The Sale of Fiscal Offices and the Decline of Royal Authority in the Viceroyalty of Peru, 1633—1700

Abstract

T he decision of the Spanish crown in 1633 to begin the systematic sale of high-ranking treasury appointments in the Indies had far-reaching consequences for the administration of royal finance in the Viceroyalty of Peru. The viceregal treasury, centered in Lima, exercised broad powers over financial matters in the realm; and the implementation of all crown revenue policies depended on the loyalty and efficiency of its officers. Throughout the seventeenth century, treasury officials (Oficiales reales) acted as political brokers: mediating between the financial demands of the crown and the frequent resistance of taxpayers in the viceroyalty to new government levies, and helping to maintain the political balance of power essential to the cohesion of the empire.1 The sale of these important fiscal appointments after 1633 eventually tipped this balance pronouncedly in favor of local citizens as purchasers with strong local connections came to dominate the treasury. The political changes brought about by the sales between 1633 and 1700 proved particularly damaging to royal authority in the Viceroyalty of Peru. The seventeenth century was a time of financial crisis for the Hapsburg monarchy, when officials in Madrid needed increased contributions from the viceregal treasury to help stem the economic and military decline of Spain in Europe.2 Selling treasury offices yielded useful