Abstract

From the second half of the XVIII century, a strong apprehension feeling rose among some members of the imperial bureaucracy towards the indigenous nobility and their places of memory. They were visualized as a source of noxious disturbance for the political body. The 1781 general revolt just increased the fear towards indigenous elites, even though they remained loyal to the colonial government. At several junctures, descendants of the natural lords submitted a set of petitions, memorials and autos, many of which were originated in the XVI and XVII centuries, in order to adapt themselves to the changes of that time in the colonial administration. This strategy was repeatedly used after the 1781 revolt and provided the indigenous nobility's families a support for their cultural memory, to the extent that they were allowed to preserve guidelines and identity images.