O governo hispânico e os indígenas na Nova Espanha : uma investigação das instruções, relações e memórias de governo (1535-1564)

Abstract

This work seeks to analyze and understand the perception of the Spanish Crown and its representatives in America regarding the indigenous populations of New Spain during the period covered by the government of the first two viceroys. To this end, a set of documents relating to the New Hispanic government between 1535 and 1564 will be analyzed. The proposal is to understand how the monarchy perceived the indigenous peoples at a time of institutionalization of its American domains and of many disputes over the proper way to govern the new territories and subjects. The indigenous populations were the subject of constant concern for the Crown. The first part of the analyzed documentary set consists of royal instructions, which were supposed to guide the actions of the viceroys upon their arrival in New Spain. These, in turn, wrote reports and government memories, informing their actions, decisions, impasses, both for the Crown itself and for their successors. Such accounts make up the second part of the source list for this research. Based on the analysis of these documents, we note that the perceptions of the Spanish Crown about the indigenous peoples varied according to the debates and circumstances that marked the first half of the sixteenth century, conceiving the Amerindians from a variety of notions, ranging from subjects of the crown to idle and inconsistent individuals.