John I
King John
Erzherzog Johann Baptist Joseph Fabian Sebastian von Österreich was King Of Peru from the proclamation of the kingdom in 1825 until his death in 1859. He was invited by representatives of San Martin, and obtained consent of Ferdinand VII of Spain. However, upon arriving in Peru in 1826, the condition of the nation was more chaotic than he had been led to believe. In the first year of his reign, he had to fight against Spanish royalists in the interior of the nation, assuming almost dictatorial control over the nation to do so. In 1828, Peru was finally under patriot control after the Siege of Ayacucho ended with almost no bloodshed. Following that year, John agreed to a constitution that would limit his powers and that of the federal government.
Despite his efforts to improve the quality of life in Peru, John face many challenges. In the nation, most of the citizens willing to take up government posts were competing generals seeking to consolidate their own power. Many of these generals, such as Agustin Gamarra, opposed the legitimacy of the throne outright, seeking to overthrow the monarchy in its infancy. A coup attempt in 1829 seeking to overturn the constitution, which many at the time attempted to attribute to Gran Colombia and the followers of Simon Bolivar, failed to take control of the government.
John also had difficulty in abolishing slavery in Peru. Beginning in 1830, he began to make demands of the Congress and the Prime Minister to enact legislation. The slave trade was officially ended in Peru in 1832. However, ministers such as Felipe Santiago Salaverry re-legalized the importation of slaves into Peru beginning in 1835. John refused to sign the act into law, forcing Salaverry to attempt a constitutional amendment.
He gained the respect of his people by learning Spanish and spending much of his own finances to build the Peruvian infrastructure. He successfully negotiated Peru's interests in the Partition of Charcas in 1846, though was unsuccessful in gaining the nitrate mines of the coast. This was seen by many in the government as unacceptable, as they had wished to annex the entirety of Upper Peru. Despite the opposition, the Partitioned was ultimately accepted by slim margins in the Congress by 1847.
John sought to build the Peruvian economy by supporting governments and ministers that wished to exploit Peru's natural resources. In 1848, guano mines began to be established on Peru's Pacific islands.
Social
Reign
1825 - 1859
Family Ties
Honorary & Occupational Titles
Previously Held Ranks & Titles
Life
1782
1859
77 years old
Family
Children
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