García Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Cañete
Encyclopedia
García Hurtado de Mendoza y Manrique, 5th Marquis of Cañete (July 21, 1535 – May 19, 1609) was a Spanish
soldier, governor of Chile
, and viceroy of Peru (from January 8, 1590 to July 24, 1596). He is often known simply as "Marquis of Cañete".
— also a viceroy of Peru — and Magdalena Manrique, daughter of the Count of Osorno. Both his parents belonged to some of the most important families in the Spanish aristocracy.
In 1552 Hurtado de Mendoza ran away from home with the intention of serving his king, Charles I
(Emperor Charles V), in an expedition he was preparing against Corsica
. He demonstrated great valor in this campaign and also in Tuscany
, when that duchy attempted to throw off Imperial rule. He was part of the Imperial army in Brussels
, and was with Charles V during his defeat in the Battle of Renty
.
Upon learning that his father had been designated viceroy of Peru
, he returned to Spain and asked to be sent to America
. During the journey he met Jerónimo de Alderete
, who had been chosen by the king to be the successor of Pedro de Valdivia
as governor of Chile
. It happened that Alderete became sick and died during the trip. Hurtado's father gathered together a group of Chilean representatives, and, finding that they could not agree on whether Francisco de Aguirre
or Francisco de Villagra
was more qualified as a successor for the post, put forward his own son. He hoped that his son would bring more Spaniards to Chile, and additionally be able to unify the two camps in the battle for the post of governor of Chile. And he hope he could deal successfully with the rebellious Indians.
Thus Hurtado left for Chile, 21 years old, with proven bravery. He was haughty, proud of his lineage and intelligence, authoritarian in outlook, and subject to violent outbreaks. His character made enemies, mostly hidden, within his own circle.
Hurtado de Mendoza sailed with an entourage of illustrious men, including Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, Francisco de Irarrázaval y Andía, Fráncisco Pérez de Valenzuela, Friar Gil González de San Nicolás, the Franciscan Juan Gallegos and the learned jurist Hernando de Santillán. The expedition stopped in Arica
on April 5, 1557 and remained there until the ninth of that month.
Continuing the voyage to the south, they disembarked at La Serena on April 23, 1557. The poor people of Coquimbo
were amazed at the largest continent of soldiers — more than 500 — ever seen in those parts, armed with harquebuses and canons, wearing armor and crests of plumes. They soon acquired the nickname of emplumados (feathered ones).
Mariño de Lobera
relates in his chronicle that Aguirre, already aboard, greeted Villagra upon his arrival, shook his hand, and said:
The governor arrived at Santiago
as winter approached. The cabildo (city council) was making preparations to welcome him, but Hurtado decided to continue by sea to Concepción
, in spite of the contrary advice of those who knew the dangers of the climate at this season. At Coquimbo
he sent the cavalry on by land. Hurtado sailed on June 21, 1557, in full winter.
, Hurtado attempted a policy of good will towards the Indians, who had accepted the rule of the governor but were not ready to accept the occupation of their territories by the newly arrived Spaniards.
Lincoyan
and other Indigenous leaders knew that the cavalry was coming by land from Santiago and conceived a plan to attack them at Andalicán, near Concepción. Hurtado learned of the Indigenous plan and was informed that the Mapuche
s interpreted his attitude as a sign of weakness and fear; he decided therefore to radically change his attitude toward them.
He ordered that the fort of San Luis de Toledo be built immediately in Araucana to frustrate the Indigenous initiative, but the fort was soon attacked by the Mapuches. They were defeated, and the governor counterattacked with his cannons and harquebuses.
He ordered a new campaign in October 1557, with a strong force of 500 soldiers and thousands of Indian auxiliaries. The Battle of Lagunillas
occurred during this campaign, on November 7. In this battle the Spanish survived largely because of the valor demonstrated by Rodrigo de Quiroga
and the other captains. The Mapuches showed themselves disorganized in the attack, and this disorder produced bad tactics that prevented a victory.
According of Alonso de Ercilla
, who had arrived in Chile with the governor, the Spanish took prisoner the Indigenous leader Galvarino
and cut off his left hand. He lost the hand without a grimace of pain and then extended the other, which the Spanish also cut off. He asked for death, but the conquistadors let him go. He left with his men, planning his revenge.
