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Cited by 5Latin American history and cultureIndigenous Cultures and HistoryArchaeology and Cultural Heritage

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Les chefferies préhispaniques du nord de l’Équateur. Formes d’habitat et organisation territoriale

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Caillavet, Chantal·1988·Bulletin De l’Institut Français D’études Andines
DOI 10.3406/bifea.1988.979
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Abstract

Résumé Cet article propose d’analyser la distribution et l’organisation socio-politique de la population autochtone de l’ethnie Otavalo, à l’arrivée des conquérants espagnols. Faute d’avoir été conservés pour le territoire équatorien, les actes de la “Visite” du Vice-Roi Toledo ou un recensement de la région considérée pour le XVIème siècle ne permettent de connaître ni la taille des unités ethniques de base (les parcialidades), leur nombre, leur distribution spatiale, leur hiérarchie et organisation interne : j’ai donc recours à une autre méthode pour compenser cette lacune documentaire. Il s’agit d’analyser un document d’archives qui donne une liste de noms de chefs ethniques de l'encomienda d’Otavalo, présentée par le chef le plus important de l’ethnie, en 1582 ; elle précise la quantité de coton brut qu’il a distribuée à chacun d’eux pour la fabrication des tissus du tribut colonial. Grâce à des références d’archives, j’ai ensuite calculé la proportion entre coton brut et tissus finis et, donc, l’équivalence entre la production de tissus, le nombre d’indiens tributaires et enfin, la population globale assignée à chaque chef ethnique. La deuxième étape m’a conduite, par un travail d’archives et une enquête sur le terrain, à identifier puis à localiser chacun de ces chefs et leurs parcialidades. Cette information rétablie permet de reconstituer l’habitat indien avant les reducciones coloniales : il semble très dispersé mais réparti très régulièrement dans tout le territoire de l’ethnie, occupant les différents paliers écologiques et souvent implanté à plus grande altitude qu’à l’époque coloniale. Lesparcialidades sont de taille très variable, et regroupent une population — sous l’autorité d’un chef commun — oscillant de 60 à 1200 personnes. Ces modalités de peuplement si diversifiées sont en rapport avec l’écologie des terroirs occupés : unités plus petites dans les terres chaudes qu’en altitude. Diversité qui implique aussi une organisation socio-politique différente d’une parcialidad à l’autre : les écarts de statut entre les chefs ethniques sont manifestes ainsi que leur poids politique au niveau du pouvoir régional. Quelques éléments suggèrent l’existence d’une hiérarchie entre certains d’entre eux, déterminée autant par le prestige d’ordre religieux de telle unité ethnique que par la suprématie démographique de telle autre.

Overview

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Caillavet reconstructs the prehispanic chiefdoms (*parcialidades*) of the Otavalo ethnic group in northern Ecuador, arguing that indigenous settlement was highly dispersed and organized into many small, chief-led units spread across contrasting climatic zones. Because no *visitas* survive for the region, she substitutes unpublished 1570–1579 documentary sources to recover information comparable to Toledo's General Inspection.

Key findings

  • The 16th-century Otavalo ethnic group comprised roughly 15,000 people occupying both cold highland terrain (2,500–3,000 m), from the Chota river north to the Guayllabamba south, and hot western Andean piedmont lands (about 2,000–1,200 m).
  • Indigenous settlement was "très dispersé" (*desparramados*), with parcialidades separated by "una y dos y tres y quatro leguas"; the term used by Spaniards (*parcialidad*, *pueblo*) did not imply a size difference or dualist organization, unlike Peruvian cases cited by Rostworowski.
  • For the Chillos valley (from a 1559 *visita*), each chief-led parcialidad grouped 20 to 100 houses, i.e. roughly 100 to 500 people; no figures exist for Otavalo, but a 1580 royal order for the Otavalo *corregimiento* required each *principal* to hold at least 100 subject Indians (about 500 persons), implying many units were far smaller.
  • Dispersion is explicitly linked to the occupation of all types of climatic terrain ("los pueblos son muchos y están derramados y en diferentes temples," 1577).

