Don pedro de peralta biography of mahatma

Spanish colonial governor of New Mexico

For the Spanish count, see Pedro de Peralta (Spanish Count).

Pedro de Peralta (c. 1584 – 1666) was Governor of New Mexico between 1610 and 1613 at a time when it was a province of New Spain.

He formally founded the city of Santa Fe, New Mexico in 1610. In August 1613 he was arrested and jailed for almost a year by the Franciscan friar Isidro Ordóñez. Later, he was vindicated by the Mexican Inquisition and held a number of other senior posts in the Spanish imperial administration.

Don pedro de peralta biography of mahatma

Background

The settlement of New Mexico began when Juan de Oñate led a group of colonizers into the territory in 1598, serving as governor from 1601 until 1609. By 1608, there were only 200 Spanish people, almost all in the capital of San Gabriel on the west bank of the Rio Grande opposite San Juan Pueblo.

No gold or silver had been found and the viceroy was receiving reports of mistreatment of the Indians and of near-starvation of the set