Mateo de Toro Zambrano, 1st Count of La Conquista

Don
Mateo de Toro Zambrano
Conde de la Conquista
Caballero de Santiago
Royal Governor of Chile
In office
July 16, 1810  September 18, 1810
Monarch Ferdinand VII
Preceded by Francisco García Carrasco
Succeeded by Mariano Osorio
Personal details
Born 20 September 1727
Santiago, Chile
Died 26 February 1811 (aged 83)
Santiago, Chile
Spouse(s) María Nicolasa de Valdés
Children José María, Gregorio José, María Josefa ,José Joaquín ,Domingo José ,María Mercedes ,Mariana , María Ines,María de los Dolores , María del Rosario Josefa
Profession Field Marshal
Religion Catholic

Field Marshal Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta (Spanish: Mateo de Toro Zambrano y Ureta, I conde de la Conquista) (September 20, 1727 February 26, 1811), frequently misnamed Mateo de Toro y Zambrano in many Chilean history publications, was Viscount of La Descubierta and later Count of La Conquista (1771) and Knight of the Spanish Order of Santiago. He was a Chilean creole and had a career as a soldier under the Spanish Empire after he amassed a fortune in commerce.

In 1810, as the most senior military figure in the Captaincy General of Chile, as well as its Royal Governor, he called a meeting of leading citizens on September 18, 1810. This group would subsequently elect the governing junta similar to those appearing throughout the rebelling Spanish colonies, an action which is generally seen as the first step in Chilean independence process. He was voted the President of this First Government Junta, but his death a year later (he was already 83 years old) precluded him from taking a larger role in the independence of Chile. He died in Santiago de Chile on February 26, 1811.

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Government offices
Preceded by
Francisco García Carrasco
Royal Governor of Chile
1810
Succeeded by
Mariano Osorio
Military offices
Preceded by
Francisco García Carrasco
Captain General of Chile
1810
Succeeded by
Antonio Pareja
Political offices
New title President of
Government Junta

1810-1811
Succeeded by
Juan Martinez de Rozas
Spanish nobility
New title Count of la Conquista
1770-1811
Succeeded by
Gregorio José de Toro