Simón Bolívar issued the decree on February 15, 1825, changing the name from "Huamanga" to "Ayacucho", referring to a major battle for independence that established once and for all the total independence of the nascent Peruvian Republic, as stated by Bolivar's decree, "Obtained the victory in... Huamanga, its name must be changed, in a way that perennially reminds those inhabitants the origin of their freedom." The name "Ayacucho" is derived from the Quechua words "aya" ("death" or "soul") and "k'uchu" ("corner") in honor of the battle's casualties.