Real Audiencia of Charcas

TheReal Audiencia of Charcas(Spanish:Audiencia y Cancillería Real de La Plata de los Charcas) was aSpanishaudienciawith its seat in what is todayBolivia.It was established in 1559 in Ciudad de la Plata de Nuevo Toledo (later Charcas, modern-daySucre) and hadjurisdictionover theGovernorate of Charcas(es),Paraguayand theGovernorate of the Río de la Plata,modern-dayUruguayand northernArgentina.The audiencia oversaw the incredible silver output of the mines atPotosí.It was part of theViceroyalty of Peruuntil 1776, when it was transferred to the newly createdViceroyalty of the Río de la Plataand began to be referred to asUpper Peru.

Structure

Philip II of Spainoriginally established theaudienciaby royal decree on 4 September 1559. Law IX (Audiencia y Chancillería Real de la Plata, Provincia de los Charcas) of Title XV of Book II of theRecopilación deLeyes de Indiasof 1680 — which compiles the original 1559 decree and the ones of 29 August 1563, 1 October 1566, 26 May 1573 — describes the borders and functions of the Audiencia.

In Ciudad de la Plata de Nuevo Toledo, Province of the Charcas inPeru,shall reside another Royal Audiencia and Chancellery of ours, with a president; five judges ofcivil cases[oidores], who shall also be judges ofcriminal 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 the Charcas, all ofEl Collao,from the town ofAyabiri,along the road of Urqusuyu, from the town of Asillo by the road of Umasuyu, from Atuncana, by the road ofArequipa,towards the part of the Charcas, inclusive with the Provinces ofSangabana,Carabaya,JuríesyDiaguitas,Moyos[see alsoMoxos people] andCh'unchu,andSanta Cruz de la Sierra,sharing borders: in the north with theRoyal Audiencia of Limaand provinces not yet discovered; in the south with theRoyal Audiencia of Chile;and in the east and west with the two Seas of theNorthandSouthand theline of demarcationbetween the Crowns of the Kingdoms ofCastileandPortugal,along theProvince of Santa Cruzof Brazil. All said territories are and shall be understood to comply with Law 13, which deals with the founding and erection of theRoyal Audiencia of Trinidad, Port of Buenos Ayres,because our will is that said law be kept, complied with and executed precisely and punctually.

Independence

Main article:Bolivian War of Independence

Charcas was one of the first regions in Spanish America to establishjuntasin the independence period, which deposed the Audiencia judges. These juntas, set up in 1809, were quashed by forces from Peru and Río de la Plata the following year, but the Audiencia was not reestablished until 1816, and then under the auspices of the viceroy of Peru. Areas of Charcas under patriot control sent deputies to theCongress of Tucumánof 9 July 1816 which declared the independence of the provinces of the Río de la Plata. The Republic of Bolivia was created from the Royal Audiencia of Charcas on August 6, 1825.