Methods

  • Ethnohistorical study drawing on previously unexploited archival sources dated 1570–1579 (Archivo General de Indias, Seville; Archivo Histórico del Banco Central, Ibarra), used to compensate for the absence of local *visitas* and of Toledo's General Inspection for the Audiencia of Quito.
  • Comparison with the *Relaciones Geográficas de Indias* (Otavalo 1582; Quito 1573) and with F. Salomon's analysis of the Quito region, plus colonial testimony on forced *reducciones*.
  • Analysis proceeds through a typology of indigenous parcialidades, their geographic distribution, and the functional structure linking them at the level of the ethnic group.

Limitations

  • Stated: no numerical demographic information for the Otavalo region; the colonial practice of forced *reducciones* (1580s) masks traditional habitat and social organization; the indigenous term for these units was not transmitted in Hispanic documentation and may only be identifiable through local toponymy; cited toponyms are difficult to locate.
  • Evident from the text: the article is an extract from a doctoral thesis in preparation, and the provided text is an uncorrected OCR of only pages 41–44 of a 41–59 article, so the sections on territorial organization, methodological critique, and conclusions are not available here.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.3406/bifea.1988.979

Cites

Statistics

Nothing to recompute.

Verification

Claims the paper makes

0 of 11 cited sources checked · 0 supported · 0 flagged

  • Findingcitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    In the Ibarra region, the parcialidad of the Indians of Tuarabara was an ancient pueblo reduced to that of Carangue.

    “— Dans la région d’Ibarra: “la parcialidad de los yndios de Tuarabara pueblo antiguo re-dusido al de Carangue” (17).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [17]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Findingnone given
    § C. CAILLAVET

    The autochthonous term to designate these settlement units has not been transmitted by Hispanic documentation.

    “Le terme autochtone pour les désigner n’a pas été transmis par la documentation hispanique.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
  • Premisecitation
    § Abstract

    Human groups in the Otavalo ethnic group were organized in units led by an ethnic chief (parcialidades), as known in particular from the Relations Géographiques des Indes.

    “On sait en effet, en ce qui concerne cette ethnie du nord de l’Equateur, en particulier par les Relations Géographiques des Indes (3), que les groupes humains étaient organisés en unités dirigées par un chef ethnique (les parcialidades)”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Relations Géographiques des Indes (3)

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Interpretationreasoning
    § Abstract

    In the north of the Audience of Quito (Otavalo territory), sources of a different type, not exploited until now, dated 1570-1579, allow reconstructing information comparable to that contained in the General Visit of Viceroy Toledo.

    “Dans le cas concret du nord de l’Audience de Quito (territoire Otavalo), je me suis atta¬ chée dans cet article, à suppléer à cette carence par le recours à des sources de type différent, non exploitées jusqu’ici. La date de ces sources: 1570-1579, et le parti que je me propose d’en tirer, à défaut de fournir des éléments démographiques aussi complets que ceux d’un recense¬ ment per capita,”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Premisecitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    Indian habitat is also comparable in southern Colombia, where the natives are scattered and not together.

    “L’habitat indien est aussi comparable dans le sud de la Colombie, “por estar los dichos naturales derramados y no juntos” (10).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [10]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one. 8

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingcitation
    § I. L’habitat : architecture et distribution spatiale

    The indigenous settlement was very dispersed-described as desparramados by a colonial official of the repopulation-and the Spaniards despaired of knowing so many Indian families installed deep in ravines, escarpments, and inaccessible mountains.

    “On peut établir néanmoins que le peuplement autochtone était très dispersé -desparramados selon l’expression d’un responsable colonial du repeuplement (6)-et que les Es¬ pagnols se désespéraient de savoir tant de familles indiennes installées au fin fond de ravins, es¬ carpements et montagnes inaccessibles”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [6]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Findingcitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    For the Otavalo region, still in 1577, it is said that the pueblos are many and are scattered and in different climates, which explicates the sense of this dispersion: the occupation of all types of climatic terroirs.

    “Pour la région d’Otavalo, encore en 1577, il est dit que “los pueblos son muchos y están derra¬ mados y en diferentes temples” (14); ce qui explicite le sens de cette dispersion: l’occupation de tous les types de terroirs climatiques.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [14]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Premisecitation
    § Abstract

    The number, size, and territorial distribution of the parcialidades of the Otavalo ethnic group are not precisely described, nor are the links uniting them and establishing their coherence at the level of the global ethnic group.

