Priest-Indian Conflict in Upper Peru: The Generation of Rebellion, 1750-1780

by Nicholas A. Robins

Overview

This detailed volume offers an unprecedented exploration of incendiary conditions that stoked The Great Rebellion of 1780-1782 in Upper Peru (Bolivia). That revolt claimed tens of thousands of lives and traumatized imperial psyches for decades to come. It was, in effect, one of the most de vastating political and human disasters in Latin American colonial history. Using extensive archival research, Nicholas Robins delves into the fractious relations between Indian communities and their clergy and the role that such tensions played as a major causal factor of the rebellion. Among the grievous economic and social issues were the use of forced Indian labor, land encroachment, colonial relations with native leaders, and collection of Indian tithes and first fruits.

Powerful case histories offer rare insights into the daily exercise of power in colonial Andean villages. Compelling archival evidence provides a riveting portrait of clerical abuse in rural villages and reveals how Indian peoples challenged and resisted ruling powers with varying degrees of success. Robins' substantial documentation is enriched by a wealth of often colorful detail, making it an excellent choice for studies in Colonial Latin America n history and indigenous Latin American communities.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780815631422
Publisher:	Syracuse University Press
Publication date:	06/25/2007
Series:	Religion and Politics Ser.
Edition description:	New Edition
Pages:	315
Product dimensions:	5.88(w) x 8.41(h) x 0.87(d)

About the Author

Nicholas A. Robins is a visiting scholar at the Center for Latin American and Caribbean Studies, Duke University. He is the author or editor of seven books in the field, including Native Insurgencies and the Genocidal Impulse in the Americas.

What People are Saying About This

Kendall W. Brown

An important contribution to our understanding of factors leading up to the greatest colonial rebellion in the history of Spanish America.