The role of indigenous sectors in Peruvian independence. Grounds for a new interpretation

Abstract

The role of indigenous peoples in the independence process of the viceroyalty of Peru has never been clear. Some historians have claimed indigenous peoples did not play a major role, while others have referred to a staunch patriotism, in which their loyalty to the independence cause was in stark contrast to the hesitation of the elites, throughout the 1808-1824 period. Since indigenous people accounted for the majority of the population and given that they fought as soldiers in the war, I advocate moving beyond dichotomies and analysing their status as key political players of the period. By focusing on the political strategies adopted by indigenous peoples between the beginning of the monarchical crisis of 1808 and the end of the war in 1824, I will argue that indigenous peoples created a new way of doing politics that would define, and far outlast, the war of independence.