What does «varayoc» mean in Spanish?
- Mandón or authority of certain Quechua indigenous communities; this authority arose after the fall of the Inca empire and the insertion of the Spanish government; it was implemented in retaliation for the rebellions of the Caciques and Principales in the eighteenth century. It served as an intermediary authority between the bosses and the indigenous worker. It was also in charge of administering justice. The Spanish Crown sought to have a better control of the Indians, so they tried to weaken the figures of the caciques and principals, so they ordered the corregidores to elect the varayocs from among the common Indians. Unlike the caciques and principals in the viceroyalty period, the varayocs did not have a noble ancestry, but were common Indians; usually the oldest in the community was elected and used a cane adorned with silver plates as a symbol of command (for this reason he was also called Alcalde de la Vara).
♦ Used in: Peru
Examples of use in Spanish: "Los varayocs llegaron a tener privilegios menores que el que se les había otorgado a los caciques y principales, pero aún así se las ingeniaron para acumularon poder y riquezas".
"A estas autoridades se les denomina varayoc debido a la vara de mando que se les entrega en su juramentación, esta vara simboliza el cargo que ostentan y se les puede retirar junto con el cargo de no cumplir su labor a cabalidad".