PERU
|
The
Inca Empire |
|
Back
to
|
When the Spanish
landed in 1531, Peru's territory was the nucleus of the highly developed Inca
civilization. Centered at Cuzco, the Inca Empire extended over a vast region,
stretching from northern Ecuador to central Chile. Francisco Pizarro and his brothers were
attracted by the news of a rich and fabulous kingdom. In 1532, they arrived
in the country, which they called Peru. (The forms Biru, Pirú,
and Berú are also seen in early records.) According to Raúl Porras Barrenechea, Peru is not a Quechuan nor Caribbean word, but Indo-Hispanic
or hybrid. In the years
between 1524 and 1526 smallpox, introduced from Panama and preceding the
Spanish conquerors swept through the Inca Empire. The death of the Incan
ruler Huayna
Capac as well as most of his family including his heir, caused the fall
of the Incan political structure and contributed to the civil war between the
brothers Atahualpa and Huáscar. Taking advantage of this, Pizarro carried
out a coup d'état. On November 16, 1532, while the natives were in a
celebration in Cajamarca, the Spanish in a surprise move
captured the Inca Atahualpa during the Battle of Cajamarca, causing a great
consternation among the natives and conditioning the future course of the
fight. When Huáscar was killed, the Spanish tried and convicted Atahualpa of
the murder, executing him by strangulation. For a period,
Pizarro maintained the ostensible authority of the Inca, recognizing Túpac
Huallpa as the Sapa Inca after Atahualpa's death. But the conqueror's
abuses made this façade too obvious. Spanish domination consolidated itself
as successive indigenous rebellions were bloodily repressed. By March 23,
1534, Pizarro and the Spanish had refounded the Inca city of Cuzco as a new
Spanish colonial settlement. Establishing a
stable colonial government was delayed for some time by native revolts and
bands of the Conquistadores (led by Pizarro and Diego
de Almagro) fighting among themselves. A long civil war developed, from
which the Pizarros emerged victorious at the Battle of Las Salinas. In 1541, Pizarro was
assassinated by a faction led by Diego de Almagro II (El Mozo), and the
stability of the original colonial regime was shaken up in the ensuing civil
war. Despite this,
the Spaniards did not neglect the colonizing process. Its most significant
milestone was the foundation of Lima in January 1535, from which the
political and administrative institutions were organized. The Vice Kingdom
of Peru, founded 1542, comprised almost all of the western South American
continent. In 1723 the Vice Kingdom of Nueva Granada was split off and in
1776 the Vice Kingdom of Rio de la Plata. In the beginning of the 19th
century it consisted of the Intendencias
of Lima (1783), Puno
(1783), Arequipa (1784), Cuzco (1784), Huamanga (1784), Huancavelica (1784), Tarma
(1784) and Trujillo (1784), and these former Intendencias make present Peru. |
||||
|
In all posessions of the Castilian Crown the
heraldic emblems of Spain and Castile were valid. In the Indies the arms of the Spanish Indies
and the Supreme
Council of the Indies were also valid. Even before Peru was made a Spanish Vice Kingdom in
1542 its conquerors were granted coats of arms by the King of Castile. After
them all Viceroys have displayed their own family arms. On the lower local administrative levels of the Audiencias (Courts of Justice) and the
Corregimientos (Cantonal Courts)
the royal arms were displayed. At the lowest level of the Cabildos (Municipal Councils) coats of arms of their own were
granted. Also, the city of Lima founded in January 1535 was
granted a coat of arms. |
||||
|
Picture:
Wikimedia Commons Modern rendering of the arms of Lima By Royal warrant dated Valladolid 7 December 1537, Emperor
Charles V. and his mother Queen Johanna (the Mad) granted a coat of arms to
the Ciudad de los Reyes as Lima was called then, at the request of Hernando
de Zevallos, city councillor of Lima. The text of the grant also confirms the
foundation of the city. The original of the privilege ‘written on vellum and
sealed with the wax seal of H.M. and signed with his royal signature’ was
preserved in the archives of the city until the middle of the 17th century.
