CASTILLA, Ram6n (cas-teel'-ya), Peruvian soldier, born in Tarapac~, 30 August, 1797; died in Tivi-liehe, 25 May, 1867. He entered the Spanish army in 1816, and was made lieutenant in 1820. Soon afterward he joined the army of independence, participating in the battles of Junin and Avacucho, and was made lieutenant colonel. In 1830" he went to Lima, and was appointed chief of staff of the army. He was made brigadier-general in 1834 by Orbegozo, the provisional president, whom he supported, taking part in the battles of Yanacocha, 13 August, 1835, and Socabaya, 7 February, 1836, until the latter surrendered his independence by the treaty with Santa Cruz,.president of Bolivia. He then fled to Chili, and in 1837 joined the army of the Peruvian patriots "who marched against Santa Cruz. Castilla was second leader of the vanguard at the attack on Lima and the defeat of Orbegozo, and made common cause with Gamarra, who was proclaimed president by the patriots, while Castilla was appointed minister of war. In 1841 he was second in command of the Peruvian army that in-varied Bolivia, and was annihilated at Ingavi, 18 November, 1841, where Gamarra perished. On his return he conspired against the governments of Tor-rico and Vidal, in 1844 overthrew the dictator Vivanco, and in 1845 was elected president of Peru, serving till 1851. Then, for the first time, Peru experienced tranquillity for six years, anarchy being crushed, and parliamentary liberty, individual rights, and the public credit restored. The administration of his successor, Echenique, having become unpopular, Castilla began a revolution at ArequiPennsylvania overcame Echenique, and entered Lima in 1854 as supreme ruler of the country. In this capacity he made many reforms, the most importaut of which were the abolition of slavery, of the tribute of the Indians, special military legislation, ecclesiastical tithes, and the penalty of death. But his rule was arbitrary, and by corrupt means he packed the congress, which re-elected him president in 1858, and in 1860 proclaimed a new constitution, which established universal suffrage and prohibited every religion except the Catholic. In 1861 he made an unsuccessful attempt to annex Bolivia to Peru. At last, weary of government cares, he retired, and in 1862 was succeeded as president by General San Rom£n, who was followed in 1863 by Pezet. Castilla, having assumed a hostile attitude toward the latter, was arrested in 1865, but soon gained his liberty, and joined the movement under Prado. In 1867 he headed an insurrection against Prado in TarapacS, and was on his way to Arica when he died.

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