Note 21 — Chapter VIII · SOCIAL AND POLITICAL ORGANIZATION IN SPAIN, 1031-1276

The term “adelantado” comes from the fact that the officials so-called were “advanced,” or “put forward,” in the place of the king, to act in his name. There is some authority to the effect that the title was in existence as early as the tenth century, but it was certainly employed by the latter part of the twelfth century. In origin the adelantados mayores, or greater adelantados, were judicial officials, hearing appeals that had formerly gone to the king. The adelantado menor, or lesser adelantado, came into existence early in the thirteenth century, at which time he was a judicial officer of higher rank than the merinos, but also possessed extensive administrative powers. Many of the adelantados menores were stationed in frontier districts, and indeed they were often called adelantados fronterizos (frontier adelantados). It was natural, therefore, that they should acquire military functions. It was the adelantado fronterizo of Spain who figured so prominently in the conquest of the Americas. Most of the conquerors of the sixteenth century were adelantados. After that the title died out. Hill, Roscoe R., The office of adelantado, in Political science quarterly, v. XXVIII, no. 4; Dec., 1913.