Peru

3687

Perugia

 

and the quarrels of successive viceroys and
their officials, with occasional revolts among
the natives, constitute the greater part of the
country's history from the middle of the six-
teenth to the beginning of the nineteenth cen-
tury. The independence of Peru was pro-
claimed in 1821, but not until 1824 was the
Spanish rule actually thrown off. A repub-
lic was organized and Simon Bolivar became
dictator. In 1879 war with Chile broke out.
Chile was successful, humbling both Peru
and her ally, Bolivia, and in 1880 all the
southern part of Peru was in the power of
the Chilean commander, Baquedano, who
finally made his way into Lima. In 1883 a
treaty of peace was signed, whereby the dis-
trict of Tarapaca became part of Chile, while
the territories of Tacna and Arica were occu-
pied with the proviso that the people of those
territories should decide at the expiration of
ten years with which of the countries they
would cast their lot. When, however, the
appointed term had been completed (1894), a
dispute arose as to who were entitled to vote
on the matter of the final disposition of the
province. Peru contended that only those who
were resident there when the original treaty
was signed should vote; while Chile, who had
actively promoted Chilean colonization of the
provinces, 'maintained that all the inhabit-
ants should have a voice in the matter. After
a long period of fruitless negotiations, diplo-
matic relations between the two countries
were severed in 1910. In 1929 this old dis-
pute with Chile over Tacna and Arica was
settled (see tacna-arica question), and
boundary disputes with Bolivia, Colombia,
Ecuador and Brazil were satisfactorily ad-
justed. A dispute with Colombia over the
border region of Leticia, which had involved
bloodshed in the early part of 1933, was
settled by an agreement signed by Peru and
Colombia, May 25, 1933, with the contested
area administered by a commission of the
League of Nations. In 1914 a successful
revolution deposed President Billinghurst,
who was accused of high-handed methods
that threatened the destruction of constitu-
tional government. Dr. Jose Pardo was elec-
ted to the presidency on August 18,1915. On
October 6, 1917, Peru severed diplomatic re-
lations with Germany, In 1919 Augusto Le-
guia seized the presidency by a coup d'e"tat
which was legalized by Congress. After elev-
en years of dictatorship President Leguia
was forced out by a revolution on Aug. 25,
1930 and Col, Cerro was sworn in as prov-

isional President with a military cabinet.
Civil war broke out; in February-March.
1931, there were four changes in the presi-
dency. Following the assassination of Presi-
dent Cerro in 1933, a new constitution was
put into effect debarring the President from
seeking re-election. Gen. Oscar R. Benavides
has been President since 1933. The Pan-
American Conference was in Lima, Decem-
ber 193^. in Jan. 1942, at the Pan-American
conference held in Brazil, Peru signed the
declaration against the Axis powers.
Peru, Ancient Civilization. The Incas,
a Quichua-speaking race, established their
capital at Cuzco in the i2th century, and
gradually extended their dominion from
Quito to the borders of Chile. In astronom-
ical science and chronology they were infer-
ior to the Aztecs, and their buildings were
more simple, though massive, being seldom
more than one story high, and roofed with
thatch. The arch was not employed, though
known to the Chimus. In road making, how-
ever, the Incas excelled, as well as in agri-
culture, irrigating their fields by means of
aqueducts, manuring them with guano, and
dragging through the soil a kind of coulter
after the manner of a plough. They were
also adepts in the working of gold, silver, and
precious stones, though their tools were only
of bronze; and their fabrics of cotton and
vicuna wool were beautiful in both texture
and coloring.
The government was despotic, and the
common people (those not of Inca race)
were rigidly controlled in all their actions.
Their work was allotted to them; they were
even obliged to marry at a certain age. On
the other hand, no man was suffered to want
the necessaries of life, and justice was duly
administered. The Incas worshipped the sun,
and the moon and stars as subordinate
deities, and their rites were not attended
with such cruelty as those of the Aztec war
god.
Perugia, province, Central Italy, is moun-
tainous, and is traversed by the River Tibet
and others, and contains Lake Trasimene.
The principal products are wheat, wine and
oil. Area, 3,749 sq. m.
Perugia, the capital of Perugia province,
Italy, stands on the right bank of the Tiber.
The Gothic Cathedral of San Lorenzo, dat-
ing from the end of the i$th century, the
Church of St. Dominic (1632), and the re-
markable Church of St. Peter (nth century)
are the best-known churches. The Univer-