Galvarino ordered a new attack on the invaders on November 30. This was the Battle of Millarapue
, in the valley of the same name. There were many fortuitous events in this battle that facilitated the surprise attack. Nevertheless, the Mapuches were defeated again, and as punishment 30 of them were hanged by the Spanish, including Galvarino, who had fought always in the first line.
The hardships of the struggle began to bother the companions of Hurtado, who had hoped to gain riches for their services. In order to redistribute them to his followers, the governor declared the encomienda
s of Concepción vacant. For this reason, the city was refounded for a third time. A short time later, the city of Cañete de la Frontera was also founded, and was also divided among the troops returning from the battle.
The Mapuche leader Caupolicán
, instigated by the Indian Andresillo, decided to attack Fort Tucapel. What he didn't know was that Andresillo was a traitor who communicated the details of the attack to the Spanish, so that the attackers were transformed into the attacked. The result was a flight by the Indigenous, who left behind many dead and wounded, and a serious weakening of the Indigenous forces.
The morale of the Spanish rose. In a surprise assault on the encampment of Caupolicán, they were able to capture him. He was conducted to Fort Tucapel. Some historians claim that he tried to deal with the Spanish, promising to convert to Christianity, but Alonso de Reinoso
, the commander of the fort, condemned him to death by impalement
.
In another battle, the Indigenous built a fort at Quiapo
, between Cañete and Arauco, but they were again defeated in the Battle of Quiapo
. The city of Concepción and fort Arauco
were rebuilt in 1559. Other forts were founded, with the name of San Andrés de Angol
, or Los Infantes and fort Talcamávida
in 1560 and on the other side of the Andes
the city of Mendoza
in 1561.
s.
Sometime later, the governor was informed that his father the viceroy had been replaced by the king and that Francisco de Villagra had been designated governor of Chile. Hurtado expected to receive the same humiliations from Villagra that he had inflicted upon him, and for this reason he decided to leave Chile quickly. He first went to Santiago, a place he had not visited during his government.
In Santiago he was informed of the death of the successor of his father. This meant that his father would continue as viceroy, at least temporarily, and for that reason Hurtado decided to stay on as governor. He remained in the capital and took the opportunity to have a gentlemanly interview with Villagra about the state of the colony. Villagra did not humiliate him as he expected, receiving him with a cold but polite demeanor.
During his stay in Santiago the Tasa de Santillán was published. It established the system of mita
(forced Indigenous labor). Instead of requiring labor from all the Indians in a village, this system established a rotation of servitude, obligating the chief of each tribe to send one man of each six to work in the mines, and one of each five to work in the fields. These workers, who up to now had been unpaid, were to be remunerated with a sixth part of the product of their labor, and this salary was required to be paid regularly, at the end of each month. Females and males under 18 years of age or over 50 were exempt from the mita, and it was ordered that the Indigenous be fed, maintained in health, and evangelized by the encomenderos (Spanish holders of the encomiendas).
Hurtado de Mendoza received news of the impending death of his father. He decided to leave immediately for Peru, designating Rodrigo de Quiroga
interim governor (rather than Villagra).
for the arbitrary actions of his government in Chile (the confiscation of the encomiendas, the mistreatment of the soldiers, etc.). He was the first governor of Chile whose performance was judged under the laws of Spain. The tribunal found him guilty of 196 charges, but it left formal sentencing to the Royal Audiencia of Lima. The sentence was that he be detained within the city of Lima, until he was absolved of all accusations or he paid the fines to which he was condemned.
and the Council of the Indies. The prestige of his family, the information about his services given by the Audiencia of Lima, and the recommendations from some faithful captains that began to arrive from Chile caused the accusations of his enemies to be soon forgotten. Besides, he was recognized as the winner of the War of Arauco. This belittled the old conquistadors with the false claim that they had not done enough to suppress the Indian rebellions and pacify the Araucanía.
In Madrid he entered into the Royal Guard. He was also representative to the king in Milan
.
Hurtado had frequent disagreements with Turibius de Mongrovejo
, Archbishop of Lima, whenever civil and ecclessiastical jurisdiction conflicted. The seminary
school established by Mogrovejo was not established without a fight over whether to put the bishop's coat of arms on top of the entrance, or the royal coat of arms in the same place, as well as during the excommunication of Juan Ortiz de Zárate, mayor of Lima, over the forced arrest of a criminal who had taken refuge at a church.
