Gregorio de San Juan was a náhuatl cacique active from the end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th. He wrote a testimony that talks about the system of encomiendas established during the Viceroyalty in Mexico in the 16th century.^[1]

The system of encomiendas was one of the most important factors in the process of colonisation.^[2] In the testament written by Gregorio de San Juan the encomiendas are described as a tool that helped pre-hispanic rulers of Mexico conserve some governmental and administrative faculties. By means of these encomiendas Gregorio de San Juan was able to accumulate a fortune and material goods.

At the end of the 16th century the working laws changed, leaving the system of encomiendas behind and opening the way for the salary.^[2]