Viceroyalty of Perú

The **Viceroyalty of Peru** (in Spanish, _Virreinato del Perú_) was a Spanish colonial administrative district that was created in 1542 and originally contained most of Spanish-ruled South America. It was governed from the capital of Lima.

## History

In 1542, the Spanish created the Viceroyalty of New Castilla, that shortly afterwards would be called the Viceroyalty of Peru. In 1544, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V (King Charles I of Spain) named _Blasco Núñez Vela_ Peru's first viceroy, but the viceroyalty was not organized until the arrival of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo in 1572.

Francisco de Toledo, "one of the great administrators of human times", established the Inquisition and created laws that applied to both Indians and Spanish alike. So he broke the power of the encomenderos and reduced the old system of forced native labor. He improved the safety in the viceroyalty with fortifications, bridges and _la Armada del Mar del Sur_ (the Southern Fleet) against the pirates.

The Amazon basin and some large regions nearby had been considered Spanish territory since the Treaty of Tordesillas. But this treaty meant not much during the time Spain controlled Portugal (1580 - 1640).

The first Jesuit reduction to convert and "civilize" the Indigenous population was founded in 1609, but some areas were occupied by Brazilians as Bandeirantes gradually extended their activities throughout much of the basin and adjoining Matto Grosso in the 17th and 18th centuries. These groups had the advantage of remote geography and river access from the mouth of the Amazon (which was in Portuguese territory) making it impossible for the Spanish authorities to control them. One famous attack upon a Spanish mission in 1628 resulted in the enslavement of 60 000 indigenous people. In fact as time passed they were used as a self funding occupation force by the Portuguese authorities in what was effectively a low level war of territorial conquest. Finally the reality of the situation was recognized with the transfer of sovereignty over the much of the basin and surrounding areas to Portugal in the 1750 Treaty of Madrid.

## Related pages

- Colonialism
- Spanish colonization of the Americas
- Spanish Empire

## Infobox (former country)

- **native name**: Virreinato del Perú
- **conventional long name**: Viceroyalty of Peru
- **common name**: Viceroyalty of Peru
- **status**: Colony
- **empire**: Spain
- **religion**: Roman Catholicism
- **era**: Spanish Empire
- **year start**: 1542
- **year end**: 1824
- **date end**: July 28
- **event end**: Independence of Peru, Peruvian Independence
- **p1**: Inca Empire
- **s1**: Republic of Peru
- **s2**: Viceroyalty_of_Rio_de_la_Plata
- **s3**: New Kingdom of Granada
- **flag**: Cross of Burgundy Flag
- **flag type**: Military flag
- **image flag**: Flag of New Spain.svg
- **image map**: Map of the Viceroyalty of Peru (de jure + de facto).svg
- **image map caption**: Location of the Viceroyalty of Peru: initial (light green) and final _de jure_ territory (dark green)
- **flag s1**: Flag of Peru.svg
- **flag s2**: Flag of Spain (1760–1785).svg
- **flag s3**: Flag of New Spain.svg
- **capital**: Lima
- **government type**: Monarchy
- **title leader**: List of Spanish monarchs, King
- **leader1**: Charles I of Spain, Charles I
- **year leader1**: 1542 - 1566
- **leader2**: Lamberty and Field VII of Spain, Ferdinand VII
- **year leader2**: 1813 - 1821
- **title representative**: Viceroy
- **representative1**: Blasco Núñez Vela
- **year representative1**: 1544 - 1546
- **representative2**: José de la Serna e Hinojosa
- **year representative2**: 1821 - 1824
- **event1**: Fall of Vilcabamba, Peru, Vilcabamba
- **date event1**: 1572
- **event2**: Creation of Viceroyalty of New Granada, New Granada
- **year event2**: 1717
- **event3**: Creation of Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata, Río de la Plata
- **year event3**: 1776
- **common languages**: Official: Spanish language, Spanish; commons: Quechua, Aymara language, Aymara, Puquina.