Ovando, Nicolás de

Ovando, Nicolás de

▪ Spanish military leader
born c. 1451, Brozas, Castile [Spain]
died c. 1511

      Spanish military leader and first royal governor of the West Indies. He was the first to apply the encomienda system of Indian forced labour, which became widespread in Spanish America, and he founded a stable Spanish community in Santo Domingo that became a base and model for later settlement.

      The son of a noble family, Ovando grew up close to the court of King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella and was among the companions of the heir apparent to the throne. As a knight of the military Order of Alcántara, Ovando assisted in reforming the order, and as a reward for his services he was chosen to replace Francisco de Bobadilla (Bobadilla, Francisco de), the royal commissioner who had earlier arrested Christopher Columbus (Columbus, Christopher). He arrived in Santo Domingo in 1502 with more than 2,000 colonists and the largest fleet that had ever sailed to the New World.

      The natives of Santo Domingo were reluctant to work for the Spanish colonists, and Ovando, with royal authority, established the paternalistic encomienda system. Intended to offer the Indians protection and elements of Christian civilization in exchange for their labour, it quickly became a means for outright, brutal exploitation. Perhaps fearing him as a rival, Ovando let Columbus linger for a year without help in Jamaica, where the explorer had run aground on his fourth voyage to America. On learning of Ovando's harsh treatment of the Indians, the authorities in Spain recalled him in 1509. He returned to Spain, where he wrote his memoirs and published a map of Santo Domingo.

* * *


Universalium. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Поможем написать курсовую

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Ovando, Nicolás de — ► (1451 1511) Colonizador español. Fue gobernador de las Indias, Islas y Tierra Firme del mar Océano en 1501. Pacificó La Española e introdujo los repartimientos y las encomiendas …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Nicolas de Ovando — Nicolás de Ovando (* 1451 in Brozas, Cáceres, Spanien; † 29. Mai 1511 in Madrid) ein spanischer Soldat und Ritter des Alcántaraordens. Von 1502 bis 1509 war er Gouverneur der Insel Hispaniola. Unter seiner Ägide begann die systematische… …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nicolás de Ovando — y Cáceres (* 1451[1] in Brozas, Cáceres, Spanien; † 29. Mai 1511[2] in Madrid) war ein spanischer Soldat und Ritter des Alcántaraordens. Von 1502 bis 1509 war er …   Deutsch Wikipedia

  • Nicolás de Ovando — Nacimiento 1460 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Nicolas de Ovando — Nicolás de Ovando Nicolás de Ovando Nicolás de Ovando (1460 à Valladolid–1518 à Madrid) était un soldat et un noble espagnol, chevalier de l Ordre d Alcántara. Il fut gouverneur d Hispaniola de 1502 à 1509. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nicolás De Ovando — Nicolás de Ovando (1460 à Valladolid–1518 à Madrid) était un soldat et un noble espagnol, chevalier de l Ordre d Alcántara. Il fut gouverneur d Hispaniola de 1502 à 1509. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nicolás de ovando — Nicolás de Ovando (1460 à Valladolid–1518 à Madrid) était un soldat et un noble espagnol, chevalier de l Ordre d Alcántara. Il fut gouverneur d Hispaniola de 1502 à 1509. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Nicolás de Ovando — est un soldat et un noble espagnol, né à Valladolid en 1460 et mort à Madrid 1518. Chevalier de l Ordre d Alcántara, il fut gouverneur d Hispaniola de 1502 à 1509. Sommaire …   Wikipédia en Français

  • Ovando — Ovando, Alfredo Ovando, Nicolás de …   Enciclopedia Universal

  • Nicolás de Ovando — Born 1460 Brozas Died May 29, 1518 (aged 57–58) Madrid, Spain Resting place Church of San Benito d Alcantara …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”