- Description and meaning
- Controversy associated with the design and meaning of its elements:
- References
The shield of Cajamarca is the representative coat of arms of the city of Cajamarca, Peru. Together with the flag and the anthem, they constitute the emblems of the city.
Originally the city of Cajamarca was inhabited by the Incas and was considered a very important populated center.
In the year 1532 during the conquest of Peru, the Inca Atahualpa was captured in this place, resulting in the Spanish power over the region.
In colonial times, it was awarded the category of town until September 19, 1802.
The noble coat of arms of Cajamarca was made official by the Spanish king Carlos IV de Borbón. In this way, the town was promoted to the classification of province, granting it the title of "Ciudad de Cajamarca La Grande", yielding to the request of the Bishop of Trujillo Don Baltasar Jaime Martínez Compañón.
The shield was designed in order to synthesize the conquest of the Spanish Crown over Peru.
Description and meaning
On its extreme left side is the flag of the kings of Spain. At the other end a palm, which signifies the vitality of victory and the fidelity of the citizens of Cajamarca to the Spanish Crown.
The crown in the upper part of the barracks symbolizes the subordination of the city before the Iberian monarchy.
A black eagle to the right of the barracks, synonymous with the success of a few Spaniards over the Indians.
On the left, a Spanish sword above the indigenous plaza, symbolizing the Iberian military might and how this achievement displaced the Indians from their territories.
The "C" and "L" in the blazon recall King Carlos IV de Borbón and his wife María Luisa de Borbón, respectively.
In the middle of the barracks a cross and below it a sun. This symbolizes the victory of Christian doctrine over the beliefs of the Indians in their own religions.
Controversy associated with the design and meaning of its elements:
The design of the noble coat of arms has generated, especially in Cajamarca, a repulsion to the shield and all its elements.
Each one of the components of the shield only suggests the Spanish power. They remember how the Indians were displaced from their homes, conquered, and beliefs and customs were imposed on them.
The current and continuous use that has been given to this symbol, say some Cajarmarquinos and Peruvians in general, is due solely to the inertia of custom and the silence of the municipal authorities that have made life in Cajamarca.
It is currently considering its disuse. It is only the State that encourages its use as an emblem of the city.
It is convenient to add that 2014 marked the 160th anniversary of the Revolutionary Gesta (January 3, 1854) as well as the signing of the Decree of Creation of the Department of Cajamarca (February 11, 1854).
The use of this coat of arms is of some interest, since it is a symbol clearly associated with colonial power, and for more than a century and a half Cajamarca and all of Peru have been free of Spanish colonizers.
References
- Everything about Cajamarca. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from In Peru: enperu.org
- The shield of Cajamarca: misgivings and rebellion. (2014). Obtained from Recuperemos Cajamarca: tierrahermoza.blogspot.com
- Shield of Cajamarca. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from Cajamarca Peru: cajamarcaperu.net.
- Cajamarca. (sf). Retrieved on October 2, 2017, from Wikipedia.
- Symbols of Cajamarca: shield and flag. (2011.). Obtained from Symbols, shields, flags: simbolosescudosbanderas.blogspot.com.