In it was a description of the arms. The grant of King Charles is known from a transcription
in the 3rd Book of the Grants and Measures, 1st Part, fol. 17 in the Archives
of the city of Lima. [1] The description of the arms reads: "Un escudo en campo azul, con tres
coronas de oro de reyes, puestas en triángulo, y, encima de ellas, una
estrella de oro, al cual cada una de las tres puntas de la dicha estrella
toque a las tres coronas, y por orla unas letras de oro que digan: "Hoc
signum vere regum est", en campo colorado, y por timbre y divisa dos
águilas negras de corona de oro de reyes, que se miran la una a la otra, y
abrazen una Y y una K, que son las primeras letras de nuestros nombres
propios, y encima de estas dichas letras una estrella de oro, según aquí van
figuradas y pintadas". That is: A shield of a
blue field, with three golden royal crowns placed in a triangle and in chief
a golden star of which three of the rays touch the three crowns, and the
golden letters in orle saying “HOC SIGNUM
VERE REGUM EST” on a red
field, and for crest and emblem two black eagles royally crowned, respecting,
and supporting an Y and a K which are the first letters of our names, and
above these letters a golden star, in the way it has been painted here. [Arms: Azure,
three crowns 2 : 1 and a star in chief
of which three rays touching the crowns Or, within a bordure Gules incribed HOC SIGNUM
VERE REGUM EST (This is the
True Royal Emblem). Supporters: Two Eagles Sable enclosing the
royal cyphers ‘Y’ and ‘K’ crested of a
star Or.] The charge of
the arms shows the star of Bethlehem pointing to the birthplace of Jesus, and
the crowns of the Three Kings of the East referring to the date of the
foundation of the city (epiphany). By the king of the motto Jesus Christ is
meant. No trace of these arms could be found from the
first century after its adoption. In the 17th century, when a transcription
of the royal warrant and privileges of the city was made, the arms of Lima
appear in a somewhat different form. A picture of the achievement on a map of
the city of 1687 shows:
Arms of Lima,
1687 On a map of the city of Lima by Fr. Petrus Nolascus, 1687 Arms: [Azure, three crowns 2 : 1 and a star in
chief, one ray piointing downwards [Or], between two piles [Argent] Supporter: A two-headed Eagle Sable, crowned noble. Around
the achievement is the motto from Vergil, Aeneid, I: 437-438: 'O FORTUNATI, QUORUM IAM MOENIA
SURGUNT!' [Aeneas
ait, et fastigia suspicit urbis]. Literally
meaning: "O fortunate ones, whose walls now rise up!" [Aeneas says,
and he looks up at the rooftops of the city]. Probably in the 18th century the two initials were
reintroduced on the shield and a lemon added in base. The Piles of Hercules
were placed on both sides of the shield and the two-headed eagle was royally
crowned (that is to say with a 18 century closed royal crown). The motto came
on a ribbon below. The lemon
in base of the shield should refer to
the name of the city.
Arms of Lima in the Municipality of Lima 18th
century (?) This
achievement in fact, because of the great differences with the original
grant, better fits the Vice Kingdom of Peru of which Lima was the capital
(and the difference may not have been so great [2]). Nevertheless there is a picture of this
achievement surrounded by the legend LA MUY NOBLE INSIGNE Y MUY
NOBLE CIUDAD DE LOS REYES DEL PERU. Of this duality the painter Pacho Fierro was apparently conscious
when, after the end of Spanish rule and the abolition of the Vice Kingdom, he
painted a coat of arms for the city which at least reintroduced the motto on
the bordure and replaced the royal crown by a ducal crown. It is not known if
his design was ever adopted. [3]
Design for the
arms of Lima by Francisco Fierro
(*1807-†1879). The 18th
century arms however were maintained until well into the 20th century.
Golden medal of the city of Lima, 1913. Recently the
arms as described in the Royal Warrant were restored but it is not known when
this happened. Æ See illustration in the head of
this section. |
||||
|
Peru's movement
toward independence was launched by an uprising of Spanish-American
landowners and their forces, led by José de San Martín of Argentina and Simón Bolívar of Venezuela. San Martín, who had
displaced the royalists of Chile after the Battle of Chacabuco, and who had disembarked
in Paracas in 1819, led the military campaign. The expedition which included
warships was organized and financed by Chile and sailed from Valparaíso in
August 1820. San Martin proclaimed the
independence of Peru in Lima on 28 July 1821, with the words "... From
this moment on, Peru is free and independent, by the general will of the
people and the justice of its cause that God defends. Long live the homeland!
