometents''.

In specific wars

The ''Miquelets'' were active during the Catalan secessionist revolt of 1640 (, "War of the Reapers") In the War of the Spanish Succession (1701–1714), most of the ''Miquelets'' fought on the Austriacist side; they became part of the Army of Catalonia, in 1713, and continued the struggle against the French claimant

Philip, Duke of Anjou Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mon ...

(Philip V) until long after the peace. During the Peninsular War, the Miquelets successfully harassed the

French French (french: français(e), link=no) may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to France ** French language, which originated in France, and its various dialects and accents ** French people, a nation and ethnic group identified with Franc ...

occupiers in the mountains of Catalonia, sometimes even participating in operations in large bodies, such as in the Siege of Girona (1809) and other operations around Girona in 1808 and 1809. ''Miquelet'' was a sobriquet used by Catalan soldiers on both sides of these and other wars; the French raised Catalan troops in 1689 in the

Revolt of the Barretines The Revolt of the Barretines ( ca, Revolta dels Barretines; ) also known as the Revolt of the Gorretes, was a Catalan rebellion fought against the government of King Charles II of Spain. The most salient complaint was against the government's quar ...

, as well as in 1808 in the Peninsular War.

Miquelets in the Americas

Regiments of ''Miquelets'' were also integrated in 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 ...

and fought in other places of the Spanish Empire, outside Spain. Fray Junipero Serra's expedition to establish Catholic missions along the California coast was accompanied by detachments of Migueletes in 1769. The

First Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia The Free Company of Volunteers of Catalonia (Spanish: ''Compañía Franca de Voluntarios de Cataluña'') was a military company of the Spanish Army serving in the Spanish colonial empire. Origins The company was raised in Barcelona in 1767 for s ...

, which was composed of Catalan ''Miquelets'', was destined in

New Spain New Spain, officially the Viceroyalty of New Spain ( es, Virreinato de Nueva España, ), or Kingdom of New Spain, was an integral territorial entity of the Spanish Empire, established by Habsburg Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Am ...

. From there, the Company played a crucial role in the Spanish colonization of the Pacific Northwest, building Fort San Miguel, the first formal European settlement in British Columbia, from 1790 to 1792. Its captain, Pere d'Alberní i Teixidor, received military decorations and even was appointed Interim Governor of California in 1800. Miquelets3

Miquelet police in the Basque region

The police forces of the autonomous governments of Biscay (1784–1877) and Gipuzkoa (1796–1936) were known as Miqueletes. Their homologous police forces in Álava and

Navarre Navarre (; es, Navarra ; eu, Nafarroa ), officially the Chartered Community of Navarre ( es, Comunidad Foral de Navarra, links=no ; eu, Nafarroako Foru Komunitatea, links=no ), is a foral autonomous community and province in northern Spain, ...

, called ''Miñones'' and ''Policía foral'', managed to survive beyond the Spanish Civil War for the siding of these provinces with the military uprising.

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