The Great Rebellion claimed tens of thousands of lives and traumatized imperial psyches for decades. It was one of the most devastating political and human disasters in Latin American colonial history. Using extensive primary research, Nicholas A. Robins delves into the fractious relations between Indian communities and their clergy and the role that such tensions played as a major causal factor in the rebellion. Powerful case histories offer rare insights into the daily exercise of power in colonial Andean villages. Compelling archival evidence provides a riveting portrait of clerical abuse in rural villages and reveals how Indian peoples challenged and resisted ruling powers with varying degrees of success.