Adelantado

"Adelantado" was a military title held by some Spanish Conquistadors of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries. "Adelantados" were granted directly by the Monarch the right to become governors and justices of a specific region, which they charged with conquering, in exchange for funding and organizing the initial explorations, settlements and pacification of the target area on behalf of the Crown. These areas were usually outside of the jurisdiction of an audiencia or viceroy, and "adelantados" were authorized to communicate directly with the Council of the Indies. [Fisher, Lillian Estelle. "Viceregal Administration in the Spanish American Colonies". Berkeley, University of California Press, 1926, 81.]

The Reconquista

The term has its origins in the Reconquista. The term comes from the phrase "por adelantado" (Spanish: "in advance," although translations stating "one who goes before" and "the forward man" are also found), which in turn is a calque of the Arabic term "al-muqaddám". As early as the 11th century a few Castilian and Navarrese documents use the word, but do not specify the powers or duties of the office. The earliest definitely known "adelentado" was appointed in 1253 in the recently conquered territory of "La Frontera" (Andalusia). It was during this time that the Siete Partidas, commisioned by Alfonso X, more precisely identified the powers of the office. That law code created the office of an "adelantado mayor", who was at the same time an intermediary appellate judge, located in the judicial heirarchy between local justices and the king's court, and an excecutive officer, who as a direct representative of the king, was charged with implementing royal orders in his assigned area. Most appointees were from the upper nobility or the royal family. After success in Andalusia, the institution was introduced in the northern areas of the peninsula, merging with, and becoming indistinguishable from an older judicial office, the "merino".

Overseas

The term "adelantado" continued to be used in the conquest of the Canary Islands and was modified over time. During the colonization of the Americas and Asia, each charter specified different powers to each "adelantado", sometimes in a vague manner, which often lead to confusion, as in the case between Juan de Oñate and the Viceroy of New Spain. [Fisher. "Viceregal Administration", 81.] The title was also granted both as an inheritable title and one that lasted for one life only. With the publication of the Ordinances Concerning Discoveries ("Ordenanzas de descubrimientos, nueva población y pacificación de las Indias") in 1573, the attributes of "adelantados" became regularized, although it should be noted that the title was granted with much less frequency after this date, especially since the institutions of "audiencias", governors and viceroys had been developed. [The laws relating to "adelantados" are compiled in Titles 3, 4 and 7 of Book IV of the [http://www.congreso.gob.pe/ntley/LeyIndiaP.htm "Recompilación de las leyes de Indias"] . In Spanish.] Nevertheless, the Ordinances are useful because they illustrate the faculties "adelantados" often had. The Ordinances established that "adelantados", in their capacity as governors and justices of the new territories, had the right to hear civil and criminal cases in appeal, to name the "regidores" and employees of the cabildos of any towns founded, to name interim treasury officials, to issue ordinances on the use of land and mines, to establish districts, and to organize militias and name their captains.

The first use of the title "adelantado" in the Americas was by Bartolomeo Columbus, brother of Christopher Columbus, who governed Hispaniola under this title during his brother's absence from 1494 to 1498. It was later inherited by Diego Colón after much litigation. Other conquistadors, who were granted the title, include:

1512: Juan Ponce de León for Florida and Biminí, renewed in 1524 for his son, Luis.

1514: Vasco Núñez de Balboa for the South Sea.

1518: Ferdinand Magellan for the Spice Islands, and Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar for Yucatán and Cozumel.

1529: Francisco Pizarro for Peru, and Pedro de Mendoza for Argentina.

1535: Pedro Fernández de Lugo for Santa Marta (as son of Alonso Fernández de Lugo, "Adelantado" of Tenerife and La Palma, he was a second-generation "adelantado").

1537: Hernando de Soto for North America.

1565: Pedro Menéndez de Avilés for Florida.

1571: Miguel López de Legazpi for the Philippines.

ee also

* Audiencia
* Captaincy General
* Prefect
* Viceroy

References

Bibliography

*Ayala, Manuel Josef de. "Diccionario de gobierno y legislación de Indias". (Madrid: Ediciones de Cultura Hispánica, 1988) ISBN 84-7232-449-4
*Fisher, Lillian Estelle. "Viceregal Administration in the Spanish American Colonies". Berkeley, University of California Press, 1926.
*Jular Pérez-Alfaro, Cristina. "Los adelantados y merinos mayores de León (siglos XIII-XV)". (León: Universidad de León) ISBN 84-7719-225-1
*O'Callaghan, Joseph F. O. "A History of Medieval Spain". (Ithaca, Cornell University Press, 1975) ISBN 0-8014-0880-6
*Pérez-Bustamante y González de la Vega, Rogelio. "El gobierno y la administración de la Corona de Castilla". (Ediciones Aldecoa, 1976) ISBN 84-7009-188-3
*Vargas Pereira, Marco Vinicio. "El adelantantamiento en el Derecho Indiano." (Thesis, Universidad de Costa Rica, 1998)
*Vázquez Campos, Braulio. "Los adelantados mayores de La Frontera o Andalucía (siglos XIII-XIV)". (Seville: Diputación Provincial de Sevilla, 2006) ISBN 84-7798-230-9