Yanaconaje System of Dependent Labor

Timeline

1. c. 1530–1532Cusco · CuscoAfter the wars of conquest destroyed the existing ayllu structure, some Indians were taken as domestic servants by Spanish conquerors and their allies, forming the yanacona status, distinct from the tributarios who remained in their communities.
2. 1535Peruvian coast and highlands · PeruIn the 1530s, encomenderos and groups such as the Jesuits settled yanaconas on a large scale in estates and workshops, where they performed textile work, assisted in mining, and carried out transport labor; the system's features (hereditary dependence, separation from the community) gradually became clear in the archives.
3. 1570–1700Viceroyalty of Peru · PeruYanaconaje operated alongside the mita rotation labor and encomienda tribute: yanaconas provided a stable resident labor force, while the mita supplied seasonal manpower for the mines, jointly supporting the colonial silver economy and estate production.