Blasco Núñez Vela
Encyclopedia
Blasco Núñez Vela y Villalba (c. 1490 – January 18, 1546) was the first Spanish viceroy
of Peru
, from May 15, 1544 to January 18, 1546. He was charged by King Charles I
with the enforcement of the controversial New Laws
, which dealt with the failure of the encomienda
system to protect the indigenous people of America from the rapacity of the conquistadors and their descendants.
in 1163. He was a knight of the Order of Santiago and corregidor of Málaga
and Cuenca
, Spain, and devoted to the service of the king. One of his brothers was lord of the bedchamber to the king, and another was archbishop of Burgos. Although honest, loyal and courageous, Núñez was also very hot headed.
, with a salary of 5,000 ducats.
He sailed from Sanlucar
on November 3, 1542 in command of a fleet, with much pomp. He was accompanied by the members of the Audiencia and other illustrious personalities. His last instructions from the king were to "show himself to be a severe punisher of infractions." Núñez's adherence to these instructions was to prove very costly. He arrived in Lima on May 17, 1544.
, to improve the lot of the indigenous peoples of the Americas within the Spanish dominions. They were intended to clarify, expand and enforce provisions of the Laws of Burgos
of 1512. The latter had provided many safeguards for the indigenous, but these had not been enforced. The New Laws became effective November 20, 1542, in Madrid.
In order to enforce the New Laws and suppress the insubordination of the conquistadors in New Spain
and Peru, representatives of the Crown were provided with the powers, authority and splendor of the king. This new office was designated virrey (viceroy). Audiencias were also appointed to assist the viceroys in the administration of civil and criminal justice. The Audiencias were composed of four oidores (judges).
on January 10, 1544, and passed from there to Panama City
. Leaving the Audiencia in Panama, he sailed for Peru, arriving at Tumbes on March 14, 1544. He went from there to Trujillo, where he was solemnly received, and thence to La Barranca. In La Barranca he may have read on one of the walls, "Whoever comes to take my hacienda, his life will be taken".
The New Laws were not well received by the conquistadors because they provided that what was effectively Indian slavery had to end, that everyone had to pay a fair share of taxes, and that all the encomienda rights had to go to the king. The conquistadors would have nothing of this.
Núñez arrived in Lima
, the capital of the colony, on May 17, 1544, where he was received in royal splendor and sworn into office. News of governmental measures he had already taken on the voyage had preceded him, and he was met with hostility and resistance from the officials and clergy. Núñez himself now had doubts about enforcing the New Laws in the current situation. He agreed to join the Spanish landowners in the colony in a petition to the emperor to suspend them, but claiming a lack of authority, he refused to suspend them on his own initiative.
The resistance aggravated his distrust and increased the severity of his measures. He imprisoned Cristóbal Vaca de Castro
, his predecessor as head of the colonial government, and then had him sent to Spain. On September 13, 1544, in a late night interview in the viceroy's palace, Núñez accused Juan Suárez de Carbajal of treason. The exchange became heated, and Núñez killed Suárez with a dagger.
, brother of Francisco Pizarro
, they determined to remove Núñez from office and send him back to Spain. (Pizarro had already raised a small army in opposition to the viceroy.) On September 18, 1544 they deposed him and ordered his imprisonment. The viceroy was sent a prisoner to the island of San Lorenzo, to be handed over to oidor Álvarez. In Álvarez's custody, Núñez left San Lorenzo for Panama on September 24. Just out of port, Álvarez told the viceroy he was now free, and turned over command of the ship to him.
Núñez and his small force left San Miguel (near Quito) just ahead of Pizarro's soldiers. The hope was to link up in the high country with Benalcazar, the loyal commander at Popayan. Indecisive skirmishes were fought along the line of march. Núñez, suspecting treachery among his officers, had three of them executed. Núñez arrived in Popayan, and Pizarro occupied Quito, formerly friendly territory for the viceroy. Pizarro lured Núñez out of Popayan to Quito by a stratagem. The two armies met January 18, 1546 at nearby Añaquito
.
Seven hundred soldiers of the army of Pizarro fought Núñez and his smaller army of a few hundred at Añaquito. Núñez fought bravely, in spite of his age, but he was killed in the battle and then decapitated. His head was marched about on a pike to demonstrate that the conquistadors had won and were now in charge. Fearing the loss of the American colonies the Crown watered down the New Laws and restored the encomiendas.
King Charles recognized the fallen viceroy and his sons, ordering that Núñez be honored annually. Charles made two of his sons knights, one in the Order of Santiago and one in the Order of Alcántara. The sons became ambassador to France, captain general of artillery, and archbishop of Burgos.
