Land and indigenous social stratification in Cuauhtinchán (16th century)

Abstract

Although the Spanish conquest of the American continent marked a turning point in the history of the social organization of the indigenous communities, not all the transformations necessarily adopted the direction imposed by the Spanish authorities.

This article offers an example of the latter by analyzing the intra and inter-ethnic conflicts over land ownership that took place in the sixteenth century between the Cuauhtinchans and the Tepeacans. The confrontation was conducted in legal terms within the framework of the Castilian legislation. Yet the conflict was not based solely on ancient claims to land ownership. The Spanish tribute system, along with the new territorial order created for the purposes of tax collection, was also at stake when the Cuauhtinchans and the Tepeacans confronted each other.