Alonso González de Nájera
Encyclopedia
Alonso González de Nájera (died 1614) was a Spanish
soldier and an advocate of reforms in the conduct of the War of Arauco. He served in the war following the Disaster of Curalaba
and the great Mapuche
uprising that followed in Chile
that resulted in the loss of all the Spanish settlements
south of the Bio Bio River. He was sent back to the royal court in Spain to argue for a reform to the way the war against the Mapuche was fought. Nájera’s arguments for his reforms were incorporated in his book of Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile.
and then in France
. On November 13, 1600 he left Lisbon for Chile with the rank of captain under the command of Francisco Martinez de Leiva. He arrived in Mendoza
in May 1601, afterward moving to the south of Chile, where he remained until 1607.
Alonso de Ribera
, Governor of the Kingdom of Chile
, founded the fort Nacimiento
on the banks of the Bio Bio near the confluence with the river Vergara, December 24, 1603. Gonzalez, Najera was responsible for building it and was its first garrison commander. After four years of military service in the war zone, he was appointed sargento mayor
by the newly appointed Governor Alonso García Ramón in 1605. He later returned to Santiago
sick and wounded in his leg, as a result of his participation in the war.
Because of the critical military situation in Chile, Governor Ramon Garcia decided to send González de Nájera to Spain to report to King Philip III
on the true state of the Kingdom. The choice of González was based on his long years of experience and skilled, zealous service to the king in many prominent posts and positions in the army. In May 1607, he departed for Spain, where he arrived at the end of the next year. To record the critical situation that lived in Chile, and to convince the Council of the Indias and the King to send relief to Chile, he drafted and presented some considerations which were later transformed into the fifth and sixth points of his book Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile.
In the Court, Gonzalez de Najera made a series of recommendations on how to continue the war. He pointed out the weaknesses that the current methods used in the war suffered, especially the system of “campeadas” or incursions that the Hispanic army made in Mapuche territory to burn their fields and to hunt them for slaves. He not only set out his criticism, but proposed to establish a new system to complete the conquest of the Mapuche territory and to finish with the war. This consisted of the creation of a line of forts that separated both territories, a professional army that operated from them towards the interior of Mapuche territory, the extermination of the natives who were to be hunted as slaves and their replacement by black slaves from Africa, apparently considered less rebellious than the Mauche. However, he was not heard and the Governors request for relief did not succeed. The actual decision was to impose Luis de Valdivia
‘s system of defensive war
, contrary to what was suggested by Gonzalez de Najera. However his merits were recognized and he was appointed Governor of Puerto Hércules in Tuscany
, where he finished his life sometime in 1614 although the date is uncertain.
Gonzalez de Najera did not succeed in getting his book Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile, published. Although he finished writing it in 1614, it never was published while he was still alive, being printed more than two centuries later in Madrid, in 1866, containing his arguments and proposals and in 1889 in Chile, with a biographical introduction by Jose Toribio Medina
.
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...
soldier and an advocate of reforms in the conduct of the War of Arauco. He served in the war following the Disaster of Curalaba
Disaster of Curalaba
The Disaster of Curalaba is the name given to a battle between Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola and Mapuche people led by Pelantaru on a place called Curalaba , in southern Chile...
and the great Mapuche
Mapuche
The Mapuche are a group of indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina. They constitute a wide-ranging ethnicity composed of various groups who shared a common social, religious and economic structure, as well as a common linguistic heritage. Their influence extended...
uprising that followed in Chile
Chile
Chile ,officially the Republic of Chile , is a country in South America occupying a long, narrow coastal strip between the Andes mountains to the east and the Pacific Ocean to the west. It borders Peru to the north, Bolivia to the northeast, Argentina to the east, and the Drake Passage in the far...
that resulted in the loss of all the Spanish settlements
Destruction of Seven Cities
The Destruction of the Seven Cities in Araucanía was a result of the great Mapuche revolt in 1598. It is considered sometimes as the end of the Conquest of Chile...
south of the Bio Bio River. He was sent back to the royal court in Spain to argue for a reform to the way the war against the Mapuche was fought. Nájera’s arguments for his reforms were incorporated in his book of Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile.
Biography
There is no information on his life before 1600. It is only known that he served in the Spanish army in FlandersFlanders
Flanders is the community of the Flemings but also one of the institutions in Belgium, and a geographical region located in parts of present-day Belgium, France and the Netherlands. "Flanders" can also refer to the northern part of Belgium that contains Brussels, Bruges, Ghent and Antwerp...
and then in France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. On November 13, 1600 he left Lisbon for Chile with the rank of captain under the command of Francisco Martinez de Leiva. He arrived in Mendoza
Mendoza, Argentina
Mendoza is the capital city of Mendoza Province, in Argentina. It is located in the northern-central part of the province, in a region of foothills and high plains, on the eastern side of the Andes. As of the , Mendoza's population was 110,993...
in May 1601, afterward moving to the south of Chile, where he remained until 1607.
