Mapuche uprising of 1881

Chilean territory and Mapuche groups in Araucanía in 1860 prior to the occupation of Araucanía.

In the 19th century Chile experienced a fast territorial expansion. Chile established a colony at the Strait of Magellan in 1843, settled Valdivia, Osorno and Llanquihue with German immigrants and conquered land from Peru and Bolivia.[1][2] Later Chile would also annex Easter Island.[3] In this context Araucanía began to be conquered by Chile due to two reasons. First, the Chilean state aimed for territorial continuity[4] and second it remained the sole place for Chilean agriculture to expand.[5]

Between 1861 and 1871 Chile incorporated several Mapuche territories in Araucanía. In January 1881, having decisively defeated Peru in the battles of Chorrillos and Miraflores, Chile resumed the conquest of Araucanía.[6][7][8]

The campaigns of the Argentine Army against Mapuches in the other side of the Andes pushed in 1880 many Mapuches into Araucanía.[9] Pehuenche chief Purrán was taken prisoner by the Argentine Army and the Argentine Army penetrated into the valley of Lonquimay which Chile considered part of its legal territory.[9] The fast Argentine advance alarmed Chilean authorities and contributed to the Chilean-Mapuche confrontations of 1881.[9]

In January 1881 the Mapuches of the Malleco zone rose against the Chilean occupation.[9] The town and forts of Traiguén, Lumaco and Collipulli were attacked.[6] In response the Chilean state launched a massive campaign not only to defend forts and settlements but also to push the frontier all the way from Malleco River to Cautín River.[6][7][8] Interior minister Manuel Recabarren was appointed by president Aníbal Pinto to oversee the process from the town of Angol.[7][8] Colonel Gregorio Urrutia was summoned from Chilean-occupied Lima to Araucanía to take charge of the Army of the South.[7]

Recabarren personally led a large column that established the forts of Quillem, Lautaro and Pillalelbún.[13] In this last place Recabarren was approached by local Mapuche chiefs who asked him to not advance beyond Cautín River.[13] Recabarren answered by telling them that the whole territory was being occupied.[13] At the founding of Temuco in the northern shores of Cautín River Recabarren met chief Venacio Coñoepán and other chiefs from Choll-Choll who also asked him to not advance further.[13] On March 28 Gregorio Urrutia founded the town of Victoria at the shores of Traiguén River.[14]

With the Chilean advance to Cautín River a small mountain range called Cadena de Ñielol remained a focus of Mapuche resistance from where warriors launched pillaging raids or attacks against vulnerable targets.[15] To end this activity Gregorio Urrutia established a fort in the range.[15]

Initially Mapuches offered little resistance to Chilean advance to Cautín River.[13] Recabarren believed that Mapuches had not reacted because they expected the foundation of new forts and towns to be preceded by parliaments with Chilean authorities.[13] A wave of Mapuche attacks begun in late February 1881, just a few days after the founding of Temuco in the middle of Mapuche territory.[16] The first major attack was against a caravan of carts carrying injured soldiers from Temuco to Fuerte Ñielol.[16] The whole escort of over 40 soldiers and the 96 injured and sick soldiers were killed.[17] In response to these attacks Gregorio Urrutia launched an attack on the Mapuche warriors of Cadena Ñielol burning in his way over 500 rukas and captured over 800 cattle and horses.[18] On the other side of the Andes Pehuenches assaulted on March the Argentine outpost of Chos Malal killing the whole garrison of 25–30 soldiers.[19]

In mid-March Venacio Coñoepán and other Mapuche chiefs met. In the meeting the establishment of new settlements was rejected and the chiefs decided to go to war.[17] They set 5 November as the date for their uprising.[20] Coñoepán opposed the uprising and according to Gregorio Urrutia he was unaware of date of uprising.[21]

During the uprising several Chilean forts and towns were attacked.

Uprising Mapuche chiefs were severely punished. When Gregorio Urrutia arrived to Cholchol on November 10 he ordered the construction of a fort in the place of the ruka of chief Ancamilla who had joined the uprising. By doing this Urrutia fulfilled an old vow:[35]

If I, your friend, knows that you Ancamilla are involved in provocations and assaults, I swear I will build a fort above your ruka. If you remain peaceful nobody will touch you

— Gregorio Urrutia

Ancamilla was taken prisoner and sent handcuffed to a dungeon in Poblete.[35] The fort of Cholchol begun to be built on November 22 and gave with time origin to the modern town of Cholchol.[32] The rukas of other revolting chiefs were also razed.[36]

Luis Marileo Colipí who had allegedly attacked Lumaco was stripped of the more than 6,000 ha land he owned near Purén and his brother was taken prisoner and killed.[26] Luis Marileo Colipí managed to escape to Argentina. Little is known about his whereabouts there.[26]

• Bengoa, José (2000). Historia del pueblo mapuche: Siglos XIX y XX (Seventh ed.). LOM Ediciones. ISBN 956-282-232-X.
• Ferrando Kaun, Ricardo (1986). Y así nació La Frontera... (Second ed.). Editorial Antártica. ISBN 978-956-7019-83-0.
• Pinto Rodríguez, Jorge (2003). La formación del Estado y la nacion, y el pueblo mapuche (Second ed.). Ediciones de la Dirección de Bibliotecas, Archivos y Museos. ISBN 956-244-156-3.