Encomienda System

Definition

The encomienda system was a labor system in Spanish America and the Philippines where the Spanish crown granted colonists authority over a specified number of natives, who were required to pay tribute or provide labor.

Related terms

Repartimiento System: A colonial forced labor system imposed upon the indigenous population of Spanish America and the Philippines; it replaced encomienda.

Hacienda System: A landholding system used in Spanish America which allowed owners to use native laborers on their estates in exchange for providing protection and Christianity.

Colonialism: The policy or practice of acquiring full or partial political control over another country, occupying it with settlers, and exploiting it economically; underpins systems like encomienda.