﻿Vol.2] 
  COLONIAL 
  QUECHUA 
  — 
  KUBLER 
  349 
  

  

  and 
  fauna 
  resulted 
  in 
  their 
  ethnic 
  disappearance 
  from 
  the 
  region. 
  On 
  

   the 
  other 
  hand, 
  the 
  complete 
  refusal 
  by 
  the 
  Quechua 
  to 
  adapt 
  to 
  Euro- 
  

   pean 
  livestock 
  and 
  crops 
  resulted 
  in 
  the 
  alienation 
  of 
  their 
  lands, 
  

   since 
  without 
  increased 
  income 
  they 
  were 
  unable 
  to 
  meet 
  their 
  tribute 
  

   obligations. 
  Without 
  lands, 
  the 
  communities 
  could 
  not 
  exist. 
  Local 
  

   adaptations 
  in 
  varying 
  measures, 
  therefore, 
  characterize 
  the 
  Mature 
  

   Colonial 
  Quechua 
  community; 
  its 
  normal 
  survival 
  was 
  conditional 
  

   upon 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  an 
  agriculture, 
  industries, 
  and 
  a 
  mercantile 
  

   life 
  superimposed 
  upon 
  the 
  fundamental 
  communal 
  agriculture 
  and 
  

   llama 
  raising. 
  

  

  The 
  Catholicization 
  of 
  the 
  Quechua 
  provided 
  the 
  communities 
  

   with 
  a 
  complex 
  ritual 
  life 
  which 
  not 
  only 
  absorbed 
  one-fourth 
  of 
  the 
  

   year 
  in 
  formal 
  festivals 
  but 
  also 
  affected 
  the 
  tone 
  of 
  everyday 
  life 
  

   through 
  the 
  lay 
  associations 
  and 
  the 
  innumerable 
  duties 
  required 
  of 
  

   the 
  parishioners. 
  If 
  the 
  individual 
  Indian 
  could 
  not 
  participate 
  in 
  

   in 
  civil 
  or 
  ecclesiastical 
  government 
  at 
  any 
  but 
  the 
  most 
  humble 
  

   levels, 
  he 
  could 
  accumulate 
  prestige 
  by 
  assuming 
  responsibility 
  and 
  

   expenses 
  in 
  the 
  ritual 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  parish. 
  The 
  lay 
  associations 
  (cofra- 
  

   dias), 
  with 
  their 
  different 
  costumes, 
  insignia, 
  or 
  vocations, 
  gave 
  a 
  

   much 
  needed 
  ceremonial 
  articulation 
  to 
  Indian 
  society. 
  

  

  It 
  may 
  be 
  said 
  that 
  Mature 
  Colonial 
  religious 
  life 
  retained 
  a 
  dense 
  

   and 
  intricate 
  web 
  of 
  magical 
  practices 
  and 
  superstitious 
  beliefs, 
  all 
  

   rooted 
  in 
  pre-Conquest 
  religion, 
  but 
  no 
  longer 
  organized 
  by 
  concepts 
  

   of 
  divinity. 
  Idolatry, 
  in 
  the 
  dogmatic 
  Christian 
  sense, 
  effectively 
  dis- 
  

   appeared 
  from 
  Quechua 
  Peru 
  about 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  the 
  17th 
  century, 
  

   both 
  through 
  the 
  decay 
  of 
  native 
  notions 
  of 
  divinity 
  and 
  through 
  a 
  

   more 
  tolerant 
  and 
  discriminating 
  interpretation 
  by 
  churchmen. 
  

  

  Thus, 
  the 
  life 
  of 
  the 
  Quechua 
  in 
  the 
  Mature 
  Colonial 
  Period 
  was 
  far 
  

   from 
  empty 
  or 
  monotonous. 
  The 
  annual 
  program 
  contained 
  many 
  

   rhythms 
  associated 
  with 
  a 
  diversified 
  agriculture, 
  stock 
  raising, 
  and 
  

   home 
  or 
  communal 
  industries. 
  The 
  mercantile 
  activities 
  called 
  for 
  

   seasonal 
  travel. 
  The 
  elaborate 
  celebration 
  of 
  Church 
  feasts 
  demanded 
  

   the 
  energies 
  of 
  different 
  sections 
  of 
  the 
  community 
  in 
  rotation. 
  While 
  

   some 
  prepared 
  the 
  feast, 
  others 
  enjoyed 
  it, 
  until 
  their 
  turn 
  to 
  assume 
  

   responsibility 
  came 
  up. 
  Finally, 
  the 
  chance 
  of 
  being 
  called 
  to 
  the 
  

   mita 
  marked 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  longer 
  rhythms 
  in 
  the 
  individual 
  life 
  cycle. 
  

   The 
  service 
  brought 
  hardship 
  and 
  separation, 
  but 
  it 
  was 
  demanded 
  

   only 
  at 
  intervals 
  of 
  several 
  years, 
  and 
  many 
  devices 
  for 
  evasion 
  were 
  

   available. 
  

  

  In 
  general, 
  the 
  Mature 
  Colonial 
  Period 
  was 
  marked 
  by 
  a 
  social 
  equi- 
  

   librium 
  which 
  is 
  not 
  infrequently 
  attained 
  between 
  colonists 
  and 
  

   natives 
  in 
  remote 
  environments. 
  Under 
  peonage 
  a 
  remarkable 
  illu- 
  

   sion 
  of 
  human 
  liberty 
  may 
  prevail. 
  With 
  their 
  limited 
  experience 
  of 
  

   alternative 
  states 
  of 
  being, 
  the 
  subjects 
  appear 
  content 
  with 
  their 
  lot, 
  

   exploring 
  and 
  developing 
  its 
  restricted 
  possibilities. 
  But 
  in 
  Peru 
  the 
  

  

  