Francisco Ceinos
Encyclopedia
Francisco Ceinos was one of five oidor
es (members) of the second Audiencia of New Spain
. This group governed the colony from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. Ceinos was also in the Audiencias that served as interim governments of New Spain from 1564 to 1566 and from approximately July 1568 to November of that year. In the latter two periods he was president
of the governing Audiencia.
was determined to find officials of proven humanity and integrity for the second one. He did this by soliciting the recommendations of the archbishop of Santiago and president of the Chancery of Valladolid, Juan Tavera. The second Audiencia was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. Besides Ceinos, it included Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal
as president, and Juan de Salmerón
, Alonso de Maldonado
and Vasco de Quiroga
as oidores. In contrast to the members of the first Audiencia, all of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.
against the members of the first Audiencia (Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
and Diego Delgadillo
), as well as Hernán Cortés
and Diego Hernández de Proaño. In 1532 the Audiencia brought back verdicts on the residencias of Cortés, the oidores of the first Audiencia and others. Cortés and Bishop Zumárraga were acquitted; Ortiz de Matienzo and Delgadillo were convicted, but not sentenced.
The second Audiencia also improved the road from Veracruz
to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla del Los Angeles
as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press
, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City. Enslavement of Indians was prohibited in 1532.
In 1535 the second Audiencia turned over its governing powers to the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza
.
, died in office on July 31, 1564. Ceinos was president of the Audiencia at the time. The Audiencia took charge of the government pending the appointment and arrival of Velasco's replacement. This was Gastón de Peralta, marqués de Falces
, who began governing on October 16, 1566.
Ceinos served a third term in 1568, from July to November, when the Audiencia took charge pending the arrival of new Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza
. At this time the Audiencia included (besides Ceinos), Pedro Villalobos, Jerónimo Orozco and Vasco de Puga.
In total, Ceinos served as oidor for more than thirty years. He strongly opposed the exploitation of the Indigenous
through the institutions of slavery
, the encomienda
system, forced labor and tribute.
On March 1, 1565, he completed comprehensive recommendations on colonization policies for newly conquered territories. In this report he wrote of the decimation of the Indigenous resulting from the Spanish conquest:
Oidor
Oidor is the Spanish name of the member judge of the Royal Audiencias and Chancillerías, originally courts of Kingdom of Castile, which became the highest organs of justice within the Spanish Empire...
es (members) of the second Audiencia of New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
. This group governed the colony from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. Ceinos was also in the Audiencias that served as interim governments of New Spain from 1564 to 1566 and from approximately July 1568 to November of that year. In the latter two periods he was president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the governing Audiencia.
Appointment to the Audiencia
Before his arrival in New Spain, he served as fiscal (prosecutor) in the Royal Council of the Indies in Spain. After the disaster of the first Audiencia, Emperor Charles VCharles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
was determined to find officials of proven humanity and integrity for the second one. He did this by soliciting the recommendations of the archbishop of Santiago and president of the Chancery of Valladolid, Juan Tavera. The second Audiencia was named in a royal decree dated January 12, 1530. Besides Ceinos, it included Bishop Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal
Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal
Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal was bishop of Santo Domingo and president of the Audiencia of Santo Domingo 1528 to 1531. He was also president of the second Audiencia of New Spain...
as president, and Juan de Salmerón
Juan de Salmerón
Juan de Salmerón was a Spanish colonial official New Spain, and an oidor of the Second Audiencia, which governed the colony from January 10, 1531 until April 16, 1534. On the latter date, the government was turned over to Antonio de Mendoza, the first viceroy...
, Alonso de Maldonado
Alonso de Maldonado
Alonso de Maldonado was a Spanish lawyer and a member of the Second Audiencia of Mexico City, which governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535. He was also president of the First Audiencia of Guatemala, and in that capacity interim governor of Guatemala from 1536 to September 15, 1539...
and Vasco de Quiroga
Vasco de Quiroga
Vasco de Quiroga was the first bishop of Michoacán, Mexico and one of the judges in the second Audiencia that governed New Spain from January 10, 1531 to April 16, 1535....
as oidores. In contrast to the members of the first Audiencia, all of these men were honest, honorable and capable. All were licentiates.
First term
Ceinos arrived in New Spain in 1530 and took up his position as oidor early the next year. Bishop Ramírez carried with him instructions to begin juicios de residenciaJuicio de residencia
A juicio de residencia was a judicial procedure of Castilian law and the Laws of the Indies. It consisted of this: at the termination of a public functionary's term, his performance in office was subject to review, and those with grievances against him were entitled to a hearing...
against the members of the first Audiencia (Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán
Nuño Beltrán de Guzmán or sometimes Nuño de Guzmán was a Spanish conquistador and colonial administrator in New Spain. He was Governor of the province of Pánuco from 1525–1533, and of Nueva Galicia from 1529–1534, President of the first Audiencia from 1528-30. He founded several cities in...
, Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
Juan Ortiz de Matienzo
Juan Ortiz de Matienzo was a Spanish colonial judge and a member of the first Real Audiencia in the New World, that of Santo Domingo, in 1511...
and Diego Delgadillo
Diego Delgadillo
Diego Delgadillo was a judge of the first Audiencia of New Spain, which governed the colony from December 9, 1528 to January 9, 1531.Delgadillo was a native of Granada...
), as well as Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés de Monroy y Pizarro, 1st Marquis of the Valley of Oaxaca was a Spanish Conquistador who led an expedition that caused the fall of the Aztec Empire and brought large portions of mainland Mexico under the rule of the King of Castile in the early 16th century...
and Diego Hernández de Proaño. In 1532 the Audiencia brought back verdicts on the residencias of Cortés, the oidores of the first Audiencia and others. Cortés and Bishop Zumárraga were acquitted; Ortiz de Matienzo and Delgadillo were convicted, but not sentenced.
The second Audiencia also improved the road from Veracruz
Veracruz
Veracruz, formally Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Veracruz de Ignacio de la Llave , is one of the 31 states that, along with the Federal District, comprise the 32 federative entities of Mexico. It is divided in 212 municipalities and its capital city is...
to Mexico City, and along the way founded the city of Puebla del Los Angeles
Puebla, Puebla
The city and municipality of Puebla is the capital of the state of Puebla, and one of the five most important colonial cities in Mexico. Being a planned city, it is located to the east of Mexico City and west of Mexico's main port, Veracruz, on the main route between the two.The city was founded...
as a resting-place for travelers (April 16, 1531). It imported horses and cattle from Spain, took steps to import a printing press
Printing press
A printing press is a device for applying pressure to an inked surface resting upon a print medium , thereby transferring the ink...
, founded the Imperial College of Santiago Tlatelolco for higher learning for young Indigenous men, renewed exploration, and continued work on the cathedral of Mexico City. Enslavement of Indians was prohibited in 1532.
In 1535 the second Audiencia turned over its governing powers to the first viceroy of New Spain, Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza
Antonio de Mendoza y Pacheco, Marquis of Mondéjar, Count of Tendilla , was the first viceroy of New Spain, serving from April 17, 1535 to November 25, 1550, and the second viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1551 to July 21, 1552...
.
Second and third terms
The second viceroy, Luis de VelascoLuis de Velasco
Luís de Velasco was the second viceroy of New Spain during the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the mid-sixteenth century....
, died in office on July 31, 1564. Ceinos was president of the Audiencia at the time. The Audiencia took charge of the government pending the appointment and arrival of Velasco's replacement. This was Gastón de Peralta, marqués de Falces
Gastón de Peralta, marqués de Falces
Gastón Carrillo de Peralta y Bosquete, 3rd Marquis of Falces was a Spanish nobleman who was viceroy of New Spain from October 16, 1566 to March 10, 1568.-Biography:...
, who began governing on October 16, 1566.
Ceinos served a third term in 1568, from July to November, when the Audiencia took charge pending the arrival of new Viceroy Martín Enríquez de Almanza
Martín Enríquez de Almanza
Don Martín Enríquez de Almanza was the fourth viceroy of New Spain, who ruled from November 5, 1568 until October 3, 1580. He was subsequently viceroy of Peru, from September 23, 1581 until his death in 1583. His birthplace and origins are uncertain...
. At this time the Audiencia included (besides Ceinos), Pedro Villalobos, Jerónimo Orozco and Vasco de Puga.
In total, Ceinos served as oidor for more than thirty years. He strongly opposed the exploitation of the Indigenous
Indigenous peoples of Mexico
Mexico, in the second article of its Constitution, is defined as a "pluricultural" nation in recognition of the diverse ethnic groups that constitute it, and in which the indigenous peoples are the original foundation...
through the institutions of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
, the encomienda
Encomienda
The encomienda was a system that was employed mainly by the Spanish crown during the colonization of the Americas to regulate Native American labor....
system, forced labor and tribute.
On March 1, 1565, he completed comprehensive recommendations on colonization policies for newly conquered territories. In this report he wrote of the decimation of the Indigenous resulting from the Spanish conquest:
It is certain that from the day that Don Hernando Cortés, Marques del Valle, entered this land, in the seven years, more or less, that he governed, the natives suffered many deaths, much maltreatment, robbery and violence, taking advantage of their labor and their lands, without order or moderation.... A large part of the population disappeared, as much from the excessive tribute and maltreatment as from the diseases and smallpox, so that in this time the population is considerably less, especially in the hot lands.
External links
1532 letter to the Emperor Source of the quote- Source of the quote (English translation)