ANTONIO DE MENDOZA Y PACHECO: BIOGRAPHY, VICEROYALTY, WORKS, ACHIEVEMENTS - ARTE - 2025

Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco (1490 or 1493-1552) was a diplomat, politician, colonial and military administrator of Spanish origin. Remembered for being the first viceroy of New Spain (1535-1550) and second of Peru (1550-1552).

He is also known for being a knight of the religious and military order of Santiago, as well as a military commander of the Socuéllamos municipality, located in the La Mancha region of his country of origin.

Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, first Viceroy of New Spain. Source: National Museum of Archeology, Anthropology and History of Peru

From a very young age he served the Spanish crown, both in the army and in different diplomatic missions. Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco was recognized for his prudence in personal treatment and his administrative ability, highlighting his justice, compassion and efficiency in the policies he established during his government in the Mexican territory and later in the Peruvian one.

During his government, several educational institutions were founded, the first census was carried out in the continent, the printing press arrived in America and the collection of taxes as well as the imposition of penalties was regulated. He also promoted expeditions discovering new lands, worked on the expansion of agriculture and facilitated mobility in New Spain by creating roads and bridges.

In 1565 Cape Mendocino in Humboldt County, California, was named in his honor. Later, between the 19th and 20th centuries, a county, a city and a national park in northwestern California were also named in his commemoration.

Biography

The birth of Antonio de Mendoza is not entirely clear as to the year and place, which has been much disputed by historians. Some versions indicate that the year of birth was 1490 and others 1493.

As for their city of origin, many assure that it was in the Mondéjar municipality, Guadalajara province, located in the autonomous community of Castilla-La Mancha. While others point out that he was born in Alcalá la Real, in Granada, shortly before being taken over by the Catholic Monarchs.

He was the second son of Íñigo López de Mendoza y Quiñones, II count of Tendilla and I Marquis of Mondéjar and of his second wife, Francisca Pacheco Portocarrero. Member of a prominent family of the Castilian nobility, descendant of the great poet Íñigo López de Mendoza, Antonio joined the court of the Catholic Monarchs, Fernando II and Isabel I.

Life in the kingdom of Granada

jluisrs, from Wikimedia Commons

Antonio de Mendoza's father was appointed by the Catholic Monarchs as the first general captain of the kingdom of Granada, but he served as Viceroy. Those years were the ideal school to forge the character of Antonio and learn the functions that he would later have to assume in Mexico. At the time he ended up replacing his father as councilor and treasurer of the Casa de la Moneda.

On the death of his father he never received the title of Count of Tendilla, as it fell to his older brother, but he did inherit the La Mancha encomiendas of Socuéllamos and Torre de Veguezate.

Prior to his position as viceroy in New Spain, he dedicated himself to a great variety of diplomatic missions. Between 1516 and 1517 he was in Flanders and England, where he is said to have met Henry VIII.

On the death of Ferdinand the Catholic he participated in the War of the Communities, between 1519 and 1521. Later he was ambassador to the Hungarian court. In 1527 he was entrusted with bringing funds to the king's brother, regarding the defeat in the battle of Mohács.

Between 1527 and 1530 he was traveling between Germany, Spain and Italy, where he participated in the imperial coronation of Carlos V in Bologna. His services to Emperor Charles V continued when he held the presidency of the Royal Chamber. He was also appointed governor in the Province of León, to calm the spirits of the Moors of Hornachos who had intentions of revolting.

During these years, before leaving for the New Continent, he married Catalina de Vargas, daughter of the main accountant of the Catholic Monarchs, in Valladolid. With her he had three children, Íñigo, Francisca and Francisco, who died at an early age and without children.

Viceroyalty in New Spain

Although he arrived in New Spain at the end of October 1535, from April 17 of that year Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco was appointed first viceroy of the Spanish Empire. Additionally, he was appointed as Governor, Captain General of New Spain and President of the Royal Audience of Mexico, the highest court of the Spanish Crown.

He was also given spiritual jurisdiction, since he would be in charge of the conversion and good treatment of the natives, he would reprimand the public sins and other scandals of the colonists, he would punish the rebellious clergymen and he had to expel from New Spain the friars who had abandoned the habits.

He was the only viceroy with an unlimited appointment. Source: Manuel Rivera Cambas (1840-1917)

Antonio de Mendoza was the only viceroy whose appointment was for an unlimited time, since his successors used to set a term of six years to govern.

His first years were difficult due to the audacity and popularity that Captain General Hernán Cortés had gained, having led the Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire. Cortés was only named Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca because he had made enemies in the Spanish court and was too independent of the authority of the crown. Despite this important influence in New Spain, Mendoza ultimately succeeded in making him and his sympathizers subordinate to his mandate.

Among the actions that marked his beginnings as viceroy are the trial to which he submitted the governor of Nueva Galicia and president of the first Mexican audience, Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán.

The also known as the "monster of cruelty" was famous for his acts of corruption and mistreatment of the natives. The result of the judicial process was the seizure of his property and his arrest in Torrejón de Velasco, where he would die.

One of the main priorities of the viceroyalty of Mendoza was the exploration in search of new wealth and the famous "Seven Cities of Cíbola". So upon his arrival he organized the first trip under the leadership of Francisco Vázquez de Coronado, who covered a large amount of territory, including what is now Wichita, Kansas.

Later he sent other expeditions to California and the Philippines, although he never achieved the legendary cities of gold of which Fray Marcos de Niza spoke so much.

Great contributions to New Spain

During the Mendoza government, education was also a priority, since unlike other settlers he saw great intellectual potential in the indigenous population. This is how he promoted the creation of two important educational institutions such as the Colegio de Santa Cruz de Tlateloco and the Universidad Real y Pontificia de México.

