The configuration of the inquisitorial territory.

The articulation of diocesan commissions in New Spain, 1571-1610

Abstract

The Foundation of the Tribunal of the Holy Office of the Inquisition in New Spain demanded the creation of a network of Diocesan comisarias to ensure the articulation of the inquisitorial district. These comisarias were cornerstones for its operation since in these jurisdictions, the tribunal could establish his imprint on social and ideological sanctioned by the institution. Breaks of this order would lead to the generation of causes and processes that feed from this field, by controlling and limiting the spread of violations and deviations from the society. With this intention, the comisarios had the responsibility to make reading the edicts of faith, receive complaints of the relevant crimes and, with this same objective, make visits to district in those non-Indian populations that are you will find in its jurisdiction, thus avoiding restrict its activity to the Diocesan capital. However, the huge dimensions of the inquisitorial districts often objected to this latter responsibility because distances, the conditions of the roads and transport exceptions deficiency, left without any kind of monitoring to many populations. Hence, the creation of dependent comisarias in towns, villages, ports and other Spanish cities that Diocesan comisarias failed in their attempt to establish himself as spaces for effective control and, consequently, was necessary. Given the difficulty to establish comisarias in all populations necessitated the appointment of the so-called familiares, as a strategy to achieve a full articulation of the tribunal with other Spanish towns