Alonso de Ribera
Alonso de Ribera
Alonso de Ribera de Pareja was a Spanish soldier and twice Spanish royal governor of Chile .-Early life:...
, Governor of the Kingdom of Chile
Kingdom of Chile
The General Captaincy of Chile or Gobernacion de Chile, was an administrative territory of the Viceroyalty of Peru in the Spanish Empire from 1541 to 1818, the year in which it declared itself independent, becoming the Republic of Chile...
, founded the fort Nacimiento
Nacimiento, Chile
Nacimiento is a Chilean city situated in the Biobío Province, Biobío Region, south of Santiago, and from the closest major city in the region, Concepción....
on the banks of the Bio Bio near the confluence with the river Vergara, December 24, 1603. Gonzalez, Najera was responsible for building it and was its first garrison commander. After four years of military service in the war zone, he was appointed sargento mayor
Sergeant Major
Sergeants major is a senior non-commissioned rank or appointment in many militaries around the world. In Commonwealth countries, Sergeants Major are usually appointments held by senior non-commissioned officers or warrant officers...
by the newly appointed Governor Alonso García Ramón in 1605. He later returned to Santiago
Santiago, Chile
Santiago , also known as Santiago de Chile, is the capital and largest city of Chile, and the center of its largest conurbation . It is located in the country's central valley, at an elevation of above mean sea level...
sick and wounded in his leg, as a result of his participation in the war.
Because of the critical military situation in Chile, Governor Ramon Garcia decided to send González de Nájera to Spain to report to King Philip III
Philip III of Spain
Philip III , also known as Philip the Pious, was the King of Spain and King of Portugal and the Algarves, where he ruled as Philip II , from 1598 until his death...
on the true state of the Kingdom. The choice of González was based on his long years of experience and skilled, zealous service to the king in many prominent posts and positions in the army. In May 1607, he departed for Spain, where he arrived at the end of the next year. To record the critical situation that lived in Chile, and to convince the Council of the Indias and the King to send relief to Chile, he drafted and presented some considerations which were later transformed into the fifth and sixth points of his book Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile.
In the Court, Gonzalez de Najera made a series of recommendations on how to continue the war. He pointed out the weaknesses that the current methods used in the war suffered, especially the system of “campeadas” or incursions that the Hispanic army made in Mapuche territory to burn their fields and to hunt them for slaves. He not only set out his criticism, but proposed to establish a new system to complete the conquest of the Mapuche territory and to finish with the war. This consisted of the creation of a line of forts that separated both territories, a professional army that operated from them towards the interior of Mapuche territory, the extermination of the natives who were to be hunted as slaves and their replacement by black slaves from Africa, apparently considered less rebellious than the Mauche. However, he was not heard and the Governors request for relief did not succeed. The actual decision was to impose Luis de Valdivia
Luis de Valdivia
Luis de Valdivia was a Spanish Jesuit missionary who defended the rights of the natives of Chile and pleaded for the reduction of the hostilities with the Mapuches in the Arauco War....
‘s system of defensive war
Defensive war
A defensive war is one of the causes that justify war by the criteria of the Just War tradition. It means a war where at least one nation is mainly trying to defend itself from another, as opposed to a war where both sides are trying to invade and conquer each other.-Examples:* The Darius'...
, contrary to what was suggested by Gonzalez de Najera. However his merits were recognized and he was appointed Governor of Puerto Hércules in Tuscany
Tuscany
Tuscany is a region in Italy. It has an area of about 23,000 square kilometres and a population of about 3.75 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence ....
, where he finished his life sometime in 1614 although the date is uncertain.
Gonzalez de Najera did not succeed in getting his book Desengaño y reparo de la Guerra del Reino de Chile, published. Although he finished writing it in 1614, it never was published while he was still alive, being printed more than two centuries later in Madrid, in 1866, containing his arguments and proposals and in 1889 in Chile, with a biographical introduction by Jose Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina
José Toribio Medina Zavala was a Chilean bibliographer, prolific writer, and historian. He was of Basque descent.-Biography:...
.
Sources
- Alonso González de Nájera, Desengaño y reparo de la guerra del Reino de Chile, Imprenta de la Viuda de Calero, Madrid, 1866
- Desengaño y reparo de la guerra del reino de Chile Alonso González de Nájera, Desengaño y reparo de la guerra del Reino de Chile, Reproducción digital de la edición de Santiago de Chile, Imprenta de Ercilla, 1889.