Provisions, gifts, bribes and loans: the Informaçion General of 1588 and the defense of viceregal authority in 16th century Peru

Abstract

Studies on the authority of viceroys in America, their conflicts at the local level, accusations of bad government and the mechanisms to control their performance have shed new light on the nature of viceregal political order, the scope and limits of monarchical power and the dynamics of constant negotiation carried on. This article analyzes the Informaçión Original accomplished in 1588 by conde del Villar, viceroy of Peru, which, beyond a self-examination, was a strategy to rebuild his authority and image as a legitimate political actor in the Peruvian scene.