Long live freedom! Long live our independence!". Still, the
situation remained changing and emancipation was only completed by December
1824, when General Antonio José de Sucre defeated Spanish troops
at the Battle of Ayacucho. Spain made futile attempts
to regain its former colonies, such as at the Battle
of Callao, and only in 1879 finally recognized Peruvian independence. |
||||
|
A new
coat of arms for a future independent Peru was announced by a decree of the Headquarters
of the Liberation Army in Pisco of 21 October 1820. The decree reads: "Por cuanto es
incompatible con la Independencia del Peru la conservacion de los simbolos
que recuerden el dilatado tiempo de su opresion, se adoptara la primera
bandera del Peru, y en ella una corona de laurel ovalada y dentro de ella el
sol, saliendo por detras de sierras escarpadas que se elevan sobre un mar
tranquilo. El Escudo puede ser pintado o bordado, pero conservando cada
objeto sus colores: a saber, la corona de laurel ha de ser verde, y atada en
la parte inferior con una cinta de color oro; azul la parte superior que
representa el firmamento; amarillo el sol con sus rayos; las montanas de un
color pardo oscuro, y el mar entre azul y verde. Lo dispuesto tendra valor
hasta que se establezca en el Peru un Gobierno General por la voluntad libre
de sus habitantes" [4] “Because it is incompatible with the
independence of Peru to maintain the symbols which were used in the time of
its oppression, the first flag of Peru will be adopted on which there shall
be an oval crown of laurel enclosing a sun, rising from a mountain ridge and
a calm sea below. The shield may be painted or embroidered in color on any
object, that is to say that the crown of laurel shall be green and will be
tied with a golden ribbon, the sky in the upper part shall be blue and the
sun and its rays yellow; the mountains shall be of a darkish brown and the
sea between blue and green. This decree will be valid when a General
Government has been established in Peru by the free will of its inhabitants.” |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
Reconstruction of the first flag of Peru, As preserved in
the Museo Naval del Peru. |
A modern reconstruction of the arms |
|||
|
Seal of Independent Peru On stamped paper, 1824-‘25 Soon after the proclamation of Independence on 21 July 1821 a full
achievement appeared with the arms of 1820 as its central piece. The flags of the South American nations
and a banana tree can be seen behind the shield. A condor on the left and a
llama on the right act as supporters. All this was on
top of a baroque base, with a scroll under it with the motto "Renació
el sol del Perú" ("Peru's sun is reborn") in capital
letters. Some armaments, flowers, branches and ammunition were on the base.
|
||||
|
After the
battle of Ayacucho a new coat of arms was adopted. On 25 February
1825, Simón Bolívar and the Constituent Congress proclaimed a law defining
the new national symbols, establishing the new Coat of Arms. This was
designed by Congressmen José Gregorio Paredes and Francisco Javier Cortés.
The official description was the following: “Las armas de la
Nación Peruana constarán de un escudo dividido en tres campos (forma polaca),
uno azul celeste, a la derecha, que llevará una vicuña mirando al interior; otro
blanco, a la izquierda, donde se colocará el árbol de la quina; y otro rojo
inferior y más pequeño en que se verá una cornucopia derramando monedas,
significándose con estos símbolos, las preciosidades del Perú en los tres
reinos naturales. El escudo tendrá por timbre una corona cívica vista de
plano; e irá acompañada en cada lado de una bandera y un estandarte de los
colores nacionales, señalado más adelante.” Translated
in english the whole law reads: Article
1. The arms of the Peruvian
Nation shall consist of a shield divided into three fields (Polish shape), to
wit: One of sky blue, to the right, on which shall be a vicuña looking
towards the left; another white, to the left with a cinchona tree; in base a
field of red with a cornucopia from which flow coins of gold. These emblems
symbolize the riches of Peru in the three natural kingdoms. The shield shall
bear as crest a Civic Crown (laurel wreath), and on either side a flag and a
standard of the same national colors, described later.” Art. 2. This
coat of arms shall constitute the grand seal of State, bearing in its
circumference this inscription: “República Peruana.” Art. 3. The
national standards and flag of Peru shall be composed of three vertical stripes,
the end ones red and the middle one white, on the center of which shall be
the coat of arms with its crest and surrounded by a laurel branch to the left
and a palm to the right, both tied together at their lower ends. [5] With this
description as a basic assumption three variants were developed: the Smaller
Achievement or coat of arms per se (Escudo de Armas), the
National Achievement (Escudo Nacional) and the Larger Achievement or
Great Seal of State (Gran Sello del Estado). All three share
the same arms which is tierced per point or parted per fess, the chief per
pale: the dexter chief charged with the vicuña, the national animal,
on a light-blue field, representing the fauna of Peru; the sinister chief
charged with a Quina tree (Cinchona chinchoneæ - Rubiaceæ), the
source of quinine, a powerful anti-malarial drug and the key flavorant in
“tonic water,” used in making gin-and-tonics, on a white background,
representing the national flora; and the base charged with a cornucopia with
coins spilling from it, on a red field, represents the mineral resources of
the country. The
emblazonment would be: Arms: Per fess, the chief per pale: 1. Azure, a vicuña proper; 2. Argent, a
quina-tree proper; 3. Gules, a cornucopia, spilling coins, Or. |
||||
|
The Smaller Achievement |
||||
|
The
smaller Achievement consists of the arms crested by a crown of laurel and
surrounded by a garland of a palm leaf and a branch of olive. On this 8
reales coin, the base is
considerably lower than the two other quarters.
