A Spanish colonial labor system that granted colonists control over indigenous communities, ostensibly to provide protection and Christian instruction in exchange for tribute and labor. In practice, it often became a form of legalized exploitation and slavery.
From Spanish 'encomienda,' meaning 'entrusting' or 'commendation,' derived from 'encomendar' (to entrust). The system evolved from medieval Iberian practices of granting land and people to nobles, adapted for colonial conditions to control indigenous populations and extract wealth.
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