At the end of his term, Hurtado left Lima to return to Spain, where he died in 1609.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
soldier, governor of Chile
Royal Governor of Chile
The Royal Governor of Chile ruled over the Spanish colonial administrative district known as the Kingdom of Chile. This district was also called the Captaincy General of Chile, and as a result the Royal Governor also held the title of a Captain General...
, and viceroy of Peru (from January 8, 1590 to July 24, 1596). He is often known simply as "Marquis of Cañete".
Early life
He was the son of Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of CañeteAndrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete
Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza y Cabrera, 3rd Marquis of Cañete was a Spanish military officer and, from June 29, 1556 to his death on March 30, 1561, the fifth Viceroy of Peru.-Origins and military career:...
— also a viceroy of Peru — and Magdalena Manrique, daughter of the Count of Osorno. Both his parents belonged to some of the most important families in the Spanish aristocracy.
In 1552 Hurtado de Mendoza ran away from home with the intention of serving his king, Charles I
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
(Emperor Charles V), in an expedition he was preparing against Corsica
Corsica
Corsica is an island in the Mediterranean Sea. It is located west of Italy, southeast of the French mainland, and north of the island of Sardinia....
. He demonstrated great valor in this campaign and also in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, when that duchy attempted to throw off Imperial rule. He was part of the Imperial army in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
, and was with Charles V during his defeat in the Battle of Renty
Battle of Renty
The Battle of Renty was fought on August 12, 1554, between France and the Holy Roman Empire at Renty, a northern French secondary theatre of the Italian Wars. The French were led by Francis, Duke of Guise, while the Imperial forces were led by Emperor Charles V of Habsburg.On August 8, the French...
.
Upon learning that his father had been designated viceroy of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, he returned to Spain and asked to be sent to America
Americas
The Americas, or America , are lands in the Western hemisphere, also known as the New World. In English, the plural form the Americas is often used to refer to the landmasses of North America and South America with their associated islands and regions, while the singular form America is primarily...
. During the journey he met Jerónimo de Alderete
Jerónimo de Alderete
Jerónimo de Alderete y Mercado was a Spanish conquistador who was later named governor Chile, but died before he could assume his post.-Early life:...
, who had been chosen by the king to be the successor of Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro de Valdivia
Pedro Gutiérrez de Valdivia or Valdiva was a Spanish conquistador and the first royal governor of Chile. After serving with the Spanish army in Italy and Flanders, he was sent to South America in 1534, where he served as lieutenant under Francisco Pizarro in Peru, acting as his second in command...
as governor of Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
. It happened that Alderete became sick and died during the trip. Hurtado's father gathered together a group of Chilean representatives, and, finding that they could not agree on whether Francisco de Aguirre
Francisco de Aguirre
Francisco de Aguirre may refer to:*Francisco de Aguirre , Spanish conquistador of Chile*Francisco de Aguirre , Spanish Baroque painter from Toledo...
or Francisco de Villagra
Francisco de Villagra
Francisco de Villagra Velázquez was a Spanish conquistador, and three times governor of Chile.-Early life:Born at [Santervás de Campos], he was the son of Alvaro de Sarría and Ana Velázquez de Villagra, who were not married. For this reason he took the name of his mother...
was more qualified as a successor for the post, put forward his own son. He hoped that his son would bring more Spaniards to Chile, and additionally be able to unify the two camps in the battle for the post of governor of Chile. And he hope he could deal successfully with the rebellious Indians.
Thus Hurtado left for Chile, 21 years old, with proven bravery. He was haughty, proud of his lineage and intelligence, authoritarian in outlook, and subject to violent outbreaks. His character made enemies, mostly hidden, within his own circle.
Governor of Chile
Hurtado de Mendoza left Peru for Chile at the head of a force of 500 Spaniards. A part of this force traveled overland under the command of Luis de Toledo and Pedro de Castillo. This group left in January 1557. The other part, under the command of the new governor, traveled by sea, leaving in February of the same year. The viceroy gave a banquet for his son, after which the fleet left port to the sound of military marches and a salute of cannons.Hurtado de Mendoza sailed with an entourage of illustrious men, including Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, Francisco de Irarrázaval y Andía, Fráncisco Pérez de Valenzuela, Friar Gil González de San Nicolás, the Franciscan Juan Gallegos and the learned jurist Hernando de Santillán. The expedition stopped in Arica
Arica
Arica is a city in northern Chile. "Arica" may also refer to:Places* Arica and Parinacota Region, Chile* Arica Airport , Chile* Arica, Amazonas, town in Colombia* Rio Aricá-açu, tributary of the Cuiabá River south of Cuiabá, BrazilOther...
on April 5, 1557 and remained there until the ninth of that month.
