Cazigazgo is a phonetic anglicized form of "Cacicazgo", the Spanish transliteration (or a derivative) of the Taíno word for the lands ruled by a Cacique e.g. [1]. The Taíno are pre-Colombian indigenous Amerindian inhabitants of the Bahamas and the Greater Antilles islands, which include Cuba, Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic), Puerto Rico, and Jamaica. ... Cacique may be in reference to: Cacique is one the finest brands of rum produced in Venezuela. ...

Usage

This usage is found at such sites as [2]"la princesa de Cofachiqui, señora de un cacigazgo indígena" or [3], where it is stated: "In November of 1493, the Island of Boriquén had approximately 20 Cacigazgos." According to Spanish chronicles, the Cacique was at the apex of a feudal structure. Bartolome de las Casas refers to these Cacigazgos as kingdoms. Feudalism comes from the Late Latin word feudum, itself borrowed from a Germanic root *fehu, a commonly used term in the Middle Ages which means fief, or land held under certain obligations by feodati. ... Bartolom de Las Casas Bartolom de Las Casas (1484 – July 17, 1566) was a 16th century Spanish priest, the first ordained in the New World and the first Bishop of Chiapas. ...

Quasi-equivalence to minor kingdom

Given the extent of the lands he ruled, a Taíno Cacique was a minor prince, somewhere between an Irish king and a Clan leader in Scotland. The equivalence of a paramount leader of an indigenous American Nation (commonly, but less precisely, called "tribe") supreme in rank, power, or authority [4] to a "local king" has been used by Anthony Lane (2005) in reference to the father of Poncahontas. Motto: (Latin for No one provokes me with impunity)1 Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital Edinburgh Largest city Glasgow Official language(s) English, Gaelic, Scots2 Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP  - First Minister Jack McConnell MSP Unification    - by Kenneth I 843  Area    - Total 78...

Extended use of the word in poltical context

By extension the word is used in Latin American politics to denote the area controlled by a strong semi-permanent political leader (e.g., Wiesheu Forster, 1996). Latin America consists of the countries of South America and some of North America (including Central America and some the islands of the Caribbean) whose inhabitants mostly speak Romance languages, although Native American languages are also spoken. ...

References

• Bartolomé de las Casas. A short account of the destruction of the Indies, translated by Nigel Griffin. Penguin Books, 1992. ISBN 0-14-044562-5

• Lane, Anthony 2005 The Other: "Munich," "Hidden," and "The New World." In: The Current Cinema section of The New Yorker. December 26, 2005 & January 2, 2006. p. 151.

• Wiesheu Forster, Walburga. 1996 Cacigazgo y estado arcaico: la evolución de organizaciones sociopolíticas complejas. INAH (Colección Científica, 310), México.