La persistencia de la “aristocracia indígena” de Tarapacá.

Salitreros y jueces de Paz de origen indígena en la industria del salitre (1854 y1874).

Abstract

The process and social, economic and cultural change that brought about the Republic of Peru early 19th century, intensified in Tarapaca, the most austral province, from the implementation of nitrate leaching machines that through the exportation of soda niter, was inserted in the international market and in modernity.

In this article the main question is if provincial elites got used to those changes and, particularly, the indigenous elite, especially the one benefited by the institution of chieftainship had achieved important positions of power. It is speculated that those elites persisted between 1854, year of the abolition of the indigenous tax and installation of de the steam nitrate machine, and 1874, the year before of the expropriation of the nitrate industry.

On the one hand, the political-administrative position of the Justice of the Peace, who were the expression of local power for social control and, on the other, the presence of miners of indigenous origin in the industry mentioned, especially in nitrate family and business networks.