New World Postcolonial - Illuminations by James Fuerst Paperback

About the Book

Presents the first full-length study to treat both parts of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's foundational text, "Royal Commentaries of the Incas," as a seminal work of political thought in the formation of the early Americas and the early modern period. It is also among a handful of studies to explore the "Commentaries" as "mestizo rhetoric," written to subtly address both native Andean readers and Hispano-Europeans. As the author demonstrates, by blending Andean and European discourses to represent Inca history, Garcilaso further proposed restoring indigenous sovereignty by adopting a new mestizo governing body via the political alliance and intermarriage of encomenderos (estate holders) and Incas. This policy extended to education, missionary, and other practices, reflecting Garcilaso's hopes of forming a peaceful coexistence among native Andeans, mestizos, and first-generation Spaniards.

Book Synopsis

The first full-length study to treat both parts of Inca Garcilaso de la Vega's foundational text Royal Commentaries of the Incas as a seminal work of political thought in the formation of the early Americas and the early-modern period. It is also among a handful of studies to explore the Commentaries as a "mestizo rhetoric," written to subtly address both native Andean readers and Hispano-Europeans.

Review Quotes

Fuerst's book on Inca Garcilaso's Royal Commentaries is an important contribution to postcolonial studies. Garcilaso's masterpiece on Inca history and Spanish conquest is given a new twist by examining it from the perspective of political theory. For the first time a monograph is dedicated to study Garcilaso as a political thinker exposing ideas from the European Renaissance as well as Andean thinking.-- "Christian Fernandez, Louisiana State University"

About the Author

James W. Fuerst is an assistant professor of writing, chair of writing, and co-chair of literary studies at Eugene Lang College of Liberal Arts, The New School University.