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1534 - The battles for Jauja and Quito The battle of Jauja  Quisquis and his army of some 7,000 natives were retreating northwards along the royal road to their homelands in Quito. They soon discovered that a small contingent of Spaniards (some 80 men and 36 horses) was guarding a large portion of Atahualpa's ransom at nearby Jauja and planned a pincer movement attack.Unfortunately, the timing of the attack went wrong and native collaborators betrayed the Indians' plans to the Spanish. A fierce battle on the banks of the river Mantaro ensued, with the conquistadors supported by 2,000 local friendly natives. Ultimately, the Spanish horsemen and fighting superiority won the day and Quisquis's army was forced to retreat to the safety of a nearby hill fort. Three weeks passed before reinforcements arrived from Cuzco but they were unable to drive Quisquis out of his mountain fortress. Further reinforcements arrived several weeks later, by which time Quisquis had abandoned his fortress and was heading north again. The Spanish pursued the retreating army but, suffering heavy losses in a number of engagements, soon returned to Jauja when it became apparent that Quisquis was leaving Peru for Quito. Unauthorised invasions of Quito  Pizarro's royal approval from King Charles in 1529 had granted him dominion of territories south of Tumbez. Rumours were now reaching the Spanish concerning vast treasures and wealth hidden in Quito, north of Tumbez, an area governed by one of Atahualpa's generals, Rumiñavi.The rumours soon reached one Pedro de Alvarado in Guatemala, a seasoned conquistador from Mexico and Central America. He set sail with over 500 men and 119 horses, supported by 4,000 Guatemalan Indians, landed in Ecuador and proceeded overland towards Quito. News of this unauthorised invasion soon reached one of Pizarro's most trusted officers, Sebastián de Benalcázar, in the port of San Miguel near Tumbez. Benalcázar had been entrusted to accompany a portion of Atahualpa's ransom to the port of San Miguel and had then remained there, awaiting orders from Pizarro. However, on hearing of Alvarado's expedition, Benalcázar set out with 200 men and 62 horses and marched towards Quito. The Quitan armies, under the generals Rumiñavi and Zope-Zopahua, were now faced with two unauthorised and competing invasions of their homeland. They had everything to fight for and, with no Inca held hostage by the Spanish, nothing to lose. |
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