The of Quito (sometimes referred to as or ) was an administrative unit in the
Spanish Empire
The Spanish Empire ( es, link=no, Imperio español), also known as the Hispanic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Hispánica) or the Catholic Monarchy ( es, link=no, Monarquía Católica) was a colonial empire governed by Spain and its prede ...
which had political, military, and religious jurisdiction over territories that today include
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
, parts of northern
Peru
, image_flag = Flag of Peru.svg
, image_coat = Escudo nacional del Perú.svg
, other_symbol = Great Seal of the State
, other_symbol_type = Seal (emblem), National seal
, national_motto = "Fi ...
, parts of southern
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and parts of northern
Brazil
Brazil ( pt, Brasil; ), officially the Federative Republic of Brazil (Portuguese: ), is the largest country in both South America and Latin America. At and with over 217 million people, Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country by area ...
. It was created by Royal Decree on 29 August 1563 by
Philip II of Spain
Philip II) in Spain, while in Portugal and his Italian kingdoms he ruled as Philip I ( pt, Filipe I). (21 May 152713 September 1598), also known as Philip the Prudent ( es, Felipe el Prudente), was King of Spain from 1556, King of Portugal from ...
in the city of
Guadalajara
Guadalajara ( , ) is a metropolis in western Mexico and the capital of the list of states of Mexico, state of Jalisco. According to the 2020 census, the city has a population of 1,385,629 people, making it the 7th largest city by population in Me ...
.
It ended in 1822 with the incorporation of the area into the
Republic of Gran Colombia.
Structure
The 1563 decree established its structure and district:
In the City of San Francisco of El Quito, in Peru, shall reside another Royal ''Audiencia'' and Chancellery of ours, with a president; four judges of civil cases 'oidores'' who will also be judges of criminal cases 'alcaldes del crimen'' a crown attorney 'fiscal'' a bailiff 'alguacil mayor'' a lieutenant of the Gran Chancellor; and the other necessary ministers and officials; and which shall have for district the Province of Quito, and along the coast towards the Ciudad de los Reyes imato the Port of Paita, exclusive; and inland towards Piura, Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, Moyobamba and Motilones, exclusive, including towards the aforesaid part the towns of Jaén, Valladolid, Loja, Zamora, Cuenca, La Zarza and Guayaquil, with the rest of the towns, which are in their districts or will be founded n them
N, or n, is the fourteenth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''en'' (pronounced ), plural ''ens''.
History
...
and towards the towns of La Canela and Quijos, it should include said towns and the rest that shall be discovered; and along the coast towards Panama, until the Port of Buenaventura, inclusive; and inland to Pasto, Popayán, Cali, Buga, Chapanchinca and Guarchicona; because the rest of the places of the Government (''Gobernación'') of Popayan are of the ''Audiencia'' of the New Kingdom of Granada, with which, and with the one of Tierrafirme anama it shall share a border on the north; and with the one of Los Reyes in the south; having for its western border the South Sea acific Oceanand eastern the provinces still not yet pacified nor discovered.
The ''
Audiencia'' was effectively autonomous because the Viceroyal government (to which the ''Audiencia'' was technically subordinate in political matters) was too far away to administer its territories effectively. Thus, power was devolved to the ''Audiencia'' by the Viceroy and the ''audiencia'' territory was directly administered by the President of the ''Audiencia'' and the political, military, and religious officials underneath him. Initially the ''Audiencia'' of Quito formed part of the
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 ...
(1563–1717) and (1723–1739). Later the ''Audiencia'' was part of a newly created
Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
(1717–1723). This Viceroyalty was temporarily suppressed by the
King of Spain
, coatofarms = File:Coat_of_Arms_of_Spanish_Monarch.svg
, coatofarms_article = Coat of arms of the King of Spain
, image = Felipe_VI_in_2020_(cropped).jpg
, incumbent = Felipe VI
, incumbentsince = 19 Ju ...
in 1723 and the ''Audiencia'' of Quito returned to the
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 ...
