Benalcázar, Sebastián de

Benalcázar or Belalcázar, Sebastián de (sābästyän` dā bānälkä`thär, bāläl–), c.1479–1551, Spanish conquistador. After accompanying Columbus on his third voyage (1498), Benalcázar served in Darién and Nicaragua before joining Francisco Pizarro Pizarro, Francisco (pĭzä`rō, Span. fränthēs`kō pēthär`rō), c.
..... Click the link for more information. in the conquest of Peru (1532). Setting out from Piura Piura (py

`rä), city (1993 pop. 199,484), capital of Piura dept.
..... Click the link for more information. , he forestalled Pedro de Alvarado in support of Diego de Almagro Diego de Almagro (d. 1542), inherited his rights. Later the youth nominally headed the revolt that began with the assassination of Francisco Pizarro, but in 1542 he was captured and executed by the new governor, Vaca de Castro .
..... Click the link for more information. , the elder, and entered (1533) the native stronghold of Quito, founded Guayaquil, and marched (1535) into SW Colombia in search of El Dorado El Dorado (ĕl`dərä`dō, –rā`–) [Span.
..... Click the link for more information. . While in Colombia he founded Pasto and Cali. In 1539, he tried unsuccessfully to ally himself with Federmann Federmann, Nikolaus (nē`kōlous fā`dərmän), 1501–42, German adventurer in Venezuela and Colombia.
..... Click the link for more information. against Jiménez de Quesada Jiménez de Quesada, Gonzalo (gōnthä`lō hēmā`nĕth dā kāsä`thä), c.
..... Click the link for more information. . Journeying to Spain with them to settle accounts, Benalcázar returned (1541) as governor of Popayán prov. Between 1541 and 1548 he aided Vaca de Castro against Diego de Almagro, the younger, and then helped Nuñez Vela and Pedro de la Gasca against Gonzalo Pizarro. For executing the leader of a neighboring province that he claimed as his, Benalcázar was tried (1550) and convicted. On his way to appeal to the Council of the Indies he died of fever in Cartagena.