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Captaincy General of Chile

Chile, 1541–1818. Draft, not yet reviewed

The General Captaincy of Chile was a territory of the Spanish Empire from 1541 to 1818 that was, initially, part of the Viceroyalty of Peru. It comprised most of modern-day Chile and southern parts of Argentina in the Patagonia region. Its capital was Santiago de Chile. In 1811 it declared itself independent, with the Spanish reconquering the territory in 1814, but in 1818 it gained independence as the Republic of Chile.

Seat of power: Santiago

Rulers

Pedro de Valdivia

Royal Governor of Chile, 1540–1547

In 1540, Valdivia led an expedition of 150 Spaniards and 1,000 Peruvian Indians into Chile, where he defeated a large force of indigenous warriors and founded Santiago in 1541. He was captured and killed by Mapuche Indians during the Arauco War in 1553.

Portrait of Pedro de Valdivia: Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz, Public domain, file

Pedro de Valdivia

Royal Governor of Chile, 1549–1553

He extended Spanish rule south to the Biobío River in 1546, fought again in Peru (1546–1548), and returned to Chile as Royal Governor in 1549. In 1550, he expanded Spanish rule further south into Araucanía, where he founded the city of Concepción and the eponymous city of Valdivia.

Portrait of Pedro de Valdivia: Federico de Madrazo y Kuntz, Public domain, file

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa

Royal Governor of Chile, 1580–1583

Martín Ruiz de Gamboa was a Spanish conquistador who served as a Royal Governor of Chile. He named the island New Galicia, and on November 12, 1567, founded the city of Santiago de Castro there. He was sworn in on March 8, 1580.

Portrait of Martín Ruiz de Gamboa: José Joaquín Cortes, CC BY-SA 4.0, file

Martín García Óñez de Loyola

Royal Governor of Chile, 1592–1598

Óñez de Loyola first gained renown by capturing Inca leader Túpac Amaru, which put an end to the Neo-Inca State. He later fought in the Arauco War after being appointed the Governor of Chile. He was defeated and killed by Mapuche warriors at the Battle of Curalaba, which paved the way for the Destruction of the Seven Cities.

Portrait of Martín García Óñez de Loyola: Atribuído a Pedro León Carmona (1853-1899), Public domain, file

Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Arce

Royal Governor of Chile, 1625–1629

Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Arce was a Spanish sailor and military man who was Governor of Chile between May 1625 and December 1629. In order to contain him, the new governor divided the border into two districts; one under the command of its maestre de campo Alonso de Cordova y Figueroa, and the other run by his Sargento Mayor Juan Fernandez Rebolledo.

Portrait of Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Arce: Alonso Ovalle, Public domain, file

Francisco López de Zúñiga, 2nd Marquis of Baides

Royal Governor of Chile, 1639–1646

During his rule, corruption flourished. In 1641, he held the Parliament of Quillin, in the Quillin River valley, with the toqui Lincopinchon and established the first peace in the Arauco War with the indigenous Mapuche people. Nevertheless, a year later the Spaniards began using the military to put down uprisings.

Portrait of Francisco López de Zúñiga, 2nd Marquis of Baides: Alonso de Ovalle, Public domain, file

Francisco de Meneses Brito

Royal Governor of Chile, 1664–1667

Francisco de Meneses Brito was Royal Governor of Chile between 1664 and 1667.

Portrait of Francisco de Meneses Brito: Unidentified painter, Public domain, file

Juan Andrés de Ustariz

Royal Governor of Chile, 1709–1716

Juan Andrés de Ustariz was a Royal Governor of Chile during the early 18th century.

José Manso de Velasco, 1st Count of Superunda

Royal Governor of Chile, 1737–1744

Manso de Velasco served as governor of Chile from November 1737 to June 1744, during which time he stood out for his numerous projects. His tenure saw the construction of the first public food market in Santiago, irrigation canals on the Maipo River as well as breakwaters on the Mapocho River, the rebuilding of Valdivia (destroyed by an earthquake), and the celebration of an armistice with the indigenous Mapuche people, signed in the "Parlement of Tapihue".

Portrait of José Manso de Velasco, 1st Count of Superunda: Cristóbal Lozano, Public domain, file

Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent

Royal Governor of Chile, 1755–1761

In 1755 Felipe Cayetano de Amat y de Junyent was sent to South America, as Royal Governor of the Captaincy General and president of the Audiencia Real of Chile. He traveled throughout colonial Chile, and ordered the construction of fortifications on the coast and along the frontier with the Mapuche people (for example, Santa Bárbara).

Portrait of Manuel d'Amat i de Junyent: Pedro Díaz / After Cristóbal Lozano, Public domain, file

Antonio de Guill y Gonzaga

Royal Governor of Chile, 1762–1768

Governor Guill y Gonzaga celebrated the "Parliament of Nacimiento" with the Mapuches in 1764, where he tried to impose his scheme to make them live in towns. This provoked the Mapuche uprising of 1766 under the command of the toqui Curiñancu, which lasted until Agustín de Jáuregui made a peace in 1774. In addition he was ordered to carry out the expulsion of the Jesuits on 27 August 1767, from Chile.

Agustín de Jáuregui

Royal Governor of Chile, 1772–1780

Jáuregui was governor of Chile from 6 March 1772 to 1780, during which time he promulgated a number of administrative and governmental reforms. For example, he set up a postal service on 29 April 1775. He oversaw Chile's first census, which established the population at 259,646 inhabitants, in 1778.

Portrait of Agustín de Jáuregui: Pedro Díaz, Public domain, file

Ambrosio de Benavides

Royal Governor of Chile, 1780–1787

Soon after Benavides assumed his post, he was faced with handling the "conspiracy of the three Antonios", an incident in which two Frenchmen, Antonio Gramusset and Antonio Berney, and a criollo, José Antonio de Rojas, inspired by Enlightenment ideals, had formulated a plan to establish Chile as an independent republic. All three conspirators were secretly arrested on January 1, 1781, putting an end to any possible civil unrest before it started.

Portrait of Ambrosio de Benavides: Unidentified painter, Public domain, file

Ambrosio O'Higgins, 1st Marquis of Osorno

Royal Governor of Chile, 1788–1796

He served the Spanish Empire as a captain general (i.e., military governor) of Chile (1788–1796) and as the Viceroy of Peru (1796–1801). He was directly responsible for the establishment of a reliable postal service between La Plata colony and the General Captaincy of Chile. He was the father of Chilean independence leader Bernardo O'Higgins.

Portrait of Ambrosio O'Higgins, 1st Marquis of Osorno: Pedro Díaz, Public domain, file

Luis Muñoz de Guzmán

Royal Governor of Chile, 1802–1808

He was then appointed to Royal Governor of Chile in 1801. He and his wife arrived in Santiago in 1802, where he received his promotion to Teniente general de la Armada.

Portrait of Luis Muñoz de Guzmán: Unknown author, Public domain, file

Culture

Picture

The Churches of Chiloé were built in the 18th and 19th centuries, when the Chiloé Archipelago was still a part of the Spanish Crown possessions.

Image: Rodrigo Basaure, CC BY 2.0, file

Sources

Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.