. In 1739, the
Viceroyalty of Nueva Granada
The Viceroyalty of New Granada ( es, Virreinato de Nueva Granada, links=no ) also called Viceroyalty of the New Kingdom of Granada or Viceroyalty of Santafé was the name given on 27 May 1717, to the jurisdiction of the Spanish Empire in norther ...
was re-established and the ''Audiencia'' of Quito was returned to it until it declared itself independent from Spain. A year later the King of Spain passed the Real Cedula of 1740 where the borders of the Audiencia of Quito would be closer to 4° south of the Equator. The Audiencia of Quito briefly became independent for 3 years after it staged the Quito revolution in 1809, was annexed again to the Spanish Empire in 1812. The Audiencia of Quito was liberated again in 1822 and formerly joined the territories of what is today
Ecuador
Ecuador ( ; ; Quechua: ''Ikwayur''; Shuar: ''Ecuador'' or ''Ekuatur''), officially the Republic of Ecuador ( es, República del Ecuador, which literally translates as "Republic of the Equator"; Quechua: ''Ikwadur Ripuwlika''; Shuar: ''Eku ...
,
Venezuela
Venezuela (; ), officially the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela ( es, link=no, República Bolivariana de Venezuela), is a country on the northern coast of South America, consisting of a continental landmass and many islands and islets in th ...
,
Colombia
Colombia (, ; ), officially the Republic of Colombia, is a country in South America with insular regions in North America—near Nicaragua's Caribbean coast—as well as in the Pacific Ocean. The Colombian mainland is bordered by the Car ...
and
Panama
Panama ( , ; es, link=no, Panamá ), officially the Republic of Panama ( es, República de Panamá), is a transcontinental country spanning the southern part of North America and the northern part of South America. It is bordered by Cos ...
to form the
Republic of Gran Colombia.
Independence
As part of
Gran Colombia
Gran Colombia (, "Great Colombia"), or Greater Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia (Spanish: ''República de Colombia''), was a state that encompassed much of northern South America and part of southern Central America from 1819 to 18 ...
, the territories of Quito were divided up into districts, departments, and provinces on 25 June 1824 by the ''
Subdivisions of Gran Colombia''. The Audiencia de Quito was divided into 4 departments:
Ecuador Department
Ecuador Department was one of the departments of Gran Colombia.
It had borders to:
* Azuay Department in the South.
* Guayaquil Department in the West.
Subdivisions
3 provincias and 15 cantones:
* Pichincha Province. Capital: Quito. Cantones ...
,
Guayaquil Department
Guayaquil Department was one of the departments of Gran Colombia.
It bordered
* Ecuador Department in the East
* Azuay Department in the South
* Pacific Ocean in the West
Subdivisions
2 provincias y 9 cantones:
* Guayaquil Province. Capital: ...
,
Azuay Department
Azuay Department was created with the 1824 reform of the subdivisions of Gran Colombia.
* Cuenca Province - Capital: Cuenca. Cantons: Cuenca, Cañar, Gualaseo y Girón.
* Loja Province - Capital: Loja. Cantons: Loja, Catacocha, Cariamanga y Z ...
, and
Cauca Department
Cauca Department (, es, Departamento del Cauca) is a Department of Southwestern Colombia. Located in the southwestern part of the country, facing the Pacific Ocean to the west, the Valle del Cauca Department to the north, Tolima Department t ...
. The departments of Ecuador, Guayaquil, and Azuay united to form the
Distrito del Sur. On 13 May 1830 the departments of Ecuador, Guayaquil, and Azuay separated from La Gran Colombia to form a new nation called Ecuador with
Juan José Flores
Juan José Flores y Aramburu (19 July 1800 – 1 October 1864) was a Venezuelan-born military general who became the first (in 1830), third (in 1839) and fourth (in 1843) President of the new Republic of Ecuador. He is often referred to as "The ...
as its first president, who tried to incorporate the Department of Cauca, but to no avail.
References
Bibliography
*Phelan, John Leddy. ''The Kingdom of Quito in the Seventeenth Century: Bureaucratic Politics in the Spanish Empire''. Madison, University of Wisconsin Press, 1967.
See also
*
Quito School
The Quito School (''Escuela Quiteña'') is a Latin American artistic tradition that constitutes essentially the whole of the professional artistic output developed in the territory of the Royal Audience of Quito – from Pasto and Popayán in t ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Audiencia of Quito
1563 establishments in South America
1563 establishments in the Spanish Empire
1563 establishments in the Viceroyalty of Peru
1820s disestablishments in South America
1820s disestablishments in the Spanish Empire
Colonial Brazil
Colonial Colombia
Colonial Peru
History of Ecuador
Legal history of Peru
Quito
Quito (; qu, Kitu), formally San Francisco de Quito, is the capital and largest city of Ecuador, with an estimated population of 2.8 million in its urban area. It is also the capital of the province of Pichincha. Quito is located in a valley o ...
Viceroyalty of Peru