Composición, mercedes de tierras realengas y expansión ganadera en una zona de frontera de la gobernación de Santa Marta: Valledupar (1700-1810)

the article examines the impact of the demand for meat from the city of cartagena on the expansion and allocation of royal lands in a border area of the province of santa marta: the city of valledupar. it seeks to show how, starting in the 18th century, market incentives encouraged cattle-raising in that city's jurisdiction, thus bringing about an increase in claims over royal lands, the configuration of property rights, and the subsequent establishment of cattle ranches. the paper argues that the significant increases in land rent required better management of conflicts among landlords, tenants and farm workers, for which reason the spanish crown deployed an effective policy for the resolution of such conflicts and ratification of the property rights. the officials of the spanish crown placed notable emphasis on legality and, above all, on the application of the rule that went beyond the social and economic differences of the actors involved.