Caciques in the Eighteenth Century: The Case of the Toluca Valley, Central Mexico

This paper is going to assess the role of caciques in the Nahua communities of Central Mexico in the late colonial period through an analysis of their testaments written in Nahuatl. The presentation focuses on questions of property, gender, social roles and material culture. This paper also discusses the different challenges faced by these native leaders with respect to their communities and other colonial agents.