Causes of its origin and length Initially, the key area of conflict that the Spanish attempted to secure south of Bío Bío River were the valleys around Cordillera de Nahuelbuta. The Spanish designs for this region was to exploit the placer deposits of gold using Mapuche (slave) labour from the densely populated nearby valleys. To serve the Spanish in gold mining was a deadly activity that killed many Mapuches. Lacking a tradition of forced labour like the Andean mita the Mapuches largely refused to serve the Spanish setting the stage for the conflict.Bengoa 2003, pp. 252–253. On the other hand, the Spanish, in particular those from Castile and Extremadura, came from an extremely violent society.Bengoa 2003, p. 261. According to Diego de Rosales Mapuche chief Lientur would have explained that he preferred to "die warriing , than in a bad peace". Analysing the situation in the 1650s the Real Audiencia of Santiago opined that slavery of Mapuches was one of the reasons for constant state of war between the Spanish and the Mapuches.Barros Arana 2000, p. 342. Jesuits sought to diminish hostilities and end the war althogether by converting Mapuches to the Christian faith. They temporarily succeeded in enforcing the Defensive War (1612–1626) policy, but their conversions attempts foundered on Mapuche leaders staunch defense of polygamy which was unacceptable in the Catholic faith. This insistence on polygamy has been explained as Mapuche chiefs valuing it as a way to establish more alliances through marriage than monogamous marriage allows. Polygamy may also have been valued as important population strategy in war times when the Mapuche male population was unstable.
Causes of its origin and length Initially, the key area of conflict that the Spanish attempted to secure south of Bío Bío River were the valleys around Cordillera de Nahuelbuta. The Spanish designs for this region was to exploit the placer deposits of gold using Mapuche (slave) labor from the densely populated nearby valleys. To serve the Spanish in gold mining was a deadly activity that killed many Mapuches. Lacking a tradition of forced labor like the Andean mita the Mapuches largely refused to serve the Spanish setting the stage for the conflict.Bengoa 2003, pp. 252–253. On the other hand, the Spanish, in particular those from Castile and Extremadura, came from an extremely violent society.Bengoa 2003, p. 261. According to Diego de Rosales Mapuche chief Lientur would have explained that he preferred to "die warring , than in a bad peace". Analysing the situation in the 1650s the Real Audiencia of Santiago opined that slavery of Mapuches was one of the reasons for constant state of war between the Spanish and the Mapuches.Barros Arana 2000, p. 342. Jesuits sought to diminish hostilities and end the war altogether by converting Mapuches to the Christian faith. They temporarily succeeded in enforcing the Defensive War (1612–1626) policy, but their conversions attempts foundered on Mapuche leaders staunch defense of polygamy which was unacceptable in the Catholic faith. This insistence on polygamy has been explained as Mapuche chiefs valuing it as a way to establish more alliances through marriage than monogamous marriage allows. Polygamy may also have been valued as important population strategy in war times when the Mapuche male population was unstable.
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