The Arawaks were now forced to pay a tax, and the men were to deliver amounts of gold and cotton. If they failed they were forced to give several weeks’ free labour. If they refused to pay the tax they were captured and sent as slaves to Spain. The Arawaks who all so accustomed of working together for the good of the village were now forced to work and give their reaping to these invaders.
During the warfare tens of thousands of Arawaks were killed, and that number would significantly increase in the future years.
In 1493, there had been between 200,00 and 300,000 Arawaks on Hispaniola, by the end of 1496, two thirds of this population was killed. Many were killed during warfare, but the introduction of unfamiliar diseases also contributed to many of the deaths. The Arawaks had no immunity to diseases like smallpox, and it raced through the islands, weakening and killing whole tribes.
The Spanish now controlled the Arawaks. They were brutally worked, and this began to affect them mentally. They were accustomed to working for their families and fellow villagers, on their own schedules. This caused many Arawaks to commit suicide.
They Arawaks were ruled by a cacique, which they respected and obeyed. The caciques were replaced by the encomondero or protector who now owned them. They were grouped and sent to an encomienda where they began their new lives. There they were forced to change from wearing what they wanted, speaking their own language, believing their religion, to being forced into wearing European styled clothing, speaking the Spanish language and converting to and accepting the Christian faith.
They were allowed to keep their homes and farms and, by the queen’s orders were not to be made slaves. The encomienda system, however, was slave system with a different name. No wages were paid for the work done, churches or schools were not built in Arawaks villages, and the encomondero’s herds of cattle and other animals often destroyed their farms. The Arawaks were not free to leave the encomienda and those who fled were hunted down.
Different aspects such as the introduction of European diseases, famine, overwork, warfare, suicide, and brutality were all facts that contributed to the death rate of the Arawaks. The weakness of the Arawaks was that they were too simple, they trusted others too much, and the realisation of this fact by the Spanish only encourage them to take advantage of these warm hearted people.