Abstract

GARCIA RIVERA, Edna Lucía. The construction of legitimacy in relation to the position of Capitán General in Sonora, 1842-1856. Intersticios sociales [online]. 2019, n.17, pp.105-129. ISSN 2007-4964.

In 19th-century Mexico, indigenous populations participated in contemporary politics in diverse ways as they struggled to survive during a period that relentlessly undercut their lifeways. One form of participation involved mediation by indigenous leaders who established and fought for interests and demands from the political positions they held. In this sense, our study set out to explain the importance of the indigenous position of Capitán General in Sonora in the mid-19th century by discussing the forms of leadership exerted by the individuals who occupied it at different times. To achieve this, I employ Martha Bechis’ postulates from her research on authority and power, while also analyzing how legitimacy was constructed among indigenous followers using the tenets of political anthropology. The main sources of information were official reports and the correspondence exchanged among different Capitanes Generales in the state of Sonora, Mexico. On this basis, I postulate that Mateo Marquín’s term as Capitán General began as ‘leadership by appointment’, but through the effective pacts established with the State and indigenous groups eventually evolved into ‘leadership by authority’ as Marquín’s legitimacy was increasingly recognized by his followers.

Keywords : leadership; authority; general captain; intermediation; legitimacy.