Battle of the Maule

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Huamán Poma de Ayala's picture about the confrontation between the Mapuches (left) and the Incas (right)

The Battle of the Maule, in modern Chile, was fought between the Mapuche people and the Inca Empire. It took place over three days and resulted in the end of the Incas' southward expansion. The exact date of this battle is not known with certainty but is thought to have been in the reign of Tupac Inca Yupanqui.

In a six year campaign with an army that eventually rose to 50,000 men, the Inca general Sinchiruca had subdued the regions of northern Chile,Copiapo, Coquimbo, Aconcagua and the Maipo Valley around what is now Santiago. After securing the Maipo Valley Sinchiruca sent 20,000 men down to the valley of the Maule River. The territory of the Picunche people inhabiting this last region south of Maipo Valley extended further to the south to the Itata River and these people the south of the Maipo Valley had refused to submit to the rule of the Inca and an called on their allies south of the Maule; the Antalli, Pincu, and Cauqui to join in opposing these invaders. ^[1] This defiance was to gave them their distinctive name of Purumaucas from the quechua puruma auca meaning those not under the rule of the Inca. The Spanish later corrupted the name into Promaucaes.

The Incas crossed the Maule River and keeping its old custom, they sent messangers to require these Purumaucas to submit to the rule of the Inca or resort to arms. The Purumaucas had determined to die before losing their freedom, and responded that the victors would be masters of the defeated and that the Incas would quickly see how the Purumaucas obeyed. Three or four days after this answer, the Purumaucas and their allies arrived and camped in front of the Incas camp with 18,000 - 20,000 warriors. The Incas tried diplomacy offering peace and friendship, claiming they were not going to take their land and property but to give them a way to live as men. The Purumaucas responded saying that they came not to waste time in vain words and reasoning, but to fight until they won or died. The Incas promised battle the next day.

The following day both armies left their camps and attacked each other all day with great spirit, valor and stubbornness, without either gaining an advantage, and both suffering many wounded and dead. At night they both retired to their positions. On the second and third day they fought with the same results. At the end of the third day of battle the Inca saw that they had lost more than half their number in dead, and the living were almost all wounded.

On the fourth day, although the Purumaucas were put in their formations, the Inca did not leave their camp which they had fortified, hoping to defend it if their enemy attacked them. The Inca remained in their camp all that day and the two following days. At the end of that time the Inca army retired to the Maipo Valley. The Purumaucas and their allies returned home claiming victory.

[edit] Notes

[edit] Source

• Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, Comentarios reales, Segunda Parte : Libro VII, Cap. 18, 19, 20.

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