▁of ▁Bag ul in . ▁ ▁Political ▁development ▁The ▁earliest ▁political ▁system ▁used ▁during ▁the ▁Spanish ▁colonial ▁period ▁was ▁the ▁“ en com i enda ” ▁system . ▁Under ▁this ▁system , ▁the ▁native ▁inhabitants ▁in ▁a ▁given ▁ge ographic ▁region ▁were ▁entr usted ▁to ▁conquist adores , ▁fri ars ▁and ▁native ▁nobles ▁in ▁exchange ▁for ▁their ▁services ▁to ▁the ▁King . ▁In ▁return , ▁the ▁person ▁granted ▁the ▁en com i enda , ▁known ▁as ▁an ▁en com i end ero , ▁were ▁given ▁the ▁privile ge ▁to ▁collect ▁t ribute ▁from ▁its ▁inhabitants ▁and ▁to ▁provide ▁military ▁protection , ▁justice ▁and ▁govern ance . ▁The ▁en com i enda ▁system ▁however ▁was ▁ab used ▁by ▁en com i ender os ▁and ▁by ▁ 1 7 0 0 ▁was ▁largely ▁replaced ▁by ▁administrative ▁units . ▁With ▁the ▁main ▁purpose ▁of ▁govern ance ▁and ▁tax ▁collection , ▁small ▁towns ▁or ▁pue bl os ▁were ▁ruled ▁by ▁Go bern ador c ill os ▁and ▁Cap itan es . ▁ ▁Geography ▁N agu ilian ▁is ▁character ized ▁by ▁hills ▁and ▁mountains ▁that ▁are ▁g ently ▁rolling , ▁border ed ▁by ▁the ▁Cord ill era ▁Mountains ▁in ▁the ▁east . ▁The ▁al ien able ▁lands ▁are ▁rolling ▁pla ins ▁in ▁narrow ▁stri ps , ▁fr amed ▁by ▁the ▁mountains ▁s lop es ▁and ▁the ▁banks ▁of ▁rivers , ▁cr iss cross ed ▁by ▁streams ▁and ▁spr ings ▁from ▁the ▁side ▁of ▁the ▁mountains . ▁Its ▁soil ▁var ies ▁from ▁cl ay ▁lo am ▁to ▁sand y