| Real Audiencia of Quito Real Audiencia de Quito | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Real Audiencia of theViceroyalty of Nueva Granada | |||||||||
| 1563–1822 | |||||||||
 Royal Audiencia of Quito, a map of 1779 by Francisco Requena y Herrera | |||||||||
| Capital | Quito | ||||||||
| Area | |||||||||
| • Coordinates | 0°15′S78°35′W / 0.250°S 78.583°W /-0.250; -78.583 | ||||||||
| • Type | Audiencia Real | ||||||||
| Historical era | Spanish Empire | ||||||||
• Established | 29 August 1563 | ||||||||
• Incorporation intoColombia | 24 May 1822 | ||||||||
• Independence ofEcuador | 13 May 1830 | ||||||||
| |||||||||
| Today part of | Ecuador, Colombia, Peru, Brazil | ||||||||
TheReal Audiencia of Quito (sometimes referred to asla Presidencia de Quito orel Reino de Quito) was an administrative unit in theSpanish Empire which had political, military, and religious jurisdiction over territories that today includeEcuador, parts of northernPeru, parts of southernColombia and parts of northernBrazil. It was created by Royal Decree on 29 August 1563 byPhilip II of Spain in the city ofGuadalajara.[1][2] It ended in 1822 with the incorporation of the area into theRepublic of Gran Colombia.
The 1563 decree established its structure and district:
In theCity of San Francisco of El Quito, in Peru, shall reside another RoyalAudiencia and Chancellery of ours, with a president; four judges of civil cases [oidores], who will also be judges of criminal cases [alcaldes del crimen]; a crown attorney [fiscal]; a bailiff [alguacil mayor]; a lieutenant of the Gran Chancellor; and the other necessary ministers and officials; and which shall have for district the Province of Quito, and along the coast towards the Ciudad de los Reyes [Lima] to the Port of Paita, exclusive; and inland towards Piura, Cajamarca, Chachapoyas, Moyobamba and Motilones, exclusive, including towards the aforesaid part the towns of Jaén, Valladolid, Loja, Zamora, Cuenca, La Zarza and Guayaquil, with the rest of the towns, which are in their districts or will be founded [in them]; and towards the towns of La Canela and Quijos, it should include said towns and the rest that shall be discovered; and along the coast towards Panama, until the Port of Buenaventura, inclusive; and inland to Pasto, Popayán, Cali, Buga, Chapanchinca and Guarchicona; because the rest of the places of the Government (Gobernación) of Popayan are of theAudiencia of the New Kingdom of Granada, with which, and with the one of Tierrafirme [Panama], it shall share a border on the north; and with the one of Los Reyes in the south; having for its western border the South Sea [Pacific Ocean] and eastern the provinces still not yet pacified nor discovered.
TheAudiencia was effectively autonomous because the Viceroyal government (to which theAudiencia was technically subordinate in political matters) was too far away to administer its territories effectively. Thus, power was devolved to theAudiencia by the Viceroy and theaudiencia territory was directly administered by the President of theAudiencia and the political, military, and religious officials underneath him. Initially theAudiencia of Quito formed part of theViceroyalty of Peru (1563–1717) and (1723–1739). Later theAudiencia was part of a newly createdViceroyalty of Nueva Granada (1717–1723). This Viceroyalty was temporarily suppressed by theKing of Spain in 1723 and theAudiencia of Quito returned to theViceroyalty of Peru. In 1739, theViceroyalty of Nueva Granada was re-established and theAudiencia of Quito was returned to it until it declared itself independent from Spain. A year later the King of Spain passed theReal Cédula of 1740 where the borders of the Audiencia of Quito would be closer to 4° south of the Equator.
The Audiencia of Quito briefly became independent for 3 years after it staged theQuito revolution in 1809, was annexed again to the Spanish Empire in 1812. The Audiencia of Quito was liberated again in 1822 and formerly joined the territories of what is todayEcuador,Venezuela,Colombia andPanama to form theRepublic of Gran Colombia.
As part ofGran Colombia, the territories of Quito were divided up into districts, departments, and provinces on 25 June 1824 by theSubdivisions of Gran Colombia. The Audiencia de Quito was divided into 4 departments:Ecuador Department,Guayaquil Department,Azuay Department, andCauca Department. The departments of Ecuador, Guayaquil, and Azuay united to form theDistrito del Sur. On 13 May 1830 the departments of Ecuador, Guayaquil, and Azuay separated from La Gran Colombia to form a new nation called Ecuador withJuan José Flores as its first president, who tried to incorporate the Department of Cauca, but to no avail.
