Fuenleal, Sebastian de

He came from the hidalgo family. At the age of 16 he entered the University of Valladolid, specializing in canon law . In 1520 he was appointed inquisitor of Seville , and later served as royal chancellor in Granada .

As bishop, Santo Domingo was forced to reform the local treasury, and defended the Indians from the brutality of the Spanish colonists. He began the construction of schools and paid special attention to mining. During his ministry there was an uprising in Bahoruco . Not opposing the trade in African blacks necessary for work on plantations, he fought against the monopolists, slave traders, who inflated prices for living goods.

Ruler of Mexico

On January 12, 1530, by decree of King Charles V, he was appointed head of the Royal Audience in Mexico, a collegial body to establish administration in that country. In addition to Fuenleal, the Audiencia included: Vasco de Quiroga , Juan de Salmeron , Alonso de Maldonado , Francisco Seinos with the rank of oidores (judges). The appointment took place under the patronage of Archbishop Badajoz , who occupied a prominent position at court. All members of Audiencia were in different parts of Spain, only Fuenleal was familiar with the New World.

Around the same time, Cortes returned to Mexico from Spain, who considered himself an autocratic ruler. He was granted the rank of general captain of the colony and the title of Marquis Oaxaca, with the right to hold 23 thousand vassals. On the way to Veracruz, Cortes made a special visit to Santo Domingo to meet Fuenleal. Fuenleal and Vasco de Quiroga arrived in Mexico City together in early October, slowly taking over their powers, trying to get to know the country and its inhabitants at first. Audiencia began to perform her duties on January 10, 1531.

Bishop Fuenleal began his activity by censuring the bishop of Mexico City, Juan de Sumarraga, for numerous abuses during the Christianization of the Indians, and then headed the tribunal, which brought before him members of the first Audiencia, including conquistador Nuno de Guzmán , as well as Bishop Samaréga.

As ruler, Fuenleal improved the road leading from Mexico City to Veracruz , and also founded the city of Puebla de los Angeles (April 16, 1531). Under him, in Mexico began breeding cattle and horses. Fuenleal acquired a printing press for the Santa Cruz de Tlatela college founded by Sumarraga.

Bishop Fuenleal was keenly interested in the history and customs of the Indians, and strongly encouraged missionaries to collect local manuscripts and literary monuments. He proposed to abolish in-kind taxes and struggled with the enkienda . In addition, he built a plumbing in Mexico City. These actions paved the way for the successful administration of the first Viceroy of New Spain, Don Antonio de Mendoza .

The most turbulent in the career of Fuenleal was 1532. The trial dragged on for a long time: Sumarraga and Cortes were acquitted, a lot of noise was made to ban the Indians from slavery. On April 25, 1532, Oaxaca received city status by royal decree.

Bishop Sumarraga was sent to Spain for further investigation in 1532, and returned to Mexico in 1534. Cortes during this period organized expeditions to conquer California.

By 1535, Fuenleal's health had been greatly shaken, and he had ceased to send his duties. In 1537 he returned to Spain, where he was successively the bishop of Leon and Cuenca (since 1542). In 1540, he became head of the Office of Valladolid and became a member of the Council for Indian Affairs. In 1542 he participated in the work of commissions on the development of laws for the Indian peoples of the New World. He died in Valladolid, occupying the post of bishop of Cuenca. He was buried in the Dominican monastery of Santa Cruz in Villaecus, where he was once born.

• "D. Sebastián Ramírez de Fuenleal," Mundicra No. 8, Christmas 1998.
• García Puron, Manuel, México y sus gobernantes , v. 1. Mexico City: Joaquín Porrua, 1984.
• Orozco Linares, Fernando, Gobernantes de México . Mexico City: Panorama Editorial, 1985, ISBN 968-38-0260-5 .
• Short biography on MSN Encarta