Ward Stavig focuses primarily on Andeans under Spanish rule during the eighteenth century in his book, The World of Tupac Amaru. Despite the title of the book referring to the Andean leader of the first rebellion against the Spanish in two centuries, Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui (Tupac Amaru II), the author saves his last chapter to sort out the tangled web of factions, groups, and alliances involved in the rebellion. Before then, he provides an account of the indigenous peoples and their daily lives under Spanish rule in the provinces of Cusco, Canas y Canchis and Quispicanchis, both at the center of the rebellion. One of the authorÆs main points is that despite the unequal exchange between indigenous cultures and the Spanish, the influence of both cultures became intermingled during the eighteenth century. In order to demonstrate this phenomenon, the StavigÆs purpose is to offer ôa close, even intimate, view of the daily life of indigenous villagers,ö (xv).
Stavig spends a significant portion of the book covering the historical background of the indigenous cultures and the influence of Spain on the Andeans. He delves into a number of topics regarding the daily lives of indigenous Andeans, including marriage, sexuality, divorce, crime, labor systems, and others. The author provides an account of such daily aspects of indigenous life in order to show the overlap in values between the indigenous culture and the Spanish colonizers. For example, the Spanish are initially repulsed by the Andean custom of ôtrial marriage,ö particularly the Christian clergy. However, even when values overlapped, the mixing was often in favor of reinforcing the values and legitimacy of Spanish rule. For example, once Andean couples did marry, the values of Christian marriage like faithfulness were emphasized. Likewise, with respect to maintaining law and order, the curacas, or native rulers, wer
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