On later
coins however the base was higher until it ended up to be as high as the
other two, apparently to make more room for the cornucopia. Æ See illustration in the head of
this essay.
The
Smaller Achievement was on the ensign and presidential flag. It is also on
coins and banknotes.
Smaller achhievement as on a banknote, 1964 |
||||
|
The National Achievement |
||||
|
The National
Achievement (Escudo Nacional) consists of the shield plus a Peruvian flag
and a standard on each side, and a Civic Crown as crest.
Like the arms
of the smaller achievement the base of the arms grew higher in the course of
time ending up being as high as the other two.
Present National Achievement The national
achievement was used by administrative bodies together with the name of the
instance. Its use on its own is also mandated for all public buildings, with
the name of the entity under it. On the war flag
(Bandera de Guerra) it is in the white stripe. On the presidential
flag of 1939 it is in the middle of a white cloth. |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
The Larger Achievement |
||||
|
A third
model consists of the arms with crest surrounded by the palm leaf and the branch
of laurel and supported by the flags and standards and as such is a
combination of the arms on the flag (Escudo de armas) and the national arms (Escudo Nacional).
Larger Achievement, 1825. In this version the shield
is tierced in pairle arched reversed |
||||
|
Soon
however more room was created for the cornucopia by dividing the shield per
fess and the chief per pale. The cornucopia
was also turned to the dexter:
Larger achievement of
Perú, ca. 1830 |
||||
|
After the
proclamation of the State of South Peru on 17 March 1836 a new
constitution for the remaining part of Peru was adopted on 6 August
proclaiming the State of North Peru consisting of the departments of
Amazonas, Junin, Libertad and Lima. This Estado Nor-Peruano became a part of
the Peru-Bolivian Confederation and was abolished when the Confederation was
dissoluted on 25 August 1839 and the former Republica Peruano was restored. In the
time of the Estado Nor-Peruano rays of the sun were added to the crest of its
larger achievement. Below a
compartment was added showing some weaponry and a republican fasces per fess
in base.
Larger Achievement of the State of North Peru, 1836 |
||||
|
Such an
augmented larger achievement was probably also used by the Republica
Nor-Peruano, a sun added to the crest.
Larger Achievement
crested with a rising sun (undated) Coll. Museo Nacional del
Pueblo Libre, Lima At the
end of the 19th century the larger achievement of the Estado Nor-Peruano was
sometimes documented by European heraldic sources. [6] |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
The
larger achievement of the Republica Peruana however, seems to have been
restored very soon after the reunion of the North and the South.
|
||||
|
In the
second term of office of president Augusto B. Leguia, (1919-‘25), a decree of the House of Government of 11 December
1922 ordered that the flag and arms should be used conform the law of 25
February 1825 and accordingly the larger achievement disappeared. [7] Instead the great seal consisting
of the arms with the flags and the legend REPÚBLICA DEL PERU as
described in Art. 2 of that law was reintroduced.
|
||||
|
President |
||||
|
The
presidential flag is the National Ensign as adopted in 1825. It is of three
vertical stripes red-white-red, the white charged with the smaller
achievement
Presidential flag at the end of the 19th century The
presidential sash, symbolizing presidential authority is a ribbon red and
white or white and red, sometimes also red-white-red, and sometimes charged
with the smaller achievement mounted vertically when the sash is worn. The
ends are tied with a golden tassel, a cockade or another smaller achievement.
