Lautaro was a young Mapuche toqui known for leading the indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in Chile and developing the tactics that would continue to be employed by the Mapuche during the long-running Arauco War. Levtaru was captured by Spanish forces in his early youth, and he spent his teenage years as a personal servant of chief conquistador Pedro de Valdivia, but escaped in 1551. Back among his people he was declared toqui and led Mapuche warriors into a series of victories against the Spanish, culminating in the Battle of Tucapel in December 1553, where Pedro of Valdivia was killed. The outbreak of a typhus plague, a drought and a famine prevented the Mapuche from taking further actions to expel the Spanish in 1554 and 1555. Between 1556 and 1557, a small group of Mapuche commanded by Levtaru attempted to reach Santiago to liberate the whole of Central Chile from Spanish rule. Levtaru's attempts ended in 1557 when he was killed in an ambush by the Spanish.
The Arauco War was a long-running conflict between colonial Spaniards and the Mapuche people, mostly fought in the Araucanía region of Chile. The conflict began at first as a reaction to the Spanish conquerors attempting to establish cities and force Mapuches into servitude. It subsequently evolved over time into phases comprising drawn-out sieges, slave-hunting expeditions, pillaging raids, punitive expeditions, and renewed Spanish attempts to secure lost territories. Abduction of women and war rape was common on both sides.
Toqui is a title conferred by the Mapuche on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parliament (coyag) of the chieftains (loncos) of various clans (Rehues) or confederation of clans (Aillarehues), allied during the war at hand. The toqui commanded strict obedience of all the warriors and their loncos during the war, would organize them into units and appoint leaders over them. This command would continue until the toqui was killed, abdicated (Cayancaru), was deposed in another parliament, or upon completion of the war for which he was chosen.
The Battle of Curalaba is a 1598 battle and ambush where Mapuche people led by Pelantaru soundly defeated Spanish conquerors led by Martín García Óñez de Loyola at Curalaba, southern Chile. In Chilean historiography, where the event is often called the Disaster of Curalaba, the battle marks the end of the Conquest of Chile period in Chile's history, although the fast Spanish expansion in the south had already been halted in the 1550s. The battle contributed to unleash a general Mapuche uprising that resulted in the Destruction of the Seven Cities. This severe crisis reshaped Colonial Chile and forced the Spanish to reassess their mode of warfare.
Alonso de Sotomayor y Valmediano was a Spanish conquistador from Extremadura, and a Royal Governor of Chile.
Pelantaro or Pelantarú was one of the vice toquis of Paillamachu, the toqui or military leader of the Mapuche people during the Mapuche uprising in 1598. Pelantaro and his lieutenants Anganamon and Guaiquimilla were credited with the death of the second Spanish Governor of Chile, Martín García Óñez de Loyola, during the Battle of Curalaba on December 21, 1598.
Marihueñu or Marigueno is a large hill in the Nahuelbuta Range near the coast in the Lota commune of the Bío Bío Region of southern Chile. Its name is from the Mapudungun mari, "ten" and huenu, "heights". This height was within the Moluche aillarehue of Marigueno that lay between the Pacific Ocean and the lower reaches of the Biobío River north of the aillarehues of Arauco and Catirai. It was an important location during the Arauco War because it overlooked the coastal route to Araucanía from Concepción. The place is located on the coast to the south of Lota between Lota and Laraquete. It is bounded to the north by the valley of Colcura and to the south by the valley of Chivilingo.
Cadeguala or Cadiguala was a Mapuche toqui elected in 1585 following the death in battle of the previous toqui Nangoniel. Cadeguala was a noted warrior and the first Mapuche toqui known to have used cavalry successfully in battle. He was killed in a duel with the garrison commander of the Spanish fort at Purén in 1586.
Nangoniel was the Mapuche Toqui in 1585, and son of the previous toqui Cayancaru. He was the first Toqui to use cavalry with the Mapuche army.
Lientur was the Mapuche toqui from 1618 to 1625. He was the successor to Loncothegua. Lientur with his vice toqui Levipillan was famed for his rapid malóns or raids. Because of his ability to slip back and forth over the Spanish border between its fortresses and patrols and raid deep into Spanish territory north of the Bio-Bio River without losses he was called the Wizard by the Spanish.
Luis Fernández de Córdoba y Arce was a Spanish sailor and military man who was Governor of Chile between May 1625 and December 1629.
Malloquete was a Mapuche toqui that led an army of Moluche from the region north of the Bio Bio River against Pedro de Valdivia in the 1546 Battle of Quilacura.
Pilmaiquén or Pilmayquen is a riachuelo in the commune of Cañete in Arauco Province in the Bío Bío Region of Chile that flows southwest towards the coast of the Pacific Ocean, to the northwest of the city of Cañete. Its course is short but of great volume and traverses a small valley between wooded mountainous areas where it joins the Licauquén River. This valley was a Moluche rehue of the Tucapel aillarehue and the homeland of the Toqui Caupolicán who commanded the Mapuche in the first revolt against domination by the Spanish Empire.
Guanoalca was the Mapuche toqui (leader) elected in 1586 following the death in battle of the previous toqui, Cadeguala, killed in a duel with the garrison commander of the Spanish fort at Purén in 1586. He returned to continue the siege and forced the Spanish to evacuate the fort, which he then destroyed.
Paillaeco was elected Toqui in 1592 in place of Quintuguenu after Quintuguenu's defeat and death. Paillaeco did not think his forces were now sufficient to oppose the Spanish in the open field and decided to draw them into an ambush. The Spanish turned the tables on them drawing his army out of their ambush and destroyed it killing Paillaeco. Paillamachu was elected to succeed him later the same year 1592.
Huenecura or Huenencura was the Mapuche Toqui from 1604 to 1610. He replaced Paillamachu who died in 1603. He was replaced by Aillavilu in 1610.
The Parliament of Malloco was held between governor Juan Henríquez de Villalobos and leaders of the Mapuche in January 1671, at Malloco southwest of Santiago, Chile.
Butapichón or Butapichún or Putapichon was the Mapuche toqui from 1625 to 1631, as successor to Lientur. After the death of Quepuantú in 1632 he became toqui once again from 1632 to 1634.
Butalmapu or Fütalmapu is the name in Mapudungun for "great land", which were one of the great confederations wherein the Mapuche people organized themselves in case of war. These confederations corresponded to the great geographic areas inhabited by the Mapuches in Chile.
El Toqui mine is a zinc-gold mine in Chile. Besides silver and lead are also mined in El Toqui. The mine is owned by Breakwater Resources through its wholly owned subsidiary company Sociedad Contractual Minera el Toqui. The mine was purchased from Barrick Gold Corporation in 1997.
