The Governorate of Quijos (Spanish: Gobierno de Quijos / Gobernación de los Quijos), also known unofficially as the Province of the Quijos (Spanish: Provincia de los Quijos, formerly Quixos) prior to 1577, was one of the provinces established at the eastern part of the Real Audiencia of Quito in 1559,[1] varying between the Viceroyalties of Peru (1559–1717; 1723–1739) and New Granada (1717–1723; 1739–1802) until its ultimate reincorporation to Peru through the real cédula of July 15, 1802, as part of the General Command of Maynas.

Governorate of Quijos
Gobierno de Quixos
Governorate of the Spanish Empire
1559–1802
Flag of Quijos
CapitalBaeza[1]
Historical eraConquista
• Established
9 September 1559
• Official name
1577
• Disestablished
15 July 1802
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Quijos people
General Command of Maynas

History

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The history of the area, named after the Quijos people, dates back to a commission sent there by the Sapa Inca Túpac Yupanqui to investigate the existence of gold deposits. Another expedition was later sent by Huayna Cápac prior to its ultimate invasion by troops sent by Atahualpa. The troops, headed by Rumiñahui, were initially defeated at Pillaro, but nevertheless succeeded in their occupation. By the time the city of Quito was founded in 1534, the existence of the Quijos was already known to the Conquistadores, with the first Spaniards arriving in 1538 in the search for El Dorado and La Canela.[1]

In 1541, Gonzalo Pizarro and Gonzalo Díaz de Pineda [es], joined later by Francisco de Orellana at the valley of the Sumaco (later known as Ávila), reach the area. A year later, Orellana discovers the Amazon River.[2] In 1553, the priests of the Dominican Order are put in charge of the missions in the area. The territory was formally established as part of the Spanish Empire by Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza, 3rd Marquis of Cañete, then Viceroy of Peru, on September 9, 1559, from his seat in Lima. It received its name of "Governorate" in 1577.[1]

The Quijos people rose up against the Spanish on a number of occasions, the first in 1560. The best known of these uprisings was in 1578, under the command of the Indian Jumandy (as well as Beto, Huambi and Imbate). The town of Ávila was destroyed on November 29, soon followed by Archidona. The same fate did not befall Baeza, as the Spanish prevented the Indians' advance into the city. The rebellion failed, with its participants jailed and executed at San Blas de Quito.[1][3]

With the creation of the Republic of Colombia in 1819, during the Spanish American Wars of Independence, the new state claimed the area of the governorate. The creation of the Protectorate of Peru in 1821 (and its successor republic) and of Ecuador led to a number of disputes between Colombia and Peru and between Ecuador and Peru due to the overlapping control of different parts of the governorate. For example: in 1830, Captain José Camino requested permission of the Colombian prefect to populate Quijos and Baeza, while in 1852, José María Urvina expelled the Jesuits from the area as president of Ecuador.[1] Meanwhile, Peru had incorporated the General Command of Maynas (of which Quijos was part of, excluding the village of Papallacta, due to the real cédula of 1802)[4] into its Department of Trujillo by 1825.[5][6]

List of governors

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The following is an incomplete list of governors (governadores) of Quijos:[1]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g Gutiérrez Marín, Wilson (2002). Baeza: la ciudad de los Quijos. Su historia desde el siglo XVI al siglo XIX (in Spanish). Quito: Ediciones Abya–Yala. pp. 44, 48, 160–163. ISBN 9978-22-243-X.
  2. ^ de Laporte, Joseph; Estala, Pedro (1797). El viagero universal: Ó, Noticia del mundo antiguo y nuevo (in Spanish). La Imprenta de Fermin Villalpando. pp. 184–185.
  3. ^ "Reseña Histórica". Cantón Quijos. Archived from the original on 2017-12-16.
  4. ^ Coral, Luciano (1894). Conflicto internacional: Ecuador y Perú (in Spanish). Guayaquil: Imprenta de "El Tiempo". p. 6.
  5. ^ "Historia de Moyobamba". Municipalidad de Moyobamba. Archived from the original on 2010-01-13.
  6. ^ "Aniversario de Loreto: ¿cómo llegó a ser uno de los departamentos más grandes del Perú?". Bicentenario del Perú. 2020-02-07.