Continuing the voyage to the south, they disembarked at La Serena on April 23, 1557. The poor people of Coquimbo
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
were amazed at the largest continent of soldiers — more than 500 — ever seen in those parts, armed with harquebuses and canons, wearing armor and crests of plumes. They soon acquired the nickname of emplumados (feathered ones).
Francisco de Aguirre and Francisco de Villagra
Francisco de Aguirre received the new governor hospitably in La Serena. At about the same time, Francisco de Villagra arrived in La Serena by land. Knowing the animosity between Aguirre and Villagra over their aspirations to the governorship of Chile, García Hurtado did not hesitate to take both of them prisoner in La Serena, isolating them on a ship. This act was considered very unjust by the Spanish settlers in Chile.Mariño de Lobera
Pedro Mariño de Lobera
Pedro Mariño de Lobera was a Spanish conquistador and chronicler of the Arauco War in the Kingdom of Chile.-Biography:A professional soldier who served in the war between Spain and France, he went to the Americas in 1545. Mariño joined the forces of Pedro de La Gasca in Havana, Cuba, when he...
relates in his chronicle that Aguirre, already aboard, greeted Villagra upon his arrival, shook his hand, and said:
See, Your Honor, Señor General, how are the things of the world: Yesterday the two of us did not fit in one large kingdom, and today Don García has made us fit on a single plank.
The governor arrived at Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
as winter approached. The cabildo (city council) was making preparations to welcome him, but Hurtado decided to continue by sea to Concepción
Concepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
, in spite of the contrary advice of those who knew the dangers of the climate at this season. At Coquimbo
Coquimbo
Coquimbo is a port city, commune and capital of the Elqui Province, located on the Pan-American Highway, in the Coquimbo Region of Chile. Coquimbo lies in a valley south of La Serena, with which it forms Greater La Serena with more than 400,000 inhabitants. The commune spans an area around the...
he sent the cavalry on by land. Hurtado sailed on June 21, 1557, in full winter.
Relations with indigenous peoples
He arrived eight days later in the bay of Concepción in the middle of a dangerous season. During a torrential rainstorm the troops disembarked on the island of La Quiriquina and erected a provisional encampment. Once settled in ConcepciónConcepción, Chile
Concepción is a city in Chile, capital of Concepción Province and of the Biobío Region or Region VIII. Greater Concepción is the second-largest conurbation in the country, with 889,725 inhabitants...
, Hurtado attempted a policy of good will towards the Indians, who had accepted the rule of the governor but were not ready to accept the occupation of their territories by the newly arrived Spaniards.
Lincoyan
Lincoyan
Lincoyan was the Mapuche toqui that succeeded Ainavillo in 1550 after the defeat at the Battle of Penco. He tried to stop Pedro de Valdivia from invading and establishing fortresses and cities in their lands between 1551 and 1553 at the beginning of the Arauco War with no success...
and other Indigenous leaders knew that the cavalry was coming by land from Santiago and conceived a plan to attack them at Andalicán, near Concepción. Hurtado learned of the Indigenous plan and was informed that the Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
s interpreted his attitude as a sign of weakness and fear; he decided therefore to radically change his attitude toward them.
He ordered that the fort of San Luis de Toledo be built immediately in Araucana to frustrate the Indigenous initiative, but the fort was soon attacked by the Mapuches. They were defeated, and the governor counterattacked with his cannons and harquebuses.
He ordered a new campaign in October 1557, with a strong force of 500 soldiers and thousands of Indian auxiliaries. The Battle of Lagunillas
Battle of Lagunillas
The Battle of Lagunillas was a battle in the Arauco War on November 8, 1557 between the army of García Hurtado de Mendoza and the Mapuche army near some shallow lakes a league south of the Bio-Bio River.-History:...
occurred during this campaign, on November 7. In this battle the Spanish survived largely because of the valor demonstrated by Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga López de Ulloa was a Spanish conquistador of Galician origin. He was twice the Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...
and the other captains. The Mapuches showed themselves disorganized in the attack, and this disorder produced bad tactics that prevented a victory.