Present Presidential sash |
||||
|
17.03.1836
- 25.08.1839 |
||||
|
On 17 March 1836, on the initiative of Andres de Santa Cruz,
president of Bolivia, a Congress of the Peruvian southern departments
(Arequipa, Ayacucho, Cuzco and Puno) gathered at Sicuani and declared the
establishment of South Peru. Santa Cruz was made its Supreme Protector with
extensive powers that enabled him to create the Peru-Bolivian Confederation
on 28 October 1836. Santa Cruz then summoned to the city of Tacna
representatives of both legislatures together with those of the Bolivian Congress assembled at
Tapacarí to establish a Constitution for the new State. On 25 April 1837
Santa Cruz created the Department of the Coast (Departamento del Litoral)
from the former provinces of Arica and Tarpaca thus making the number
of departments of South Peru five. Under his
direction, the members of the Confederation signed a pact on 1 May 1837 which
named him Supreme Protector for a ten-year period. Peruvian
politicians opposed to the idea of the Confederation fled to Chile for
support. To help them Chile declared war on 28 December 1836 and Argentina,
also no very charmed of such a large state at its northern border, followed
suit on 9 May 1837. A Chilean military expedition against Santa Cruz defeated
the Supreme Protector at the Battle
of Yungay on 20 January 1839 and forced the dissolution of the
Confederation. When Agustín Gamarra took office as the new president
of Peru on 25 August 1839, the dissolution of the Confederation was
officially declared and as a result the Northern and Southern Peruvian
Republics were united into a single state to be called Peru again and
separate from Bolivia. The emblem of
the State of South Peru consisted of a sun radiant and four stars
representing the four departments. It refers to the King of the former Inca
state which had a sun for emblem. A larger
version shows this sun supported by two standards and two flags, each showing
the sun radiant and the four stars above. |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
Flag of South Peru, 19.03.1836 This flag
was also used by the Republic, the number of stars probably augmented to
five. It was abandoned on 20 January 1839 when the Confederation was dissolved. For the
Republic of May 1837 the number of stars above the sun radiant was augmented
to five. |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
Another emblem
to represent South Peru was a picture of the castle of Cuzco, two condors sitting
on its embattlements and crowned with an Inca-crown. In chief are five stars
representing the five departments of South Peru after the creation of the
Department of the Coast and the emblem is surrounded by a crown of laurel. It
is on a medal struck by the City of Cuzco with the bust of Andres de Santa
Cruz surrounded by flags and weaponry on the obverse.
Medal struck by the city of Cuzco to honour Andres de
Santa Cruz, 1838. L.: EL CUZCO AL INVICTO PROTECTOR DE
LA CONFEDERACION.[8] This castle which was also on the arms of the city of Cuzco was made an
integral part of the seal of the Peru-Bolivian Confederation. This is on
coins struck for the Confederation 1837-’38. It is composed of the tower pf
Cusco for South Peru, the volcano for Bolivia and the sea and the cornucopia
for North Peru. enclosed by a crown of laurel. It is surrounded by the motto FIRME POR LA UNION /
CONFEDERACION (Firm for the Union / Confederation)
Peru-Bolivian Confedertion. Seal on coins 1837-‘38 |
||||
|
An other
arrangement shows the seascape of the first arms of Peru with the Andes
mountains and the rising sun radiant in the background and mount Potosi on
the foreground.
|
||||
|
Presidential Flag of Supreme Command, 1939
Presidential Flag of Supreme Command, 2012 [9]
Tri-Service United Commands |
||||
|
Operational Commands |
||||
|
|
|
|||
|
|
|
|||
|
Army |
||||
|
|
||||
|
Navy |
||||
|
Achievement
Jack
|
||||
|
Air Force |
||||
|
Emblem
Wings
Roundel
|
||||
|
Police |
||||
|
The Guardia
Republicana del Perú (Republican Guard) was created by Supreme Decree
of 14 April 1852 and was made a part of the National Police in 1988.
The Guardia
Civil del Perú was created by Supreme Decree of 23 March 1874.It was
made a part of the National Police in 1988.
The Policia
de Investigaciones del Peru (Policial Intelligence Service) was
created in 1882 and reformed on several later occasions. In 1988 it was made
a part of the National Police. . The National Police of Peru was created
by law of 12 November 1988 by uniting the former Republican Guard, the Civil
Guard and the Policial Intelligence Service.
|
||||
|
|
||||
© Hubert de Vries 2013-04-27
Heraldry of the World