{"id":158,"date":"2026-10-08T11:51:18","date_gmt":"2026-10-08T09:51:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/2026\/10\/08\/estudio-alzados-tenerife-resistencia-colonialismo-castellano\/"},"modified":"2026-10-23T09:54:55","modified_gmt":"2026-10-23T07:54:55","slug":"estudio-alzados-tenerife-resistencia-colonialismo-castellano","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ull.es\/portal\/noticias\/en\/2026\/10\/08\/estudio-alzados-tenerife-resistencia-colonialismo-castellano\/","title":{"rendered":"A study by the ULL analyzes the figure of the Tenerife rebels and the first forms of resistance to Castilian colonialism"},"content":{"rendered":"

A article<\/a> A study by the University of La Laguna analyzes the first forms of indigenous resistance that emerged in Tenerife after the Castilian conquest, with particular attention to the group known as "the rebels." The text examines these experiences through concepts such as territorialization and the colonial construction of race. Furthermore, it proposes a framework for comparison between the Canary Islands case and similar resistance processes that would later develop in various American territories.<\/p>\n

The researchers from the research group Castile and the Sea in the Late Middle Ages (GICYEM)Roberto Gonz\u00e1lez Zalacain<\/a> y Kevin Rodr\u00edguez Wittmann<\/a> They are the authors of the study, entitled \u201cForms of indigenous resistance in Tenerife after the Castilian conquest: precedents of the American case?\u201d and published in the journal Fronteras de la Historia.<\/p>\n

The article's main contribution is that it does not analyze the uprisings as a marginal or exceptional episode, but rather as an expression of the tensions generated by the imposition of the colonial order. To this end, the researchers combine a critical review of the historiographical and memorial tradition with the analysis of archival documentation. The study examines both the historiographical context in which this issue has been addressed and the social and political conditions of the pre-conquest period, as well as various specific episodes of indigenous resistance.<\/p>\n

Based on an analysis of the various ways in which the resistance of Indigenous people who did not integrate into colonial society after the conquest was documented, parallels are drawn between the resistance strategies developed on the island and some of those that, decades later, would be adopted by communities of enslaved people in the context of the Americas. In this way, the study places the Tenerife experience within an Atlantic explanatory framework that broadens the perspective on the forms of resistance that emerged during the early processes of colonization.<\/p>\n

\"Roberto<\/a>

Roberto Gonz\u00e1lez Zalacain.<\/p><\/div>\n

Resistance and marginalization in the new colonial society<\/strong><\/p>\n

The authors reflect on the integration of the aboriginal population into the new colonial society and analyze the various forms of Guanche resistance. They point out that this integration was uneven and left large sectors of Tenerife's indigenous population in a subordinate position. This resulted in marginalization and limitations that generated structural disadvantages, such as an unequal distribution of labor and restricted access to certain resources and power networks. These conditions were compounded by ethnic and cultural differences, which further exacerbated inequality within the new social order.<\/p>\n

In this context, some members of the indigenous population were able to choose to remain outside colonial society and take refuge in areas beyond the effective control of the Castilians. This possibility was facilitated by Tenerife's topography, which hindered the colonizers' absolute control of the territory and provided spaces where these groups could settle and develop forms of resistance. The authors also point out the difficulty of establishing a precise definition of the concept of "rebel" based on documentary references from this period, since the term was not limited exclusively to Guanches who escaped the Crown's control, but also appears in relation to enslaved people of African origin.<\/p>\n

Thus, the analysis of available documentation and historiography on this period allows the authors to draw several key conclusions about the early years of Castilian rule in Tenerife. They highlight the role of the aboriginal population as one of the mainstays of the island's economy during these years, in a subordinate position, often under conditions of slavery. At the same time, resistance movements demonstrate that a portion of the Guanche population never fully integrated into the new colonial society. They emphasize that this suggests that, at least during the first decade after the conquest, the Crown had not yet achieved effective control over the entire island.<\/p>\n

\"Kevin<\/a>

Kevin Rodr\u00edguez Wittmann.<\/p><\/div>\n

Parallels with the resistance in America<\/strong><\/p>\n

The study also addresses the relationship between these forms of resistance and similar phenomena documented in other contexts during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era. In particular, the authors analyze the possible relationship between foreign powers and pirates and the escaped and rebellious slaves of Tenerife, as well as the role these contacts may have played in their flight from Castilian control. The documentation records the presence of vessels sailing aimlessly off the island's coast, which the authorities considered a possible means of evacuation for those taking refuge in the mountainous areas. This situation presents parallels with the escapes of enslaved people in Latin America, some of them linked to contact with foreign vessels, which the colonial authorities also perceived as a threat to Castilian rule over the territory.<\/p>\n

Analysis of the documentation shows that the progressive increase in Castilian control over the territory was accompanied by a reduction in the number of rebels in Tenerife. Consequently, the phenomenon lost relevance for the island authorities, especially as social stability and territorial control advanced. This, however, did not mean the disappearance of expressions of resistance. According to the authors, these took on new forms and began to be articulated within the institutional and cultural framework of colonial power, from which different sectors of the indigenous population sought to negotiate rights, maintain spaces for participation, and make their identities visible.<\/p>\n

The researchers conclude that studying indigenous resistance in Tenerife after the Castilian conquest allows us to understand the complexity of the social transformation processes that took place during the transition from the Middle Ages to the Modern Era. In this sense, they argue that these experiences should not be understood solely as particular manifestations of a specific indigenous community, but also as part of broader and analogous processes of colonization and globalization. The conquest of Tenerife and the establishment of one of the first Castilian colonial systems thus offer an analytical framework that allows us to draw connections with other processes that developed later, especially in the Americas.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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