According of Alonso de Ercilla
Alonso de Ercilla
Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga was a Spanish nobleman, soldier and epic poet from the Basque Country. While in Chile he fought against the Araucanians, and there he began the epic poem La Araucana, considered the greatest Spanish historical poem. This heroic work in 37 cantos is divided into three...
, who had arrived in Chile with the governor, the Spanish took prisoner the Indigenous leader Galvarino
Galvarino
Galvarino is a Chilean town and commune , part of Cautín Province, in the Araucanía Region.The town, named for the Mapuche warrior Galvarino, was founded on April 22, 1882 within the frame of the occupation of Araucanía by general Gregorio Urrutia, next to river Quillem as a fort of . Its...
and cut off his left hand. He lost the hand without a grimace of pain and then extended the other, which the Spanish also cut off. He asked for death, but the conquistadors let him go. He left with his men, planning his revenge.
Galvarino ordered a new attack on the invaders on November 30. This was the Battle of Millarapue
Battle of Millarapue
The Battle of Millarapue that occurred November 30, 1557 was intended by the Toqui Caupolicán as a Mapuche ambush of the Spanish army of García Hurtado de Mendoza that resulted in a Spanish victory when the ambush failed.-History:...
, in the valley of the same name. There were many fortuitous events in this battle that facilitated the surprise attack. Nevertheless, the Mapuches were defeated again, and as punishment 30 of them were hanged by the Spanish, including Galvarino, who had fought always in the first line.
The hardships of the struggle began to bother the companions of Hurtado, who had hoped to gain riches for their services. In order to redistribute them to his followers, the governor declared the encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
s of Concepción vacant. For this reason, the city was refounded for a third time. A short time later, the city of Cañete de la Frontera was also founded, and was also divided among the troops returning from the battle.
The Mapuche leader Caupolicán
Caupolican
Caupolicán was a Toqui, the military leader of the Mapuche people of Chile, that commanded their army during the first Mapuche rising against the Spanish conquistadors from 1553 to 1558....
, instigated by the Indian Andresillo, decided to attack Fort Tucapel. What he didn't know was that Andresillo was a traitor who communicated the details of the attack to the Spanish, so that the attackers were transformed into the attacked. The result was a flight by the Indigenous, who left behind many dead and wounded, and a serious weakening of the Indigenous forces.
The morale of the Spanish rose. In a surprise assault on the encampment of Caupolicán, they were able to capture him. He was conducted to Fort Tucapel. Some historians claim that he tried to deal with the Spanish, promising to convert to Christianity, but Alonso de Reinoso
Alonso de Reinoso
Alonso de Reinoso was a Spanish Conquistador in Honduras, Mexico, Peru and Chile. He was born in Torrijos Toledo, Spain in 1518...
, the commander of the fort, condemned him to death by impalement
Impalement
Impalement is the traumatic penetration of an organism by an elongated foreign object such as a stake, pole, or spear, and this usually implies complete perforation of the central mass of the impaled body...
.
In another battle, the Indigenous built a fort at Quiapo
Quiapo, Chile
Quiapo is a place in Arauco Province of Chile that is 25 kilometers to the Southwest of Arauco and about 25 kilometers to the north and east of the port of Lebu to the east of the Bahia del Carnero and 6.4 kilometers west of the small town of Villa Alegre...
, between Cañete and Arauco, but they were again defeated in the Battle of Quiapo
Battle of Quiapo
Battle of Quiapo in the Arauco War was the final battle in the campaign of García Hurtado de Mendoza against the Mapuche under the toqui known as Lemucaguin or Caupolicán the younger...
. The city of Concepción and fort Arauco
Arauco, Chile
Arauco is a city and commune in Chile, located in Arauco Province in the Biobio Region. The meaning of Arauco means Chalky Water in Mapudungun. The region was a Moluche aillarehue...
were rebuilt in 1559. Other forts were founded, with the name of San Andrés de Angol
Angol
Angol is a commune and capital city of the Malleco Province in the Araucanía Region of southern Chile. It is located at the foot of the Nahuelbuta Range and next to the Vergara River, that permitted communications by small boats to the Bío-Bío River and Concepción. This strategic position explains...
, or Los Infantes and fort Talcamávida
Talcamávida
Talcamávida is a town in the commune of Hualqui in the Biobío Region of Chile. It is located on the north bank of the Bio Bio River across from Santa Juana on the opposite shore. It occupied a plain along the river 42 kilometers from the Pacific Ocean that is part of a small valley surrounded by...
in 1560 and on the other side of the Andes
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
the city of Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
in 1561.
