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colonial peru

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Colonial Peru

Queen Isabella of Spain indirectly laid the original foundations for the political administration of Peru in 1503 when she authorized the initiation of an encomienda system , which meant that successful Spanish conquerors could extract tribute for the Crown and personal service in return for converting the natives to Christianity. They were not, however, given title to the land itself. As governor of Peru, Pizarro used the encomienda system to grant large groups of Indians to his favourite soldier-companions. In this way the basic colonial land-tenure structure was created in everything but name. "Personal service" rapidly came to mean subservient serfdom for the native population, many of whom were now expected to raise animals introduced from the Old World (cattle, hens, etc) on behalf of their new overlords. Many Inca cities were rebuilt as Spanish towns, although some, like Cusco, retained native masonry for their foundations and even walls. Other Inca sites, like Huanuco Viejo, were abandoned in favour of cities in more hospitable lower altitudes. The Spanish were drawn to the coast for strategic as well as climatic reasons - above all to maintain constant oceanic links with the homeland via Panama.

The foundation of Lima in 1535 began a multilayered process of satellite dependency which continues even today. The fat of the land (originally mostly gold and other treasures) was sucked in from regions all over Peru, processed in Lima, and sent on from there to Spain. Lima survived on the backs of Peru's municipal capitals which, in turn, extracted tribute from the scattered encomenderos. The encomenderos depended on local chieftains ( curacas) to rake in service and goods from even the most remote villages and hamlets. At the lowest level there was little difference between Inca imperial exploitation and the economic network of Spanish colonialism. Where they really varied was that under the Incas the surplus produce circulated among the elite within the country, while the Spaniards sent much of it to a distant monarch on the other side of the world.

In 1541 Pizarro was assassinated by a disgruntled faction among the conquistadores who looked to Diego Almagro as their leader, and for the next seven years the nascent colonial society was rent by civil war. In response, the first viceroy - Blasco Nuñez de Vela - was sent from Spain in 1544. His task was to act as royal commissioner and to secure the colony's loyalty to Spain; his fate was to be killed by Gonzalo Pizarro, brother of Francisco. But Royalist forces, now under Pedro de la Gasca, eventually prevailed - Gonzalo was captured and executed, and Crown control firmly established.
 

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 Published articles and reviews about us

2010 Testimonials

Norman Pedersen
 Date: Sun,18 Jul 2010

Machu Picchu and my entire visit to Peru were wonderful. A dream come true.
I could not have been happier with everyone I met through your arrangements. 
The tours were very informative and showed me more than I knew existed in this beautiful place.
All of the accommodations were very comfortable.
The luncheon buffet at the Alhambra was top rate. And the Ferré Hotel in Lima was also a very good choice.Your personal assistance throughout was exceptional!
Thank you for everything!

Melinda Hughes
 Date: Tues, 13 Jul 2010

I was one of the “Joel Williams” party of four who was recently on a Peru Gateway Travel tour of northern and southern Peru. I had to write so you would know how satisfied we were with the hotel accommodations, the tour guides, the restaurants they choose for our lunches and just everything about the trip.

The hotels we stayed in were well located, clean and convenient in every way. We have absolutely no complaints!

Our tour covered Peru from the north to the south. It had four internal flights, so there were many connections, pick ups and deliveries involved. Peru Gateway Travel made sure we were always delivered on time to the airports and promptly met and picked up when we landed. We never had a moments worry.
Since we had many different day tours, we had several different guides. All were professional and spoke our language well. All were very knowledgeable and eager to impart that knowledge to us. They chose great places for our lunches and the cuisine was unforgettable. We have traveled to many countries but found the food in Peru to be absolutely wonderful.
I also wanted to mention the drivers who picked us up at all times of the day and night, drove us to our next destination and the delivered us safely to our hotels. We never had a driver who was less than prompt, courteous and most importantly, a skilled and careful driver.
The sites we saw were the places we chose to see. And they did not disappoint us. From the desert to the Andes to the Jungle, we enjoyed it all.
Please feel free to use this email on your website or as a testimonial. All four of our group would recommend Peru Gateway Travel to anyone planning a trip to Peru. We were well taken care of, enjoyed delicious food, saw awesome sights and had a wonderful time.
Sincerely.

Ajay Chopra
 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2010

We are back in Lima. Our trip to Machu Picchu was wonderful, thank you and your team and the ground staff in Cuzco for all their help and care. A special thanks to Angella for her help.
We hope to do business with you in the near future.
Best Regards 

Saikat.
 Date: Fri, 02 Jul 2010

I just wanted to let you know that we had an amazing and wonderful trip to your country.
I must state that the people of Peru impressed me very much - they are so nice!
While I have already filled-up the feedback form, this is just a personal note to say Thank you.
Do visit India sometime - we have a lot in common.
Regards,

Irina Pascu
 Date: Fri, 25 Jun 2010

I am now back home but still not believed that the holiday is over. I just
write you to tell you that I had a wonderful time in Peru and to thanks for
your support. The circuit was very well designed and I had the opportunity
to visit all the important sites I envisaged and also the Sacred Valley and
the Altiplano.
I was really impressed by the organization and your people, always in time
for pick up and interested to offer the necessary information.
Finally I showed to my friends that Peru is not so far and a visit there
could be a wonderful experience. For me was a dream come true.
Many thanks to you and to your team.

Melissa Polier
 Date: Tues, 22 Jun 2010

My 2 adult children and I recently returned from our hike to Machu Picchu and I wanted to thank you for all your assistance. Our trip was great. We very much enjoyed visiting your beautiful country. I especially want to praise our guide, cook and porters. They did a terrific job. The food was marvelous and after a long hike it was definitely something to look forward to. The porters were very kind and when I needed some assistance at the end of the 3rd day one of the porters helped me a lot. Our guide was great. He was very knowledgeable and fun to hike with and he seemed to really love his job. Again, thanks so much for everything

 

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