In the first, students of Indian nobles received classes in Latin, rhetoric, philosophy, and music. While the second followed the model of the Spanish University of Salamanca and trained young Creoles for the clergy. This was the first university to be established on the American continent.

The policies that he implemented during his period promoted agricultural development. He also maintained his authority, managing to abort a conspiracy of black slaves and faced uprisings by the Caxcanes and Chichimecas Indians. He highlighted the dismantling of the "Rebellion of the Mixtón", which occurred between 1541 and 1542, the campaign in which Captain Pedro de Alvarado died.

In turn, he undertook a series of actions that allowed the Spanish government to settle in New Spain, among them the population census, the reduction of taxes on the indigenous population and the reorganization of the administrative area.

Civil peace was preserved in the Viceroyalty even when other colonies such as Peru came into conflict over the so-called New Laws of 1542-1543, which aroused great annoyances and tensions between settlers and native workers. Mendoza decided not to apply them to prevent revolts, until finally in 1545 the Crown repealed them.

Antonio's government spanned 15 years, the longest term of any viceroy, and as a reward for his successful service he was promoted to the viceroyalty of Peru. It is said that before retiring from office, he gave advice to his successor as viceroy of New Spain, Don Luis Velasco, with the following phrase: "Do little and do it slowly."

Viceroyalty of Peru

Viceroyalty of Peru in 1650 - Source: Daniel Py, via Wikimedia Commons

After turning the Viceroyalty of New Spain into a model administration, both for the Crown and for the colonists, for 15 years, in 1550 Mendoza was transferred to the great viceroyalty of South America. In addition to the position of viceroy, he was assigned that of governor and captain general of Peru, as well as that of president of the Royal Court of Lima.

For the seizure of power he had to embark in Acapulco to the ports of Realejo, Panama and Tumbes in Peru. Despite being in poor health, he continued by land from the coast to the City of Kings, Lima, to receive command.

He was in this position for a short time as his poor health was compounded by the aftermath of a hemiplegia. For this reason, he delegated to his son Francisco de Mendoza the tour of the southern regions, in order to determine the natural resources for their use and the working conditions of the Indians. During that trip, the first drawings and plans of the Cerro Rico de Potosí mining center were obtained.

Last years

Months before his death, Mendoza issued what would be the first code of judicial procedures in Peru. These ordinances for the Audiencia de Lima included powers and duties of magistrates, prosecutors and members of the forum. Also in legal material established a series of regulations for the use of communal property of the Indians.

From the beginning of his mandate, he had to face the discontent of the encomenderos. In November 1551 there was an unsuccessful revolt, led by the noblemen Francisco de Miranda, Alonso de Barrionuevo and Alonso Hernández Melgarejo. Their heated spirits were maintained first in Cuzco, then to Charcas, where there was a new rebellion. However, it was too late, as the viceroy had passed away.

His death occurred on July 21, 1552 in Lima, Peru, at the age of 62. His tomb is in the Cathedral of Lima, along with that of the Spanish conqueror Francisco Pizarro.

Works and achievements

Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco was characterized by having a model viceroyalty in which he stood out for his great works and achievements, but also in his few years in Peru he managed to reap some fruits. Among the highlights of their governments are:

- He founded the Casa de la Moneda in Mexico City and minted silver and copper coins known as macuquinas. When it began with gold coins, it received great recognition and acceptance in distant regions.

- He established the first printing press in America in 1539 and, since its operation in the house of the Italian Juan Paolo, the first books of the New World were published.

- During his expeditions, the Baja California peninsula, northwest of Mexico, was discovered and the Philippine archipelago in the South Pacific was reached.

- He built three schools for noble Indians, mestizos and women, respectively, which were the Imperial College of Santa Cruz de Tlatelolco, the San Juan de Letrán and La Concepción.

- After studying the Renaissance urban doctrines, he applied the layouts in numerous public works in Mexico City. He also fitted out docks and customs buildings, repaired the royal road as well as the fortifications of the Port of Veracruz and began one in Guadalajara.

- He was the founder of several towns in what are currently the states of Jalisco and Michoacán, including the city of Valladolid, now known as Morelia.

- Established the first university institute in the American continent, which was the Royal and Pontifical University of Mexico..

- He was able to obtain the permits for the foundation of the University of San Marcos in the convent of Santo Domingo de Lima, the first house of university studies in Peru.

- Managed the compilation of truthful information about the Tahuantinsuyo or Empire of the Incas. Juan de Betanzos completed his chronicle Suma y Narración de los Incas in 1551, encouraged by Mendoza.

- The Bishopric of La Plata was created with which the first priests of the order of San Agustín arrived.

References

1. Antonio de Mendoza and Pacheco. (2019, November 15) Wikipedia, The Encyclopedia. Recovered from es.wikipedia.org
2. The first and the best: Viceroy Antonio de Mendoza. (sf) Recovered from mexconnect.com
3. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica (2019, July 17). Antonio de Mendoza. In Encyclopædia Britannica. Recovered from britannica.com
4. Wikipedia contributors (2019, August 6). Antonio de Mendoza. In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Recovered from wikipedia.org
5. Ortuño Martínez, M. (2018). Antonio de Mendoza and Pacheco. Recovered from dbe.rah.es
6. Díaz, G. (2018, June 19). Antonio de Mendoza. Recovered from relatosehistorias.mx
7. Antonio de Mendoza. (2010, September 6). Encyclopedia, From the Free Universal Encyclopedia in Spanish. Recovered from encyclopedia.us.es