Nahuas and Spaniards in the socioeconomic history of Xochimilco, New Spain, 1550-1725

This dissertation examines relations between Nahuatl-speaking peoples, or Nahuas (Aztecs), and Spaniards in the populous and prosperous ethnic state of Xochimilco, New Spain. Historians of indigenous societies typically characterize colonial-era changes as having occurred first and most extensively in core areas of central Mexico where most Spaniards settled. The case of Xochimilco, however, offers an intriguingly different scenario. It demonstrates that the area's lakeside situation, within which the Nahuas fashioned a distinctive economy, acted as a buffer against Spanish intrusion, particularly in the ownership of land. Thus the area's abundant aquatic garden agriculture, its canoe-borne transportation, and its vibrant crafts and commercial traditions continued to flourish for generations after the Spanish conquest even as they underwent change through incorporation into the colonial economy.;Ongoing economic viability held profound implications for cross-cultural relations. The comparative absence of Spanish settlers magnified the importance of Spanish institutions and authorities in bringing changes to Xochimilco. It also heightened internal divisions and tensions within the Nahua community, particularly in terms of hierarchy and status as well as the control of resources, including the municipal government's supervision of tribute and labor. Yet the Nahuas were well placed to maintain community integrity and to contend with changing configurations of race and ethnicity as outsiders gradually made the city their home. As such, the dissertation offers new perspectives into the making of a mixed, colonial society in which Nahuas not only played a vital part but also successfully preserved many aspects of their corporate organization and cultural heritage.