Global Indios: The Indigenous Struggle for Justice in Sixteenth-Century Spain (Narrating Native Histories)

Nancy van Deusen examines over one hundred lawsuits that indio slaves brought to the Spanish court in the mid-sixteenth century to gain their freedom. The category indio was largely constructed during these lawsuits, and van Deusen emphasizes the need to situate colonial indigenous subjects and slavery in a global context. In The Sixteenth Century Hundreds Of Thousands Of Indios--indigineous Peoples From The Territories Of The Spanish Empire--were Enslaved And Relocated Throughtout The Iberian World. Although Various Laws And Decrees Outlawed Indio Enslavement, Several Loopholes Allowed The Practice To Continue. In Global Indios Nancy E. Van Deusen Documents The More Than One Hundred Lawsuits Between 1530 And 1585 That Indio Slaves Living In Castile Brought To The Spanish Courts To Secure Their Freedom. Because Plaintiffs Had To Prove Their Indio-ness In A Spanish Imperial Context, These Lawsuits Reveal The Difficulties Of Determining Who Was An Indio And Who Was Not--especially Since It Was An All-encompassing Construct Connoting Subservience And Political Personhood And At Times Could Refer To People From Mexico, Peru, Or South Or East Asia. Van Deusen Demonstrates That The Categories Of Free And Slave Were Often Not Easily Defined, And She Forces A Rethinking Of The Meaning Of Indio In Ways That Emphasize The Need To Situate Colonial Spanish American Indigenous Subjects In A Global Context. -- Provided By Publisher. All The World In A Village: Carmona -- Crossing The Atlantic And Entering Households -- Small Victories: Gregorio López And The Reforms Of The 1540s -- Into The Courtroom -- Narratives Of Territorial Belonging, Just War, And Ransom -- Identifying Indios -- Transimperial Indios. Nancy E. Van Deusen. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 289-317) And Index. In the sixteenth century hundreds of thousands of indios—indigenous peoples from the territories of the Spanish empire—were enslaved and relocated throughout the Iberian world. Although various laws and decrees outlawed indio enslavement, several loopholes allowed the practice to continue. In Global Indios Nancy E. van Deusen documents the more than one hundred lawsuits between 1530 and 1585 that indio slaves living in Castile brought to the Spanish courts to secure their freedom. Because plaintiffs had to prove their indio-ness in a Spanish imperial context, these lawsuits reveal the difficulties of determining who was an indio and who was not—especially since it was an all-encompassing construct connoting subservience and political personhood and at times could refer to people from Mexico, Peru, or South or East Asia. Van Deusen demonstrates that the categories of free and slave were often not easily defined, and she forces a rethinking of the meaning of indio in ways that emphasize the need to situate colonial Spanish American indigenous subjects in a global context. Series Page 3 Title Page 4 Copyright Page 5 Dedication 6 Table of Contents 8 Map of the World with Places Cited in Litigation Suits 9 Map of Latin America with Places Cited in Litigation Suits 10 Map of Iberia with Places Cited in Litigation Suits 11 Preface 12 Acknowledgments 16 Introduction 18 1 All the World in a Village: Carmona 51 2 Crossing the Atlantic and Entering Households 81 3 Small Victories? Gregorio López and the Reforms of the 1540s 116 4 Into the Courtroom 142 5 Narratives of Territorial Belonging, Just War, and Ransom 164 6 Identifying Indios 186 7 Transimperial Indios 209 Conclusions 236 Notes 248 Bibliography 306 Index 336