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Peru
Peru
Peru , officially the Republic of Peru , is a country in western South America. It is bordered on the north by Ecuador and Colombia, on the east by Brazil, on the southeast by Bolivia, on the south by Chile, and on the west by the Pacific Ocean....
, from May 15, 1544 to January 18, 1546. He was charged by King Charles I
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
with the enforcement of the controversial New Laws
New Laws
The New Laws, in Spanish Leyes Nuevas, issued November 20, 1542 by King Charles V of Spain regarding the Spanish colonization of the Americas, are also known as the "New Laws of the Indies for the Good Treatment and Preservation of the Indians", and were created to prevent the exploitation of the...
, which dealt with the failure of the encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
system to protect the indigenous people of America from the rapacity of the conquistadors and their descendants.
Origins
Núñez Vela was a native of Ávila, born into an ancient and noble family. The Núñez Vela family, lords of Tabadillo, lived in this area from at least 1403, year. He was a descendant of Don Pedro Nuñez de la Fuente Almexir (Fuentearmegil) the loyal, who saved the life of the King of Spain, Alfonso VIIIAlfonso VIII of Castile
Alfonso VIII , called the Noble or el de las Navas, was the King of Castile from 1158 to his death and King of Toledo. He is most remembered for his part in the Reconquista and the downfall of the Almohad Caliphate...
in 1163. He was a knight of the Order of Santiago and corregidor of Málaga
Málaga
Málaga is a city and a municipality in the Autonomous Community of Andalusia, Spain. With a population of 568,507 in 2010, it is the second most populous city of Andalusia and the sixth largest in Spain. This is the southernmost large city in Europe...
and Cuenca
Cuenca, Spain
-History:When the Iberian peninsula was part of the Roman Empire there were several important settlements in the province, such as Segóbriga, Ercávica and Gran Valeria...
, Spain, and devoted to the service of the king. One of his brothers was lord of the bedchamber to the king, and another was archbishop of Burgos. Although honest, loyal and courageous, Núñez was also very hot headed.
Appointment as viceroy
In March 1542 he was named viceroy, governor and captain general of Peru and president of the Audiencia, and also captain general of ChileChile
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...
, with a salary of 5,000 ducats.
He sailed from Sanlucar
Sanlúcar
Sanlúcar may refer to:*Sanlúcar de Barrameda, Cádiz, Spain*Manolo Sanlúcar, flamenco composer and guitarist*Sanlúcar la Mayor, Sevilla, Spain...
on November 3, 1542 in command of a fleet, with much pomp. He was accompanied by the members of the Audiencia and other illustrious personalities. His last instructions from the king were to "show himself to be a severe punisher of infractions." Núñez's adherence to these instructions was to prove very costly. He arrived in Lima on May 17, 1544.
The New Laws
The New Laws he had been sent to enforce had been promulgated by Charles, under the influence of reformers such as Bartolomé de las CasasBartolomé de Las Casas
Bartolomé de las Casas O.P. was a 16th-century Spanish historian, social reformer and Dominican friar. He became the first resident Bishop of Chiapas, and the first officially appointed "Protector of the Indians"...
, to improve the lot of the indigenous peoples of the Americas within the Spanish dominions. They were intended to clarify, expand and enforce provisions of the Laws of Burgos
Leyes de Burgos
The Leyes de Burgos , promulgated on December 27, 1512 in Burgos, Kingdom of Castile , was the first codified set of laws governing the behavior of Spaniards in the Americas, particularly with regards to the Indigenous peoples of the Americas ...
of 1512. The latter had provided many safeguards for the indigenous, but these had not been enforced. The New Laws became effective November 20, 1542, in Madrid.
In order to enforce the New Laws and suppress the insubordination of the conquistadors in New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
and Peru, representatives of the Crown were provided with the powers, authority and splendor of the king. This new office was designated virrey (viceroy). Audiencias were also appointed to assist the viceroys in the administration of civil and criminal justice. The Audiencias were composed of four oidores (judges).
Actions as viceroy
Núñez arrived at Nombre de DiosNombre de Dios
Nombre de Dios is a city on the Atlantic coast of Panama in the Colón Province.Founded as a Spanish colony in 1510 by Diego de Nicuesa, it was one of the first European settlements on the Isthmus of Panama. It is the oldest continually populated town in Panama and the America mainland...
on January 10, 1544, and passed from there to Panama City
Panama City
Panama is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Panama. It has a population of 880,691, with a total metro population of 1,272,672, and it is located at the Pacific entrance of the Panama Canal, in the province of the same name. The city is the political and administrative center of the...
