The administration system in the Yucatan was similar to most others. After the conquest, we were required to establish a form of order over the indigenous inhabitants of all surrounding areas. Coming from Spain, which had a very organized system of running things, I saw the desperate need for control and order in the Yucatan but the Indians did not have the same feelings regarding this issue. In the beginning, the Mayas saw the colonial system as one of the main reasons for the collapse of their cultural society. However, we were trying to better the lives of the natives and establish some order for them.
Our overall purpose was to establish a system of indirect rule and tribute exaction as well as acquiring labor. We also needed a system of separate republics to prevent a possible takeover and any possible attempts at independence from the Crown. At one point, we were looked upon in a somewhat positive light when our fellow officials legitimated statuses of local nobles, validated boundary agreements, and reduced some tribute burdens.
Since the number of natives was far more greater than the population of Spaniards, the colonial system of government and taxation had to be more indirect. With this, two factors were crucial to maintain order: political stability and the partial cooperation of the indigenous elite. However, Spanish officials were concerned with confirming the social status and political positions of the already established Maya leaders. After awhile we ended up just replacing them with our own selections for local official positions.
The Crown entrusted the execution and (to a limited extent) interpretation of its laws in the Indies with members of the audiencia. Tomas Lopez Medel, who was a member of the Guatemala audiencia, is known for reforming colonial administration in the Yucatan. Lopez Medel was a true representative of a royal official. He was energetic and inflexible reminding the communities of the systematic world of Spain which many may have forgotten due to the distance and disorder. He forced agreements between the Spanish town councils and the friars on the amount of tribute and service to be extracted from the Indians and also fixed the wage scales for the carriers transporting colonial goods. (Clendinnen). In addition, he ordered Indians who still lived scattered all over the areas to be gathered together in "good and convenient places, or properly organized villages." (Clendinnen). Feeling like he completed his task, Lopez Medel returned to Guatemala taking his image of authority with him.
For several years there was no specific leader of the Yucatan. When the Crown finally realized how far local administrators failed to apply Lopez Medel's ordinances, they gave the order of jurisdiction in the Yucatan to Don Diego Quijada, a professional bureaucrat. He became the alcalde mayor or chief of the secular government. Quijada was a grateful servant to Spain. His initial task was to convey the residencia, which was the judicial review of conduct in office, of his predecessor. He handled the task well and became a great mayor. However once he became involved with Fray Diego de Landa, a bishop of the Yucatan who lead the Inquisition, Quijada questioned his own servitude to Spain. Landa threatened to denounce him before the viceroy if he decided to go against him. Eventually Quijada was convicted of being committed and supportive to Landa who was tried and convicted for his cruel ways of executing the Inquisition.
Eventually Velazquez de Gijon became governor of the Yucatan. He was a Spanish aristocract who showed no intimidation by the clerics and was no anxious newcomer. After years of trying to establish an administration system and maintain order, the government succeeded in creating a successful system but will always face problems with keeping order.
Inga Clendinnen, Ambivalent Conquests: Maya and Spaniards in Yucatan, 1517-1570, (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1987)
Matthew Restall, Maya Conquistador, (Boston: Beacon Press, 1998)
