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Simple English definitions for legal terms
encomienda
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A quick definition of encomienda:
Encomienda: A special permission given by the Spanish government to a person to own a piece of land in the Spanish colonies. This permission also allowed the person to have control over a certain number of native people who lived on the land. It was like being a boss over the land and the people who lived there. Sometimes, the Spanish government also gave special privileges to military groups through encomienda. Encomienda could also mean a specific task or job given to a person by someone else.
A more thorough explanation:
Definition: Encomienda (en-koh-mee-en-dah) is a Spanish term used to describe a royal grant given to a private person in the Spanish colonies. The grant includes a certain portion of territory and a specific number of native inhabitants, based on the feudal principle of commendation. It can also refer to a royal grant of privileges to the military orders of Spain or a mandate for a person to do a specific commission. In general, it refers to something given by mandate, especially a parcel.
- During the Spanish colonial period, encomienda was used to grant land and native labor to Spanish settlers in the Americas.
- The Spanish military orders were granted encomienda, which gave them certain privileges and rights.
- The king issued an encomienda to the governor, mandating him to oversee the construction of a new fort.
- The encomienda included a parcel of land and a specific number of native workers to cultivate it.
These examples illustrate how encomienda was used in different contexts, such as land grants, labor arrangements, and mandates. The term reflects the colonial power dynamics between the Spanish crown, the settlers, and the native populations. It also highlights the feudal nature of the Spanish colonial system, where land and labor were controlled by a few privileged individuals.