Turcupichun was the

toqui Toqui (or Toki) (Mapudungun for ''axe'' or ''axe-bearer'') is a title conferred by the Mapuche (an indigenous Chilean and Argentines, Argentinian people) on those chosen as leaders during times of war. The toqui is chosen in an assembly or parl ...

of the

Mapuche The Mapuche ( , ) also known as Araucanians are a group of Indigenous peoples of the Americas, Indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, including parts of Patagonia. The collective term refers to a wide-ranging e ...

Aillarehue Aillarehue or Ayllarehue (from the Mapudungun: ayllarewe/ayjarewe: "nine rehues"); a confederation of rehues or family-based units (lof) that dominated a region or province. It was the old administrative and territorial division of the Mapuche, H ...

s in the vicinity of Concepcion, Chile and the Bio-Bio River valley from 1557 to 1558. García Hurtado de Mendoza landed in early June 1557 on the island of La Quiriquina at the mouth of the bay of San Pedro. Soon afterward he sent out messengers to the local

s to come and submit to the Spanish. Turcupichun gathered them in a great coyag where he advocated resistance to the death and elected him as their toqui replacing the dead

Lautaro Lautaro (Anglicized as 'Levtaru') ( " swift hawk") (; 1534 – April 29, 1557) was a young Mapuche toqui known for leading the indigenous resistance against Spanish conquest in Chile and developing the tactics that would continue to be empl ...

. Turcupichun led his army to build a pucara on the height of

Andalicán Andalicán during the era of conquest and colonial times in Chile was the name of the high hill in the middle of two ravines and site of a fortress built by the Mapuche in 1557 to prevent García Hurtado de Mendoza, 5th Marquis of Cañete, García H ...

five leagues south of Concepcion covering the approach down the coast to Arauco and posted detachments to cover the crossing points on the Bio Bio River. Governor Mendoza deceived him by having a detachment build rafts at one of these crossing points but using the boats of his fleet to carry his army across at the mouth of the river. Turcupichun then engaged and was defeated by the army of Mendoza in the

Battle of Lagunillas The Battle of Lagunillas was a battle in the Arauco War on November 8, 1557, between the army of García Hurtado de Mendoza and the Mapuche army near some shallow lakes a league south of the Bio-Bio River. History In anticipation of Mendoza's ...

. Following this defeat his army fell back and joined with

Caupolicán Caupolicán (meaning ‘polished flint’ (queupu) or ‘blue quartz stone’ (Kallfulikan) in Mapudungun) was a ''toqui'' or war leader of the Mapuche people, who led the resistance of his people against the Spanish Conquistadors who invaded the ...

to fight in the

Battle of Millarapue The Battle of Millarapue that occurred November 30, 1557 was intended by the Toqui Caupolicán as a Mapuche ambush of the Spanish army of García Hurtado de Mendoza that resulted in a Spanish victory when the ambush failed. History After th ...

. Following the battle Turcupichun was blamed by Caupolican, for the defeat when his third division marching to attack the Spanish rear did not arrive in time. Angry at the accusation he withdrew to defend his own lands. Following the execution of Caupolican, Turcupichun attempted to organize a new revolt and an attack on Concepcion, but the Spanish Corregidor of the city, Gerónimo de Villegas discovered his attempt and sent Juan Galiano with some soldiers to attack him first. Moving to where he was lodged at night Galiano captured him and some of his companions and returned with them to the city where he was hung in the plaza. After his death his army elected

Lemucaguin Lemucaguin a native of Andalicán was the successor to Turcupichun as toqui of the Moluche Butalmapu north of the Biobío River in 1558. He organized a detachment of arquebusiers from weapons captured in the Battle of Marihueñu. He continued the w ...

as his successor.Rosales, Historia general ..., Tomo II, Capitulo XXI

References

Sources

* Diego de Rosales, “Historia General del Reino de Chile”, Flandes Indiano, 3 tomos. Valparaíso 1877 - 1878. *
Historia general de el Reyno de Chile: Flandes Indiano, Tomo II
(1554-1625) **
Capitulo XII Da fondo en el puerto de la Concepción, levanta un fuerte, tiene varios sucessos con los indios y embíale embajada Caupolican.
**
Capitulo XIII. Como passó a Biobio, entró en Arauco, y la victoria que tubo en el camino de veinte mil indios.
**
Capitulo XIV. Batalla que tubo Don Garcia con Caupolican y Turcupichun y insigne Victoria que alcanzó.
**
Capitulo XVII. Embia Don Garcia a reedificar la ciudad de la Concepción. Passa a la Imperial y en su ausencia tiene una gran victoria de Caupolican el Maestro de campo Reynoso, y danle muchos la paz.
**
Capitulo XVIII. Como pobló Don Garcia la ciudad de Osorno y las de Cañete y Villarica; llega hasta Chiloé, y vuélvese a la Imperial.
**
Capitulo XXI. Como los indios aprendieron a disparar arcabuzes y hizieron un fuerte en Quiapo; gánansele los españoles y dan la paz al vencedor Don Garcia.
{{mapuche 16th-century Mapuche people 16th-century indigenous leaders of the Americas People of the Arauco War People killed in the Arauco War Toquis