Promaucaes - Description - Inca Campaigns

Inca Campaigns

The Incas in their expansion used the Pucará de La Compañia, which they strengthened. The pucará was the southernmost Inca settlement then known. Inca expeditions in this territory were organized by Túpac Inca Yupanqui at the end of the 15th century and later by Huayna Cápac.

The history of this period is recreated only by what was written in later chronicles. These chronicles indicate that the promaucaes informed about the coming of the Incas allied themselves with the Antalli, Pincu and Cauqui subgroups, forming an army of 20,000 men. The Incas sent members of parliament in order that they recognize Túpac Inca Yupanqui as sovereign, but the purumaucas decided to face them in the so-called Battle of the Maule. During the confrontation, there were many dead on both sides and neither army won a clear advantage.

On the fourth day, neither side left their own camp, both of which had been fortified, as they hoped to defend them if their opponents attacked. The fifth and sixth days were passed in the same manner but by the seventh the Purumaucas and their allies retired and returned home claiming victory. Due to these results, the Incas later considered chasing them, on which some chiefs agreed; but they decided to secure only what they had already conquered, with which Túpac Inca Yupanqui agreed.

Due to their proximity to the Inca Empire, the promaucaes also learned the new technology that the Incas displayed in their new domains.

Among the peoples the Spanish called the Promaucaes the people of the Rapel River valley were particularly called by this name by the Spanish. Those of the Mataquito River valley were called the Cures, for which the province of Curico is named. The people in the Maule River valley and to the south were distinguished as Maules and those to the south of the Maules and north of the Itata were known as Cauqui by the Inca or Cauquenes that gave their name to Cauquenes River.