34 



INSTITUTE OF SOCIAL ANTHROPOLOGY PUBLICATION NO. 13 



to ruin lay in the superstructure built by the 

 Spaniards during the colonial period. 



REPAKTIMIENTOS 62 AND ENCOMIENDAS 



It has been said above that Cortes attempted to 

 maintain native organization, insofar as it could 

 be adapted to his ends as conqueror and colonizer. 

 In part, he was successful ; but, fundamentally, he 

 failed. 



a An excellent study of the repartimicntos has been published 

 by L. B. Simpson, 1938. 



A man of undoubted talent, Cortes hesitated to 

 apply to New Spain the system of repartimdentos 

 which in Cuba and Espafiola had caused rapid 

 decimation of the native population. Essentially, 

 the repartimiento consisted in imposing on the 

 conquered peoples tasks of forced labor — in the 

 fields, in the mines, in the construction of build- 

 ings and roads, and so on. Sometimes, these 

 projects were for the benefit of the Crown, some- 

 times for the church, and sometimes for private 

 individuals. They were considered particularly 



Map 4. — Ecclesiastical organization in Totonacapan, ca. 1569-71. 



In only one case (pueblo No. 10), the information applies to a later date, namely 1580. 



A partial key appears on the sketch. Pueblos which were administered from the same center are enclosed within a 

 light bounding line. Totonac settlements are entered by number. Two pueblos— Chicontepec and Antigua Veracruz— are 

 indicated by name alone; they lie outside Totonacapan, but Totonac pueblos fell within their jurisdiction. 



