The Farol indiano by friar Manuel Pérez and the “aespañolados” Indians of Mexico City

Abstract

This article addresses the Farol indiano y guía de curas de indios by friar Manuel Pérez, parish priest of a ward of Indians in Mexico City at the beginning of the 17^th century, in an attempt to analyze the contrasts he established between the condition, conduct and attitudes of his parishioners, with respect to his previous experiences in a remote mountain town. His commentaries are of interest because they shed light on Indians that lived in close contact and communication with Spaniards and the so called “castas”, and were fully integrated into the social and economic life of the city. The harsh conditions of many of the parishioners, employed in the bakeries, workshops and tanneries, are also revealed, as are the abuses they suffered from the bailiffs. The text also presents an interesting panorama of how they adapted to difficult circumstances and the ways they sought social and economic practices to survive and even prosper in the big city.