Lautaro (Mapuchsk. Lef-Traru , "fast southern Karakara", presumably 1534-1557) - a young leader of the Mapuche Indians, a military leader who fought with the Spaniards for four years during the first stage of the Araucan War in the south of the present territory of Chile . His people made a commitment to expel the Spanish colonialists. The army of the Indians under the command of Lautaro inflicted crushing defeats on the Spanish troops with enormous losses among the Spaniards, despite the fact that they were significantly inferior to them in arms. He was close to defeating the colonialists when he was killed in battle; at the time of his death he was about 23 years old.
Biography
Born presumably in 1534 or 1535. He was the son of one of the lonko - leaders elected by the Mapuche in peacetime. In 1546 (according to other sources - in 1550), he was captured by the Spaniards and became a personal servant of the conquistador Pedro de Valdivia , the conqueror of Chile, being forced to serve him as a scout. Lautaro used captivity in order to learn the various secrets of the Spaniards and their military affairs. After three (or more) years of captivity, in 1553, after numerous attempts to escape, he managed to escape. He returned to his people with a thirst for revenge on the Spaniards and transferred to Mapuche important knowledge about the achievements of the Spaniards, including their use of horses and military tactics. The leader (currents) Kaupolikan appointed him his deputy. Lautaro commanded the Mapuche forces in the battle with the Spaniards at Tucapel (presumably December 25, 1553), together with Kaupolikan and Colokolo, and defeated the Spaniards. His opponent in this battle was Valdivia, who was subjected to a monstrous execution after her. It is reported that Lautaro tried to save the life of the Spanish prisoners, but his voice was not heard.
In subsequent years, he took part in a number of battles of the Araucan War, including the siege of Concepcion in 1554. In 1557, during the battle of Matakito, the Spaniards, under the command of Francisco de Villagra, launched an unexpected attack and won; Lautaro died at the start of the battle.
Bibliography
- Crow, John A. The Epic of Latin America. - 4th. - New York, NY: University of California Press, 1992. - P. 331–333.
- Cunninghame, Graham. Pedro de Valdivia, Conqueror of Chile. - Boston, MA: Milford House Inc, 1973.
- Ercilla, Alonso de. La Araucana : [] .
- Góngora Marmolejo, Alonso de. Historia de Todas las Cosas que han Acaecido en el Reino de Chile y de los que lo han gobernado (1536-1575) : [] . - Madrid, Spain: Atlas, 1960. - P. 75–224.
- Mariño de Lobera, Pedro. Crónica del Reino de Chile, escrita por el capitán Pedro Mariño de Lobera ... reducido a nuevo método y estilo por el Padre Bartolomé de Escobar (1593) : [] / Fr. Bartolomé de Escobar. - Madrid, Spain: Atlas, 1960. - P. 227–562.
- Prescott, William H. History of the Conquest of Mexico and History of the Peru. - New York, NY: The Modern Library, 1843.
- Vivar, Jerónimo de. Crónica y relación copiosa y verdadera de los reinos de Chile (1558) : [] . - Madrid, Spain: ARTEHISTORIA REVISTA DIGITAL, 1987.
- Britannica Academic Edition Lautaro (August 26, 2010). Date of treatment August 26, 2010. Archived September 22, 2012.