ABSTRACT
THE Spanish colonial settlements established within the limits of the territory now claimed by the republics of Argentine, Bolivia, Chile, and Paraguay, were politically subordinated to the viceroy of Peru during their first two hundred years. In fact, down to nearly the middle of the eighteenth century all the territory under Spanish rule in South America was subject to this authority. The political centre, the capital in which resided the government recognized throughout this vast domain, was the city of Lima. By the final establishment of the viceroyalty of Santa Fé, in 1739, the northwestern part of this territory was brought under a new viceroy. The southeastern part of the continent continued under the jurisdiction of the viceroy of Peru, until 1776, when the viceroyalty of Rio de la Plata was created. This distribution of territory was modified in 1796, by withdrawing certain districts northwest of Lake Titicaca from the viceroyalty of Rio de La Plata and adding them to the viceroyalty of Peru. In 1802 Peru acquired from the viceroyalty of Santa Fé the districts of Maynas and Quijos, except the town of Papallacta; and, in 1804, it was determined that the provinces of Guayaquil and Chiloé should be subject to the government of Lima. In 1810 Peru embraced eight intendancies: Lima, Tarma, Cuzco, Huancavelica, Huamanga, Arequipa, Trujillo, and Puno; its control extended also over the detached governments of Guayaquil, Chiloé, Maynas, Quijos, Huarochirí, and Callao. Guayaquil subsequently became independent and Chiloé was added to the republic of Chile.
