﻿Vol.2] 
  TRIBES 
  OF 
  ECUADOR 
  MURRA 
  815 
  

  

  control 
  became 
  a 
  regular 
  feature 
  of 
  the 
  Andean 
  landscape. 
  Means 
  

   estimates 
  that 
  about 
  half 
  of 
  the 
  Indians 
  lived 
  on 
  encomiendas, 
  

   one-fourth 
  in 
  these 
  Indian 
  towns, 
  and 
  another 
  fourth 
  had 
  escaped 
  

   regimentation 
  by 
  withdrawing 
  into 
  inaccessible 
  parts 
  of 
  the 
  country. 
  

  

  After 
  the 
  destruction 
  of 
  the 
  Imperial 
  State 
  structure, 
  the 
  Spaniards 
  

   were 
  willing 
  to 
  preserve 
  the 
  formal 
  aspects 
  of 
  Inca 
  political 
  organi- 
  

   zation 
  on 
  a 
  local 
  and 
  regional 
  scale. 
  The 
  Viceroy 
  of 
  Toledo 
  was 
  par- 
  

   ticularly 
  eager 
  to 
  maintain 
  and 
  augment 
  the 
  prestige 
  and 
  authority 
  of 
  

   the 
  native 
  chiefs, 
  which 
  had 
  been 
  seriously 
  damaged 
  during 
  the 
  Con- 
  

   quest 
  and 
  the 
  resettlement 
  period. 
  Former 
  curacas 
  (chiefs) 
  or 
  their 
  

   descendants 
  were 
  reinstated 
  wherever 
  they 
  had 
  been 
  deposed. 
  Thus 
  

   Don 
  Sancho 
  Hacho, 
  direct 
  descendant 
  from 
  the 
  old 
  chief 
  of 
  Latacunga, 
  

   who 
  had 
  helped 
  various 
  imperial 
  expeditions 
  with 
  men 
  and 
  supplies, 
  

   was 
  made 
  a 
  nobleman 
  by 
  the 
  King 
  on 
  Governor 
  Nunez 
  de 
  Bouilla's 
  

   recommendation, 
  was 
  granted 
  various 
  Indian 
  settlements 
  in 
  Panzaleo 
  

   country, 
  and 
  generally 
  enjoyed 
  the 
  privileges 
  of 
  the 
  dominant 
  group. 
  

   In 
  1606, 
  the 
  cacique 
  of 
  Caranqui 
  "controlled" 
  all 
  Indians 
  between 
  the 
  

   Mira 
  River 
  and 
  the 
  town 
  of 
  Ibarra. 
  At 
  least 
  one 
  of 
  Atahuallpa's 
  sons 
  

   was 
  given 
  a 
  repartimiento, 
  and, 
  as 
  late 
  as 
  1631, 
  an 
  Indian 
  Queen 
  of 
  

   Quito 
  was 
  recognized 
  at 
  least 
  on 
  festive 
  occasions. 
  Native 
  cacicazgo, 
  

   or 
  chieftainship, 
  was 
  recognized 
  and 
  reckoned 
  with 
  till 
  the 
  middle 
  of 
  

   the 
  18th 
  century. 
  

  

  Under 
  these 
  chiefs, 
  a 
  hierarchy 
  of 
  lesser 
  officials, 
  alcaldes, 
  and 
  algua- 
  

   ciles, 
  all 
  Christians 
  and 
  presumably 
  elected 
  by 
  the 
  heads 
  of 
  households, 
  

   supervised 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  taxes, 
  ensured 
  the 
  participation 
  of 
  Indians 
  

   in 
  public 
  works, 
  and 
  generally 
  carried 
  through 
  the 
  conquerors' 
  

   policies. 
  In 
  return 
  for 
  their 
  services, 
  native 
  authorities 
  received 
  wood 
  

   and 
  straw 
  from 
  their 
  subjects 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  aid 
  in 
  harvesting 
  their 
  own 
  

   crops. 
  While 
  the 
  regional 
  curacas 
  received 
  privileges 
  and 
  titles 
  from 
  

   the 
  Spaniards, 
  local 
  whips 
  were 
  not 
  much 
  better 
  off 
  than 
  their 
  charges, 
  

   and 
  one 
  chronicler 
  complains 
  that 
  chiefs 
  in 
  the 
  Ambato 
  area 
  were 
  too 
  

   poor 
  to 
  attend 
  to 
  their 
  civic 
  duties. 
  

  

  The 
  whole 
  Indian 
  hierarchy 
  was 
  topped 
  by 
  a 
  vice-regal 
  appointee, 
  

   always 
  a 
  Spaniard, 
  known 
  as 
  corregidor 
  de 
  indios, 
  who 
  lived 
  in 
  Indian 
  

   towns 
  and 
  presided 
  at 
  the 
  meetings 
  of 
  their 
  councils. 
  In 
  1610 
  when 
  

   such 
  a 
  corregidor 
  was 
  appointed 
  at 
  Ibarra, 
  in 
  the 
  heart 
  of 
  the 
  Cava 
  

   country, 
  his 
  duties 
  were 
  outlined 
  as 
  including 
  the 
  maintenance 
  of 
  peace 
  

   and 
  justice; 
  watching 
  over 
  the 
  treatment, 
  conservation, 
  and 
  multi- 
  

   plication 
  of 
  natives; 
  preventing 
  Spaniards, 
  Negroes, 
  and 
  other 
  aliens 
  

   from 
  settling 
  in 
  Indian 
  villages; 
  seeing 
  to 
  it 
  that 
  Indians 
  kept 
  busy 
  

   and 
  did 
  not 
  leave 
  the 
  reducciones; 
  preventing 
  abuse 
  by 
  Whites 
  and 
  by 
  

   Indian 
  chiefs; 
  and, 
  finally, 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  taxes. 
  

  

  The 
  Spaniards 
  divided 
  the 
  Indian 
  population 
  into 
  several 
  categories. 
  

   The 
  basis 
  of 
  the 
  structure 
  was 
  the 
  tribute-paying, 
  able-bodied 
  adult 
  

   male 
  agriculturist, 
  known 
  as 
  a 
  tributario. 
  Those 
  under 
  18, 
  too 
  young 
  

  

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