The Battle of Sangarara was fought on November 18, 1780 in Sangarara, Peru between rebel forces under Tupac Amaru II and Spanish colonial forces under Tiburcio Landa. Tupac Amaru II's forces won decisively.
Background
The Battle of Sangarara took place nine days after the execution of Antonio de Arriaga, the corregidor of Tinta. Sangarara was the first major conflict between Spanish and rebel forces in the Rebellion of Tupac Amaru. Following the capture of Quiquijana, which had been abandoned by its corregidor, on November 12, 1780, meetings were held in Cuzco to establish a war council.Walker, Charles. Smoldering Ashes: Cuzco and the Creation of Republican Peru. Durham, North Carolina: Duke University Press, 1999, page 36. Forces consisting of 800 from surrounding areas were combined with volunteers and militia from Cuzco and were organized under Tiburcio Landa.Walker, page 36. They arrived in Sangarara on the night of November 17 and based themselves the town's church.Walker, page 37. The expectation of the arrival of a snowstorm may have influenced the Spanish decision to fortify the church in addition to strategic reasons.Walker, page 37.
The battle
In the morning hours of November 18, the rebel forces occupied nearby hills and surrounded the church. Sympathetic historical accounts outline Tupac Amaru II's request that Creoles, women, and children be allowed to leave the church before the attack.Walker, page 37 The rebels began attacking the Spanish with slingshots until the church caught fire, either through arson by Tupac Amaru II or through the sudden spark of Spanish gunpowder.Walker, page 37. The Spanish fled the church and were routed by the surrounding forces, who were armed with only spears and slings. Spanish troops had brought cannons with, but they were rendered ineffective by the walls of the church.Walker, page 37. Historical casualty estimates for the Spanish ranged from 300 to 576. Estimates for rebel casualties number only 15 killed and 30 wounded.Means, Philip Ainsworth. "The Rebellion of Tupac-Amaru II, 1780-1781." The Hispanic American Historical Review, Feb. 1919, Vol. II, page 18.
Aftermath
Tupac Amaru II's decisive victory helped to boost his support among Indians and gained him Spanish arms.Walker, page 38. It also helped to create fear among the Spanish in the area. However; the Spanish colonial officials used the violent nature of the battle in propaganda against the rebels.Walker, page 38. The Bishop of Cuzco excommunicated Tupac Amaru II from the church for the destruction of the church in Sangarara.Walker, page 38. The violent, anti-religious portrayals of the rebel leadership helped to limit support from Creoles and Mestizos.Walker, page 38. Following the battle, the rebels solidified their hold on the outside areas instead of attacking Cuzco, going against the advice of fellow commander (and Tupac Amaru II's wife) Micaela Bastidas.Walker, page 41
References
Other pages about Colonial Peru
-Alonzo de Alvarado -Ana Francisca de Borja y Doria -Ana de Castro -Andres Hurtado de Mendoza -Antonio de Mendoza -Antonio de Morga -Balconies of Lima -Baltasar de la Cueva Enriquez -Battle of Sangarara -Bernardo de Iturriaza -Blasco Nunez Vela -Cabildo (council) -Carmine Nicolao Caracciolo -Cathedral of Lima -Comentarios Reales de los Incas -Convento de San Francisco -Cristobal Ramirez de Cartagena -Cristobal Vaca de Castro -Diego Ladron de Guevara -Diego Lopez de Zuniga y Velasco -Diego Morcillo Rubio de Aunon -Diego Nunez de Avendano -Diego Quispe Tito -Diego de Almagro -Diego de Benavides y de la Cueva -Fernando Torres de Portugal y Mesia -Francisco Ruiz Lozano -Francisco de Borja y Aragon -Francisco de Toledo, Count of Oropesa -Garcia Hurtado de Mendoza, Marquis of Canete -Government Palace (Peru) -Hans Heinrich Bruning Brookstedt -Hernando de Luque -Historic Centre of Lima -Jose Antonio de Areche -Jose Antonio de Mendoza -Jose de Armendariz -Juan Jimenez de Montalvo -Juan Pizarro II -Lima City Walls -Luis Jeronimo Fernandez de Cabrera -Manuel de Oms y de Santa Pau -Mateo de la Mata Ponce de Leon -Melchor Bravo de Saravia -Melchor Linan y Cisneros -Melchor de Navarra y Rocafull -Miguel Nunez de Sanabria -Osambela House -Pedro Alvarez de Toledo y Leiva -Pedro Antonio Fernandez de Castro -Pedro Bohorquez -Pedro de la Gasca -San Telmo (ship) -Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire -Torre Tagle Palace -Tupac Amaru II -Turibius of Mongrovejo -Viceroyalty of Peru
This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia article Battle_of_Sangarara