    “mais leur nombre, leur taille, leur distri¬ bution territoriale ne sont pas précisément décrites, pas plus que les liens les unissant entre elles et établissant leur cohérence au niveau du groupe ethnique global.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [3]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Premisecitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    Households are assigned to many small units that the Spaniards designate by the approximate terms parcialidades or pueblos, without these terms implying a difference in size or a dualist organization, contrary to Peruvian examples noted by M. Rostworowski.

    “Néanmoins, les maisonnées sont assignées à de nombreuses petites unités que les Espagnols désignent par les termes approximatifs de parciali¬ dades ou de pueblos sans que ceux-ci impliquent une différence de taille, ni une organisation dualiste, au contraire des exemples péruviens relevés par M. Rostworowski (11).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [11]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Premisecitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    The territory of these parcialidades is in principle abandoned during forced displacements of population into new colonial villages; they are then designated in documents as pueblos viejos, where Indians still possess their lands but no longer have the right to reside; abundant references cite different toponyms difficult to locate, but which attest the considerable number of these prehispanic 'v

    “Le territoire de ces parcialidades est en principe abandonné lors des déplacements forcés de la population dans les nouveaux villages coloniaux; elles sont ensuite désignées dans les do¬ cuments comme les pueblos viejos, où les indiens possèdent toujours leurs terres mais n’ont plus le droit de résider: les références abondantes citent différents toponymes difficilement locali¬ sables, mais qui”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Interpretationcitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    This dispersed habitat-though sedentary-seems to be the general rule for Andean lands, as attested by the RGI and F. Salomon's analysis for the Quito region.

    “Cette forme d’habitat dispersé -quoique sédentaire-semble être la règle générale pour les terres andines, comme l’attestent les RGI (9) et l’analyse de F. Salomon pour la région de Quito (9).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [9]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Interpretationcitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    No numerical information exists for the Otavalo region, but the settlement units were doubtless of the same order as those in Chillos, since a royal order of 1580 for the corregimiento of Otavalo stipulated that the small chiefdoms be reformed, suppressing those governing few Indians, requiring each to have at least 100 subject Indians, i.e., a group of 500 persons at most; this proves that very许多

    “Pas d’information chiffrée pour la région d’Otavalo, mais des unités sans doute du même ordre puisqu’ un ordre royal de 1580 pour le “corregimiento d’Otavalo” stipule que l’on “ré¬ forme les petites chefferies”, en fait que l’on supprime celles qui régissent peu d’indiens: “por¬ que es grande ynconveniente aver en un pueblo muchos principales y se siguen muchos daños y mas quando tienen pocos ynd”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [16]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • It may state two separate claims as one.

    Premisecitation
    § C. CAILLAVET

    For the Chillos valley near Quito, better known thanks to a visita of 1559, one has been able to establish the size of these settlement units (parcialidades), each under the authority of a chief: they group 20 to 100 houses, giving approximately 100 to 500 persons.

    “Pour la vallée des Chillos proche de Quito, mieux connue grâce à une inspection (visita ) de 1559, on a pu établir la taille de ces unités de peuplement (par¬ cialidades) chacune sous l’autorité d’un chef: elles regroupent de 20 à 100 maisons, ce qui donne de 100 à 500 personnes environ (15).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites [15]

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

8 of 8

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • Minimum of 100 dependents described as a maximum of 500 people

    Minor

    The quoted order requires each chief to have *at least* 100 Indian dependents, but the article interprets this as a group of *at most* 500 people. Even allowing for its implied conversion from dependents to total population, the stated minimum does not establish a maximum.

1 of 1

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Metadata

Authors
Caillavet, C.
Venue
Bulletin De l’Institut Français D’études Andines
Publisher
PERSEE Program
Published
1988
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
41-59
ISSN
0303-7495 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.3406/bifea.1988.979
OpenAlex
W1128853763
Cited by
5
References
0
Citations by year
2018: 1 · 2014: 1
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
fr
Open access
Licence
cc-by-nc-sa
Locations
  • Bulletin de l’Institut français d’études andines (publishedVersion)
  • Périodiques Scientifiques en Édition Électronique (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-sa)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › History › Latin American history and culture
  • Social Sciences › Anthropology › Indigenous Cultures and History
  • Social Sciences › Arts and Humanities › Archeology (arts and humanities) › Archaeology and Cultural Heritage
Keywords
Otavalo, territorial organization, indigenous settlement patterns, cotton production, indigenous chiefs, sociopolitical organization, ecological determinism, northern Ecuador, 16th century, Spanish conquest, altitudinal distribution

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