Spaniards could obtain encomiendas primarily through the following methods:
- By Royal Grant: The Spanish Crown granted encomiendas as rewards for services rendered, especially to conquistadors and officials who participated in the conquest and colonization of the Americas. These grants gave the recipient the right to extract labor and tribute from indigenous peoples in a specific area
- By Conquest: Many encomiendas were awarded to Spaniards who conquered territory in the name of the Spanish Crown. The first encomenderos were often the soldiers and leaders who took part in these military campaigns
- By Inheritance: Encomiendas could be passed down from one generation to the next, although with restrictions, and they were not indefinitely hereditary
- By Purchase: Less commonly, encomiendas could be bought from other Spaniards who held them
The encomienda system did not grant ownership of land but rather the right to demand labor and tribute from indigenous communities, under the obligation to protect and Christianize them
. The grants were usually for life but were not hereditary without Crown approval
. In summary, Spaniards obtained encomiendas mainly as royal rewards for conquest and service, with possibilities for inheritance and purchase within the colonial legal framework. This system was a key mechanism for organizing labor and control in Spanish America during the early colonial period
