An Approach to Political Economy: Natural Wealth and Power in Metztitlán, 16th Century

Abstract

The purpose of this article is to determine the economic and political processes that took place in the Metztitlán region in the sixteenth century. It is based on the theoretical framework of political economy, particularly its anthropological position. The postulates of the main representatives of economic and political anthropology, such as Karl Polanyi and Morton Fried, highlight the relationship between the two aspects that determined the development of Metztitlán from the pre-Hispanic period until the implementation of the encomienda by the first conquerors. The case of Metztitlán is extremely interesting, because as a result of the enormous natural and economic wealth of the region, a nucleus of power began to form, centered on the figure of the encomendero, who was responsible for controlling natural and human resources and exercising power based on force and coercion for the extraction of tribute. The theoretical postulates of economic and political anthropology can be applied to this case, which not only enables us to describe the historical facts, but also to offer an interpretation.