AP World History Practice Exam 2026 – The Comprehensive All-in-One Guide to Exam Success!

The encomienda system primarily functioned as a means for Spanish colonizers to extract tribute and labor from Indigenous populations in the Americas. Introduced in the early 16th century, the system allowed Spanish settlers, known as encomenderos, to receive grants of land along with the right to demand forced labor and goods from the native people living on that land. In exchange, the encomenderos were expected to provide protection and religious instruction to the Indigenous people. This system fundamentally facilitated the exploitation of the local population, as it essentially institutionalized forced labor under the guise of protection and governance.

While the other options—tax collection, land ownership, and military recruitment—may have been related or secondary functions in some contexts, the central and defining purpose of the encomienda system was the exaction of tribute from native populations. This made it a critical part of the colonial economy and a method through which the Spanish sought to maintain control over their new territories.