Aftermath of the war
At this time, Hurtado de Mendoza was despised by those he had robbed. His wrathful character and his pride gained him many enemies, including Hernando de Santillán. Santillán had established the Tasa de Santillán, which regulated Indian servitude, permitting many Spaniards to abuse the Indigenous. It planted the seeds of future rebellions, in particular that of the HuillicheHuilliche
The Huilliche is an ethnic group of Chile, belonging to the Mapuche culture. They live in mountain valleys in an area south of Toltén River and on Chiloé Archipelago...
s.
In Santiago he was informed of the death of the successor of his father. This meant that his father would continue as viceroy, at least temporarily, and for that reason Hurtado decided to stay on as governor. He remained in the capital and took the opportunity to have a gentlemanly interview with Villagra about the state of the colony. Villagra did not humiliate him as he expected, receiving him with a cold but polite demeanor.
During his stay in Santiago the Tasa de Santillán was published. It established the system of mita
Mita (Inca)
Mit'a was mandatory public service in the society of the Inca Empire. Historians use the hispanicized term mita to distinguish the system as it was modified by the Spanish, under whom it became a form of legal servitude which in practise bordered slavery.Mit'a was effectively a form of tribute to...
(forced Indigenous labor). Instead of requiring labor from all the Indians in a village, this system established a rotation of servitude, obligating the chief of each tribe to send one man of each six to work in the mines, and one of each five to work in the fields. These workers, who up to now had been unpaid, were to be remunerated with a sixth part of the product of their labor, and this salary was required to be paid regularly, at the end of each month. Females and males under 18 years of age or over 50 were exempt from the mita, and it was ordered that the Indigenous be fed, maintained in health, and evangelized by the encomenderos (Spanish holders of the encomiendas).
Hurtado de Mendoza received news of the impending death of his father. He decided to leave immediately for Peru, designating Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga
Rodrigo de Quiroga López de Ulloa was a Spanish conquistador of Galician origin. He was twice the Royal Governor of Chile.-Early life:...
interim governor (rather than Villagra).
Juicio de residencia
In Peru he was subject to a juicio de residenciaJuicio de residencia
A juicio de residencia was a judicial procedure of Castilian law and the Laws of the Indies. It consisted of this: at the termination of a public functionary's term, his performance in office was subject to review, and those with grievances against him were entitled to a hearing...
for the arbitrary actions of his government in Chile (the confiscation of the encomiendas, the mistreatment of the soldiers, etc.). He was the first governor of Chile whose performance was judged under the laws of Spain. The tribunal found him guilty of 196 charges, but it left formal sentencing to the Royal Audiencia of Lima. The sentence was that he be detained within the city of Lima, until he was absolved of all accusations or he paid the fines to which he was condemned.
Return to Spain
However, Hurtado de Mendoza had already left Peru for Spain, to give his account of his campaigns and his government to King Philip IIPhilip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
and the Council of the Indies. The prestige of his family, the information about his services given by the Audiencia of Lima, and the recommendations from some faithful captains that began to arrive from Chile caused the accusations of his enemies to be soon forgotten. Besides, he was recognized as the winner of the War of Arauco. This belittled the old conquistadors with the false claim that they had not done enough to suppress the Indian rebellions and pacify the Araucanía.
In Madrid he entered into the Royal Guard. He was also representative to the king in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
.
Viceroy of Peru
In 1590 Hurtado returned to America, now as viceroy of Peru, a position he held until the middle of the following decade. It was a great help to the Spanish in Chile to have someone with his first-hand knowledge of that region in the position of viceroy.Hurtado had frequent disagreements with Turibius de Mongrovejo
Turibius de Mongrovejo
Turibius of Mongrovejo was a Spanish judge of the court of the Spanish Inquisition and missionary Archbishop of Lima from the Spanish nobility.-Biography:...
, Archbishop of Lima, whenever civil and ecclessiastical jurisdiction conflicted. The seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
school established by Mogrovejo was not established without a fight over whether to put the bishop's coat of arms on top of the entrance, or the royal coat of arms in the same place, as well as during the excommunication of Juan Ortiz de Zárate, mayor of Lima, over the forced arrest of a criminal who had taken refuge at a church.
At the end of his term, Hurtado left Lima to return to Spain, where he died in 1609.