Martin Ruiz de Gamboa

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Martín Ruiz de Gamboa de Berriz (* 1533 in Durango , Vizcaya , Spain , † 1590 in Santiago de Chile , Chile ) was Governor of Chile .

Life

Ruiz de Gamboa, Bravo de Saravia and Sotomayor
(representation from 1611)

Born in 1533 as the son of Andrés Ruiz de Gamboa and Nafarra de Berriz in the Spanish city of Durango in the province of Vizcaya. The family moved to Peru in 1550 and came to Chile in 1552.

In the war against the Mapuche , Ruiz de Gamboa became a lieutenant under Governor Rodrigo de Quiroga in 1565 . The Spanish invaders had to defend themselves against massive attacks by the Mapuche. In 1567 Ruiz de Gamboa carried out campaigns on the island of Chiloé and founded the cities of Castro and Chacao . He called the island 'Nueva Galicia', but this name was later changed to the Indian name Chiloé.

In the lost battle of Marehuano against the Mapuche on January 7, 1569, 45 Spaniards fell. In October 1573, in the will of Rodrigo de Quiroga, Ruiz de Gamboa was proposed as the new governor of Chile. He practically took over the office due to de Quiroga's illness. After de Quiroga's death on February 25, 1580, Gamboa officially assumed the office of governor.

On June 25, 1580 he founded the city of Chillán . Ruiz de Gamboa introduced a tax for Indians of 9 pesos per year to the church in Santiago and 7 pesos to the state. He set up reservations for the Indian population in order to avoid so-called excesses on the Indians at the request of King Philip II .

In June 1581 there was a revolt under Lope de Azócar against Ruiz de Gamboa, which he was able to put down. The remainder of his tenure until 1583 he spent in constant fighting against insurgent Mapuche. The poor economic situation and the constant wars eventually led to his removal, and Alonso de Sotomayor was his successor.