Highland communities, therefore, experienced less contact with Spanish culture than did lowland communities. However, all Indian communities were subject to Spanish tribute and labor demands, adapted from the Incan mita system. These often onerous obligations brought disruption, change, and hardship. A later addition to the legend has Santiago riding a white steed and carrying a white banner, appearing in a radiant cloud above Christian troops battling Muslim forces. The notion of Santiago symbolizing Christian triumph over non-Christians was part of the mental world that the conquistadores brought with them to America.
Chroniclers report that Santiago was invoked numerous times in battles against indigenous peoples.
This illustration shows such a scene. Iglesia de Santo Domingo, Cuzco, Peru Photoreproduction from original photograph. Prints and Photographs Division T his church in Cuzco was constructed on top of the remains of an Incan temple. The obvious combination of Christian, Muslim, and Incan cultures are all evident in this photograph. French efforts to exploit the resources and to establish settlements in the area persisted through much of the 16th century.