Cambridge Latin American Studies: Series Number 113: Corruption and Justice in Colonial Mexico, 1650-1755

Corruption is one of the most prominent issues in Latin American news cycles, with charges deciding the recent elections in Mexico, Brazil, and Guatemala. Despite the urgency of the matter, few recent historical studies on the topic exist, especially on Mexico. For this reason, Christoph Rosenmuller explores the enigma of historical corruption. By drawing upon thorough archival research and a multi-lingual collection of printed primary sources and secondary literature, Rosenmuller demonstrates how corruption in the past differed markedly from today. Corruption in Mexico's colonial period connoted the obstruction of justice; judges, for example, tortured prisoners to extract cash or accepted bribes to alter judicial verdicts. In addition, the concept evolved over time to include several forms of self-advantage in the bureaucracy. Rosenmuller embeds this important shift from judicial to administrative corruption within the changing Atlantic World, while also providing insightful perspectives from the lower social echelons of colonial Mexico.

List of maps, Tables and figures; Acknowledgments; A note on terms; List of abbreviations; Introduction; 1. Empire of justice; 2. From judicial to administrative corruption; 3. 'This custom or better said corruption': legal strategies and the native trade with the Alcaldes Mayores; 4. 'Vile and abominable pacts': the sale of judicial appointments and the great decline of viceregal patronage; 5. Criminal process and the 'judge who is corrupted by money'; 6. Guilt and punishment for fraud, theft, and the 'grave offense of bribery or corruption'; 7. The politics of justice: Francisco Garzaron's Visita (1716-1727); Conclusion: approaching historical corruption; Appendix; Glossary; Bibliography; Index.