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Paraguay History is rich and varied. The independence of Paraguay, Chaco war, war of Triple Alliance, the authoritarian rules to democracy in Paraguay are the major landmarks in the Paraguay History. The colonial period in Paraguay started in the year of 1536 and continued till 1811. The Spanish colony was set up by Domingo Martinez de Irala in1536-1556 and Juan de Salazar. Irala then established the centre of Spanish power in Paraguay.
From the beginning of the 17th century, Jesuit missionaries dominated the lives of the 150,000 Indians in about 30 settlements or reducciones. They were engaged in different activities like agricultural production, religious conversions etc. In 1721 - 35, the Spanish land owners declared a war against them and broke the monopoly of the Jesuits in Indian trade. The group also faced different challenges and was overthrown in the year of 1767. Buenos Aires then grew as a power. On 14th May 1811 Paraguay finally achieved its independence.
The post colonial history of the Paraguay witnessed authoritarian government and wars. The first dictator was Jose Gaspar Rodriguez de Francia followed by Carlos Antonio Lopez.
One of the most prominent achievement in Paraguayan History apart from the war of independence is the Chaco War which started in 1932- 1935. The war was between Bolivia and Paraguay and was waged for the dominance over Gran Chaco region of South America.
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