Protector of the Indians facts for kids
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The Protector of the Indians (in Spanish: Protectoría de Los Indios) was an important job in the Spanish colonies. People in this role were responsible for helping the native populations. They would write detailed reports about any unfair treatment the native people faced. Their goal was to share these struggles with the King of Spain and speak up for the native people in courts.
This special role was created partly because of Bartolomé de Las Casas. He was one of the first Europeans to arrive in the Americas. He later spent his life trying to stop the harsh treatment of Indigenous Americans. Another key person was Fray Francisco Jimenez de Cisneros, a powerful Cardinal in Spain. The idea behind the Protector of the Indians was that rulers should appoint officials to defend people who were less powerful, both inside and outside of legal courts.
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How the Protector Role Started
The idea for the Protector of the Indians mainly came from Fray Bartolomé de las Casas and Cardinal Cisneros. Steps to protect Indigenous peoples began around 1516. Several Hieronymites friars (members of a religious order) were sent to the Spanish colonies. Their job was to see how colonization was affecting the native population. They also looked at how native people were being encouraged to change their religion to Christianity.
Bartolomé de las Casas wrote a report to Cardinal Cisneros in 1516. This report spoke out against the harm and cruelties faced by native peoples in the colonies. This was one of the first times someone officially tried to protect them. After this, the kings of Spain began to choose people like bishops, friars, and other citizens to be Protectors of the Indians.
Cardinal Cisneros gave Bartolomé de las Casas the title of Protector de Indios. He was asked to give advice about native populations. He also spoke for them in legal cases and reported back to Spain. For over 50 years, Bartolomé de las Casas traveled between the Americas and Spain. He used his books, letters, and speeches to defend native peoples. He showed how unfair and harsh the conquests were. Other important Protectors included Juan de Zumárraga (appointed in 1527) and Hernando de Luque (appointed in 1529).
Bartolomé de las Casas's Efforts
Bartolomé de las Casas played a huge part in the Protector of the Indians administration. At first, he was involved in the Spanish conquest. But then he saw the terrible things happening to the native populations. After seeing this harsh treatment, Las Casas studied more about fair and unfair wars. He used this knowledge to try and defend native peoples from what he saw as unjust conquests.
The Spanish conquests made the government think about many moral questions. These included questions about colonization, war, and religion. Las Casas strongly believed that war was a "terrible disaster for humans." However, he also thought some wars could be fair. But he argued that the wars happening in the Americas were not fair. He disagreed with others who said native people were "barbarians" or "natural slaves." Las Casas said that native people were not under the Spanish Crown's rule. This meant they should be protected.
Juan de Zumárraga's Role
Fray Juan de Zumárraga became a Protector of the Indians on January 2, 1528. He was given the power to judge crimes committed against native people. He could also decide on punishments. However, the Protector did not have a police force to carry out these punishments. So, orders were given to other officials to help enforce his decisions.
In 1529, Zumárraga suggested that a trusted group of officials from different religious groups be chosen as Protectors. They would help with legal cases involving native people. But the Spanish Crown did not want to give religious leaders full control over the native population. So, in 1530, a rule was made. It said that all issues about native people should be handled by government officers chosen by the local Audiencia.
The Audiencia was a high court in the Spanish colonies. It often had military, legal, and political duties. The Audiencia was set up to act as a royal court. It helped Juan de Zumárraga in enforcing laws and punishing those who broke them.
Zumárraga's duties as Protector included visiting native people and making sure they were treated well. He also had to ensure they were taught about the Catholic Church. All interactions with native populations were supposed to be kind and focus on peaceful conversion. The Audiencia was ordered to give Zumárraga all the help he needed.
On September 29, 1534, Zumárraga asked to step down from his duties. His request was granted.
Laws and Rules
At first, there were not many clear laws about the Protector of the Indians. This made it hard to define their exact job. It wasn't until 1542, when the New Laws were published, that things became clearer. These laws officially banned the enslavement of native peoples. They also made plans to slowly end the encomienda system, which was a system of forced labor.
The first rules directly mentioning the Protector de Indios appeared in a collection called Cedulario Indiano in 1596. Later, they were included in the Compilation of the Laws of the Indies. These laws also talked about how native people should be treated. They said native people should be converted to Christianity peacefully and cared for well. They specifically said not to oppress them and to treat them as loyal subjects of the Crown. The laws also required the prosecutor of the local Audiencia to watch over how native people were treated. They had to punish any lawbreakers and tell the Council of the Indies about it.
On April 9, 1591, the Crown issued a Royal Decree. It was sent to Luis de Velasco, who was the viceroy of New Spain. This decree created a special office just for defending native people in the colonies. This office would be led by an attorney general and a legal advisor for cases involving native people.
What Happened Later
There isn't much information about the Protector of the Indians after Fray Juan de Zumárraga left the role. When the Spanish Constitution of 1812 became important, the Protectoría de indios was ended. It was brought back for a short time during the Trienio Liberal period. But after the American colonies gained their independence, the role disappeared completely. This meant that Indigenous people had a completely different legal standing.
See also
In Spanish: Protectoría de indios para niños
