Las Casas and the Encomienda System
The subsequent interaction between the Spanish and the Tainos was organized and temporarily nonviolent. Under the guise of caretakers, the Spanish were able to subjugate the Tainos without much initial resistance. The institution known as the encomienda quickly became the most lucrative and efficient way to deal with the Indians on Hispaniola. Variations of the system had been employed in Spain to suppress the Moors, but in Hispaniola, there were no stipulations against cruelty. The institution, comparable to the medieval feudal system, was composed of an encomendero and a group of subjected Indians who provided labor. The Spaniard was also awarded a grant of land for agricultural cultivation and the housing of his Indians. In return for their toils, the encomedero was charged with the protection and caretaking of his servants, as well as their Christianization. Of course, the Spanish were much more interested in exploiting the Indians for labor than actually improving their standard of living. In fact, the implementation of this institution did nothing really but cripple the Indians. The encomienda allowed the Europeans to create a barrier between Spaniard and Tainos based solely on race, socially elevating the Spanish. This institution did not maintain its peaceful integrity very long and proved to be nothing more than an infantile form of slavery. This was the social setting Las Casas encountered when he stepped foot onto Hispaniola in 1502.