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Nuo Beltrn De GuzmnNuo Guzmn de Beltrn or Nuo Beltrn de Guzmn (15th century-1550) was a Spanish conquistador and dictator in colonial Mexico. Born in Guadalajara, Galicia, Guzmn studied law at university. In 1528, Charles V appointed him president of the first Audiencia of New Spain, replacing the military government that had been in place ever since Hernn Corts conquered Mexico. Said to be unreasonable and arbitrary in his dealings with fellow Spaniards and cruel and brutal to Native Americans, the actions of the Audencia attracted the attention of Juan de Zumrraga, archbishop of New Spain, who excommunicated and dissolved it in 1530. Having been forwarned, Guzmn resigned just prior to this. Shortly afterwards, he gathered an army of 500 discontented conquistadors and 10,000 Native Americans with illegal funds, Guzmn marched northwards, conquering the lands of the Native Americans who lived in what is today the north and northwest of Mexico (the Huichol are the only tribe left today), which he named New Galicia after his birthplace. Unlike the earlier conquistadors, who had an honest desire to evangelically convert the Native Americans to Christianity, Guzmn used religion as a pretext to gain more power. He established encomiendas, private land grants for himself and his conquistadors. Native Americans (even those who had aided him in his conquest) could not own land, and Guzmn had no qualms about simply seizing land, even from his own men. Most of the Native Americans were either slaughtered or enslaved, earning Guzmn the nicknamed "Bloody Guzmn". In January 1532 Guzmn founded a city, Guadalajara (south of modern Zacatecas), but, thanks to repeated, fierce attacks by the Chichimecs, it was abandoned in August 1533. Guadalajara was moved to Tonal, but this too was abandoned, and the settlement once again moved to a site near Tlacotan (north east of modern Zapopan). The settlers began to complain to Antonio de Mendoza, the viceroy of New Spain, about both the repeated relocations and Guzmn's cruelty. Reports of Guzmn's treatment of the Native Americans had reached Mexico City, and at Archbishop Zumrraga's request, Guzmn was arrested in 1536. He died in obscurity in Spain. Reference Guzmn, Nuo de Beltran Guzmn, Nuo de Beltran
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