What does «capitanías generales» mean in Spanish?
- Capitanía General was a territory under Spanish or Portuguese colonial administration. The captaincies general were established districts that were under threat of foreign invasion or Indian attack. Their governors were captains general. In the Spanish dominions of America the name of Captain General was given to some of the highest officials of the great regions where there was no viceroyalty. They had authority and functions analogous to those of the viceroys and, like the latter, they generally combined in their person the offices of president of the Audiencia and captain general, so that in their hands were the judicial and military power. The Captain General depended directly on the King of Spain, although nominally the territory of his jurisdiction was included within one of the two great viceroyalties: New Spain in the North and Peru in South America.