Which practice involved the forced labor and tribute of Indigenous peoples in colonial Spanish America?

The practice that involved the forced labor and tribute of Indigenous peoples in colonial Spanish America is known as the encomienda system. This system granted Spanish colonists the right to extract labor and tribute from Indigenous communities in exchange for supposed protection and support in converting them to Christianity. In theory, the encomienda was intended to be a mutually beneficial arrangement. However, in practice, it often led to severe exploitation, harsh working conditions, and significant population decline among Indigenous communities due to overwork and disease.

The encomienda system played a crucial role in the Spanish colonial economy, allowing settlers to profit from agricultural and mineral production, which was often reliant on Indigenous labor. This system laid the groundwork for the socio-economic structures that would dominate colonial Spanish America for centuries.

While the other terms like Mita, republicanism, and colonialism relate to relevant historical concepts, they do not specifically define the practice of forced labor given to Spanish colonists over Indigenous peoples as accurately as encomienda does. Mita refers to a labor draft system used mainly in Peru that required Indigenous people to work in mines and agriculture, but the encomienda system was broader and involved the overall subjugation and management of Indigenous populations.