| Resumo: | This paper highlights the interest of the delegations sent by the repúblicas de indios [Indian republics] to the Spanish court in order to present their requests to the King. In the case of Tlaxcala, the requests were met generously as an acknowledgement of what was considered an exemplary adhesion to the Monarchy. This was shown by the military assistance to the Spanish conquistadores during their advance in the New Continent and by a legendary rapid conversion, which indicated a tendency to adopt Hispanic ways of thinking and acting. The elements surrounding these journeys to the Peninsula, such as the content of the letters sent to the King by the Indian cabildo or town council, the financing means, the preparation of presents, the election of delegates, and the acquisition of their suits, underwent notable changes during the fifty years between the first (1527-1530) and the last journey (1584-1587). These differences reveal the real rhythm at which Indian Novohispanic elites were assimilated to the Hispanic model, transformed from warriors into hidalgos or noblemen.
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