Los corregimientos en el Yucatán del siglo XVI

From the second half of the sixteenth century, corregidores , or district administrators, were appointed in several parts of Spanish America and it became one of the most controversial offices in the colonial administration. Nevertheless, this position has remained almost unstudied in the province of Yucatan. Consequently, the present article attempts, on the one hand, to identify the corregidores that were designated in this province in the second half of the sixteenth century, as well as to highlight the reasons that would lead the Spanish Crown to order the suspension of this position in 1580. On the other hand, we will analyze the functions which were in charge of the corregidores , especially the ones relating to the administration of justice in the local level. In order to respond to those questions, a wide range of legal documentation will be used, including the appointments that were given to the corregidores , their relations of deeds and services, and the royal decrees that were aimed to control and regulate this office in Yucatan.