Diego de Almagro
For the city in Chile, see Diego de Almagro, Chile.
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Diego de Almagro |
Diego de Almagro (
1475 –
1538), also known as
El Adelantado and
El Viejo (The Elder), was a
Spanish conquistador and a companion and rival of
Francisco Pizarro. Born in
Aldea del Rey, one account states he was a
foundling in the village from which he derived his name. He later lost his left eye battling with coastal natives in the
New World.
In
1525 he joined the
Pizarro brothers and
Hernando de Luque at
Panama for the conquest of
Peru.
Almagro is credited as the European discoverer of
Chile. After the
Spanish conquest of Peru, Almagro was dissatisfied that the country had been given to Pizarro without a major role for him. After complaining, he got Spanish royal permission to conquer the region south of Peru. His epic journey south started in
Cuzco, Peru. With the help of Inca Paullu, a son of the Inca ruler
Huayna Capac, he led his men over the
Andes mountains, at the latitude of the current city of
Copiapó, at a great cost in life. He traveled further south to the Aconcagua river, where hostile
Mapuche Indians forced him to turn back north, without the treasure and riches he had hoped to find. On his voyage north he encountered the
Atacama desert, where lack of water and food also took their toll. He never founded a city in the territory of (what is now)
Chile.
Upon his return to
Peru in
1536, Almagro was bitter and eager to claim the riches of the city of Cuzco for himself. In the previous year, the Inca
Manco had briefly recaptured the royal city and weakened the Spanish hold in the Sacred Valley. Hoping to enlist the help of the Inca, Almagro offered
Manco Inca a pardon on behalf of the Spanish government. Manco Inca never officially joined Almagro in his attack on Cuzco. However, most of
Hernándo Pizarro's army marched into the
Andes in pursuit of Manco Inca, allowing Almagro's men to claim the city for themselves.
The
Pizarro brothers led by Gonzalo defeated and captured Almagro at the
Battle of Las Salinas (near
Cuzco) in April 1538. Almagro was executed three months later in
July 8,
1538. His men then turned against
Francisco Pizarro and killed him in
Lima in
1541.
Diego de Almagro II (
1520-
1542), known as
El Mozo (The Lad), son of Diego de Almagro I, whose mother was an Indian girl of
Panama, became the foil of the conspirators who had put
Pizzaro to the sword. The
marquis was murdered on June 26, 1541; the conspirators promptly proclaimed the lad Almagro Governor of Peru. From various causes, all of the conspirators either died or were killed except for one, who was executed after the lad Almagro gave an order. The lad Almagro fought a desperate battle on September 16,
1542, escaped to
Cuzco, but was arrested, immediately condemned to death, and executed in the great square of the city.
*
History of Chile*
Pedro de Valdivia*
Spanish conquest of Peru
