What Spanish labor system allowed colonists to demand tribute and forced labor from Indigenous peoples?

The encomienda system was a crucial institution during the early colonial period in Spanish America, allowing Spanish settlers or colonists to demand tribute and forced labor from Indigenous peoples. Granted by the Spanish crown, the encomienda involved the right to extract labor from Indigenous communities while ostensibly providing protection and religious instruction in return. This system was rooted in the desire to exploit the abundant resources of the New World and was rationalized under the guise of civilizing efforts.

The labor extracted was often brutal and exploitative, leading to significant demographic declines among Indigenous populations due to overwork, disease, and harsh treatment. Ultimately, the encomienda system exemplified the broader dynamics of colonial exploitation and the restructuring of Indigenous societies in favor of colonial economic interests.

While the other options, such as the mita and repartimiento, also involved labor systems or tribute arrangements, the encomienda is specifically characterized by the direct and personal entitlement of colonists to labor from Native peoples, distinguishing it from the other systems designed to be more regulated or structured in nature.