Gregorio de San Juan was a

náhuatl Nahuatl (; ), Aztec, or Mexicano is a language or, by some definitions, a group of languages of the Uto-Aztecan language family. Varieties of Nahuatl are spoken by about Nahua peoples, most of whom live mainly in Central Mexico and have small ...

cacique active from the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th. He wrote a testimony that talks about the system of encomiendas established during the

Viceroyalty A viceroyalty was an entity headed by a viceroy. It dates back to the Spanish conquest of the Americas in the sixteenth century. France * Viceroyalty of New France Portuguese Empire In the scope of the Portuguese Empire, the term " Viceroyalt ...

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

in the 16th century. The system of encomiendas was one of the most important factors in the process of colonisation. In the testament written by Gregorio de San Juan the encomiendas are described as a tool that helped pre-hispanic rulers of Mexico conserve some governmental and administrative faculties. By means of these encomiendas Gregorio de San Juan was able to accumulate a fortune and material goods. At the end of the 16th century the working laws changed, leaving the system of encomiendas behind and opening the way for the salary.

References

Tribal chiefs Encomenderos Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown {{Mexico-bio-stub