Del arrendamiento al despojo de tierras: Los caciques Cruz y la hacienda de San Jerónimo (Tepexi de la Seda, Puebla-México, 1728-1805)

renting land was one of the characteristics that defined the indigenous nobility in new spain during the eighteenth century since it meant a major channel of exploitation. in this paper, we study the consequences this decision had for their socioeconomic level when the society of jesus, one of the tenants, was expelled in 1767 and their properties were seized. in order to do so, we analyse the case of the cruz caciques, natives of tepexi de la seda (puebla, méxico), who rented their cacicazgo's lands to san geronimo's hacienda, property of the holly ghost college (puebla, méxico).