Pascual de Andagoya
Encyclopedia
Pascual de Andagoya was a Spanish
Basque
conquistador
. He was born in the village of Andagoya, in the valley of Cuartango
(Álava
), in Spain
.
As often happened at the time, Andagoya left as an explorer of the New World
at a very young age of 19, on April 11, 1514, under the command of Pedro Arias de Ávila. The expedition left carrying an army of over 2,000 in 22 ships, with the objective of colonizing Central America
.
The career of Andagoya commenced in Panama
, whose capital he founded in 1519 with 400 settlers. Later he moved south towards the Colombia
n coast, until he reached San Juan, where he took charge as governor. This was when he learned of the existence of the Inca Empire
, in the distant territory called "Birú", or "Pirú
". In 1522 he attempted a conquest, but it ended in miserable failure.
With his health deteriorating, he returned to Panama and spread word of his discoveries, in particular the existence of a land of enormous riches of gold
and silver
, namely, Peru. In 1524 Francisco Pizarro
, in association with the soldier Diego de Almagro
and the priest Hernando de Luque
, mounted an expedition.
Andagoya was rewarded in 1539 by Carlos I
with the post of Representative of the Indians, which he performed with brutal zeal. In 1540 he proclaimed himself governor of Popayán
, which he held until 1542, when the legitimate governor Sebastián de Belalcázar
relieved him under pressure. Andagoya died in Cuzco
on July 18, 1548.
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...
Basque
Basque people
The Basques as an ethnic group, primarily inhabit an area traditionally known as the Basque Country , a region that is located around the western end of the Pyrenees on the coast of the Bay of Biscay and straddles parts of north-central Spain and south-western France.The Basques are known in the...
conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
. He was born in the village of Andagoya, in the valley of Cuartango
Cuartango
Kuartango is a town and municipality located in the province of Álava, in the Basque Country, northern Spain.-External links:* *...
(Álava
Álava
Álava is a province of Spain and a historical territory of the Basque Country, heir of the ancient Lord of Álava. Its capital city is Vitoria-Gasteiz which is also the capital of the autonomous community...
), in Spain
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...
.
As often happened at the time, Andagoya left as an explorer of the New World
New World
The New World is one of the names used for the Western Hemisphere, specifically America and sometimes Oceania . The term originated in the late 15th century, when America had been recently discovered by European explorers, expanding the geographical horizon of the people of the European middle...
at a very young age of 19, on April 11, 1514, under the command of Pedro Arias de Ávila. The expedition left carrying an army of over 2,000 in 22 ships, with the objective of colonizing Central America
Central America
Central America is the central geographic region of the Americas. It is the southernmost, isthmian portion of the North American continent, which connects with South America on the southeast. When considered part of the unified continental model, it is considered a subcontinent...
.
The career of Andagoya commenced in Panama
Panama
Panama , officially the Republic of Panama , is the southernmost country of Central America. Situated on the isthmus connecting North and South America, it is bordered by Costa Rica to the northwest, Colombia to the southeast, the Caribbean Sea to the north and the Pacific Ocean to the south. The...
, whose capital he founded in 1519 with 400 settlers. Later he moved south towards the Colombia
Colombia
Colombia, officially the Republic of Colombia , is a unitary constitutional republic comprising thirty-two departments. The country is located in northwestern South America, bordered to the east by Venezuela and Brazil; to the south by Ecuador and Peru; to the north by the Caribbean Sea; to the...
n coast, until he reached San Juan, where he took charge as governor. This was when he learned of the existence of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, in the distant territory called "Birú", or "Pirú
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....
". In 1522 he attempted a conquest, but it ended in miserable failure.
With his health deteriorating, he returned to Panama and spread word of his discoveries, in particular the existence of a land of enormous riches of gold
Gold
Gold is a chemical element with the symbol Au and an atomic number of 79. Gold is a dense, soft, shiny, malleable and ductile metal. Pure gold has a bright yellow color and luster traditionally considered attractive, which it maintains without oxidizing in air or water. Chemically, gold is a...
and silver
Silver
Silver is a metallic chemical element with the chemical symbol Ag and atomic number 47. A soft, white, lustrous transition metal, it has the highest electrical conductivity of any element and the highest thermal conductivity of any metal...
, namely, Peru. In 1524 Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
, in association with the soldier Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro, , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and later rival of Francisco Pizarro. He participated in the Spanish conquest of Peru and is credited as the first European discoverer of Chile.Almagro lost his left eye battling with coastal...
and the priest Hernando de Luque
Hernando de Luque
Hernando de Luque was a Spanish priest who travelled to the New World in the 16th century. He arrived in 1514 with the expedition of Pedrarias Dávila to Panama, where he met Francisco Pizarro. Luque financed a joint expedition by Pizarro and Diego de Almagro to Peru in 1526...
, mounted an expedition.
Andagoya was rewarded in 1539 by Carlos 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...
with the post of Representative of the Indians, which he performed with brutal zeal. In 1540 he proclaimed himself governor of Popayán
Popayán
Popayán is the capital of the Colombian department of Cauca. It is located in southwestern Colombia between Colombia's Western Mountain Range and Central Mountain Range...
, which he held until 1542, when the legitimate governor Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar
Sebastián de Belalcázar was a Spanish conquistador.-Early life:He was born Sebastián Moyano in the province of Córdoba, Spain, in either 1479 or 1480. He took the name Belalcázar as that was the name of the castle-town near to his birthplace in Córdoba...
relieved him under pressure. Andagoya died in Cuzco
Cusco
Cusco , often spelled Cuzco , is a city in southeastern Peru, near the Urubamba Valley of the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cusco Region as well as the Cuzco Province. In 2007, the city had a population of 358,935 which was triple the figure of 20 years ago...
on July 18, 1548.