Answer: The encomienda was a Spanish policy that granted land and the Indians living on it to Spanish soldiers and colonists usually as a reward for service. A soldier or colonist who received an encomienda was called an encomendero.
The encomienda (Spanish pronunciation: [eŋkoˈmjenda] ( listen)) was a Spanish labour system that rewarded conquerors with the labour of particular groups of conquered non-Christian people.
