Alonso de Alvarado

In this Spanish name, the first or paternal surname is Alvarado Montaya González de Cevallos and the second or maternal family name is Miranda.
Alonso de Alvarado
Alonso de Alvarado
Born1500
Secadura de Trasmiera, Crown of Castille
Died1556 (aged 55–56)
Lima, Viceroyalty of Peru
NationalitySpanish
OccupationConquistador

Alonso de Alvarado Montaya González de Cevallos y Miranda (1500–1556) was a Spanish conquistador and knight of the Order of Santiago.

Born in Secadura de Trasmiera, Spain,[1]: 398  Alvarado served under Hernán Cortés in Mexico before joining Francisco Pizarro's campaign in Peru.

In 1534, he arrived in Peru with his uncle Pedro de Alvarado. He participated in several key battles during the conquest and subsequent civil wars (1537–1555), including the defense of Lima against Manco Inca Yupanqui's siege (1536), the Battle of Las Salinas (1538), and later conflicts at Chupas and Jaquijahuana.

While some contemporaries accused him of greed and brutality, Alvarado remained a loyal supporter of the Spanish crown throughout the Peruvian civil wars. He consistently sided with those he believed represented the crown's authority, even when such alliances proved risky or unprofitable.[2]

For instance, in 1537, he commanded Pizarro's forces against Diego de Almagro's claim on Cuzco. Although defeated and captured at the Battle of Abancay,[3]: 257  he escaped and rejoined Pizarro. He participated in subsequent conflicts as a prominent military leader, though not always achieving personal victories. Nonetheless, he held a high military position and was considered a pillar of the Spanish cause.[2]

Alvarado married during a brief visit to Spain in 1544.[2]

In 1553, when Francisco Hernández Girón rebelled, Alvarado led the royalist forces. However, he suffered a decisive defeat at the Battle of Chuquinga (1554). Dejected by this final setback, he fell ill and died.

His most significant achievement was the pacification of Chachapoyas in northeastern Peru (1535–1536). This conquest marked the first Spanish foray into the Amazon Basin from Peru.[2]

  1. ^ Leon, P., 1998, The Discovery and Conquest of Peru, Chronicles of the New World Encounter, edited and translated by Cook and Cook, Durham: Duke University Press, ISBN 9780822321460
  2. ^ a b c d  One or more of the preceding sentences incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Bandelier, Adolph Francis Alphonse (1907). "Alonzo de Alvarado". In Herbermann, Charles (ed.). Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 1. New York: Robert Appleton Company.
  3. ^ Prescott, W.H., 2011, The History of the Conquest of Peru, Digireads.com Publishing, ISBN 9781420941142