The Encomienda: A Comparison of Spanish and Indian Interactions in Peru, Guatemala, and Central Mexico

Abstract: A 10 page discussion of the enconmienda, that system set up by the Spanish to administer the Indian populations of Central and South America. Emphasizes that the cultures which comprised the Americas were not only extremely diverse, they were not always accustomed to being subjugated in the manner the Spanish expected. What arose was an administrative system which differed substantially according to the geographic and cultural area in which it was based. The study of the enconmienda therefore is not a study of either Spanish or Indian society but instead is a study of the geographical, economic and demographic factors which interacted both with the Spaniards and the Indians. Bibliography lists sources.

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Catagory: Latin-America / Mixed

Subcatagory: Latin-American & Carribean Studies

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