Colonial Peru history and development

¶ … Franciscan Beginnings in Early Colonial Peru, Antonine Tibesar provides an account of the Franciscans' role in converting the native population of Peru to Christianity. Basing his work on primary sources wherever possible, Tibesar asserts that although the Franciscan Order was by no means the primary religious order in colonial Peru, the Franciscans successfully integrated the Indians into Spanish culture. The author seems to have developed his thesis by convenience: the Franciscan Order in Peru opened its doors to him, offering him access to their documentary materials. Therefore, Tibesar was able to write this thorough and specific historiography.

The author constantly admits that there is a dearth of documentary materials written by religious persons of the sixteenth century. Rather, most documents were written by military personnel or conquistadors. Rather than become discouraged by this lack of source material, Tibesar works closely with the materials provided to him by the Franciscan Order in modern Peru. The focus for the book is specifically on the Franciscan Order, but by necessity Tibesar places the Order in social, political, and historical context in order to provide an accurate account of its role in sixteenth century Peru. Tibesar notes that the Franciscan Order contended with frequent clashes of interest with Spanish authorities, both religious and secular, in their attempts to convert the Indians. For the Franciscan, Christian spirituality and way of life were far more important than establishing organized bodies of governance in New Spain. Therefore, the friars basically remained true to their ideals of Christianity.

Franciscan Beginnings in Early Colonial Peru is organized chronologically. In the first few chapters, the author describes how the Franciscans came to accompany the early colonizers and other religious orders like the Dominicans on their trip to Peru. Although exact dates were difficult to ascertain, Tibesar suggests that the Franciscans first arrived in Peru in 1537. Furthermore, although there are no firsthand accounts of the establishment of Lima as a Franciscan province, Tibesar provides an overview of its settlement. Basically, the first two chapters provide the historical context for the author's work and sets up his thesis. Tibesar establishes that the Franciscans were a major player in the colonizing and acculturation of Peru. Therefore, his work is integral to a complete picture of the colonial history of that country.

The Spanish Crown and Church authorities assisted the Franciscan efforts to culturally assimilate the Indians. Moreover, as the Franciscan Order trained more Creoles to be friars, fewer people were needed to arrive from Spain to continue the efforts of the Order. The Spanish Crown saw the Franciscan Order as an important means by which to totally control the minds and hearts of the native population. Once political control of the region was established, the major effort of religious and cultural conversion was a daunting task. The Franciscans, because they were ideologically devoted to their cause, provided a practical means by which to convert the Indians.

Tibesar analyzes the work of Viceroy Toledo in organizing the Franciscan Order and firmly establishing the Order in the "doctrinas." Before Toledo, the friars were not officially appointed to their doctrinas, nor were they obliged to remain there. Toledo greatly influenced the evolution of the work of cultural and religious conversion. The author illustrates how the Franciscan Order came to be involved with the colonial infrastructure in early Peru, including schools, hospitals, and clothing mills. Tibesar's work is based on primary accounts from the governors of the doctrinas. He analyzes this material by placing it in social and political context. Tibesar recounts the relationships between the Franciscan order and ecclesiastical authority as well as between the Franciscan Order and the Spanish governments in the Old and New Worlds.

Obviously Tibesar is unable to provide the Native perspective of the Franciscan Order. While the Spanish opinion was that the native population embraced the Christian religion and the Spanish language, the truth is probably different. However, Tibesar only attempts to lend insight into the significant role of the Franciscan order in converting the native Peruvians. Tibesar does not draw unnecessary conclusions or make judgments.