. Leaving the Audiencia in Panama, he sailed for Peru, arriving at Tumbes on March 14, 1544. He went from there to Trujillo, where he was solemnly received, and thence to La Barranca. In La Barranca he may have read on one of the walls, "Whoever comes to take my hacienda, his life will be taken".
The New Laws were not well received by the conquistadors because they provided that what was effectively Indian slavery had to end, that everyone had to pay a fair share of taxes, and that all the encomienda rights had to go to the king. The conquistadors would have nothing of this.
Núñez arrived in Lima
Lima
Lima is the capital and the largest city of Peru. It is located in the valleys of the Chillón, Rímac and Lurín rivers, in the central part of the country, on a desert coast overlooking the Pacific Ocean. Together with the seaport of Callao, it forms a contiguous urban area known as the Lima...
, the capital of the colony, on May 17, 1544, where he was received in royal splendor and sworn into office. News of governmental measures he had already taken on the voyage had preceded him, and he was met with hostility and resistance from the officials and clergy. Núñez himself now had doubts about enforcing the New Laws in the current situation. He agreed to join the Spanish landowners in the colony in a petition to the emperor to suspend them, but claiming a lack of authority, he refused to suspend them on his own initiative.
The resistance aggravated his distrust and increased the severity of his measures. He imprisoned Cristóbal Vaca de Castro
Cristóbal Vaca de Castro
Cristóbal Vaca de Castro was a Spanish colonial administrator in Peru.-Background:...
, his predecessor as head of the colonial government, and then had him sent to Spain. On September 13, 1544, in a late night interview in the viceroy's palace, Núñez accused Juan Suárez de Carbajal of treason. The exchange became heated, and Núñez killed Suárez with a dagger.
Deposition as viceroy
The death of Suárez led the Audiencia to break with the viceroy. Believing they could rely on help from Gonzalo PizarroGonzalo Pizarro
Gonzalo Pizarro y Alonso was a Spanish conquistador and younger paternal half-brother of Francisco Pizarro, the conqueror of the Inca Empire...
, brother of Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
, they determined to remove Núñez from office and send him back to Spain. (Pizarro had already raised a small army in opposition to the viceroy.) On September 18, 1544 they deposed him and ordered his imprisonment. The viceroy was sent a prisoner to the island of San Lorenzo, to be handed over to oidor Álvarez. In Álvarez's custody, Núñez left San Lorenzo for Panama on September 24. Just out of port, Álvarez told the viceroy he was now free, and turned over command of the ship to him.
The civil war
Núñez ordered the ship to sail for Tumbes, where he disembarked in the middle of October. He gathered an army and led it south to battle the conquistadors. Pizarro made his solemn entry into Lima on October 28, at the head of 1,200 well-trained and well-armed soldiers, with artillery, under the royal banner of Castile. Both sides claimed to be defenders of the king. Pizarro was sworn in before the Audiencia as interim governor and captain general of Peru, until a replacement could be named by the king.Núñez and his small force left San Miguel (near Quito) just ahead of Pizarro's soldiers. The hope was to link up in the high country with Benalcazar, the loyal commander at Popayan. Indecisive skirmishes were fought along the line of march. Núñez, suspecting treachery among his officers, had three of them executed. Núñez arrived in Popayan, and Pizarro occupied Quito, formerly friendly territory for the viceroy. Pizarro lured Núñez out of Popayan to Quito by a stratagem. The two armies met January 18, 1546 at nearby Añaquito
Battle of Añaquito
After his unheard claims as governor of New Castile following the death of his brother, Gonzalo Pizarro pressed claims to be recognized as the ruler of the land he and his brothers had conquered. After the arrival of appointed royal viceroy Blasco Núñez Vela in 1544, Gonzalo succeeded to have him...
.
Seven hundred soldiers of the army of Pizarro fought Núñez and his smaller army of a few hundred at Añaquito. Núñez fought bravely, in spite of his age, but he was killed in the battle and then decapitated. His head was marched about on a pike to demonstrate that the conquistadors had won and were now in charge. Fearing the loss of the American colonies the Crown watered down the New Laws and restored the encomiendas.
King Charles recognized the fallen viceroy and his sons, ordering that Núñez be honored annually. Charles made two of his sons knights, one in the Order of Santiago and one in the Order of Alcántara. The sons became ambassador to France, captain general of artillery, and archbishop of Burgos.