Editing Guanches (section)

== Political system ==
[[File:Tenerife preconquista.png|thumb|Tenerife prior to the Castilian invasion]]
The political and social institutions of the Guanches varied. In some islands like Gran Canaria, hereditary [[autocracy]] by matrilineality prevailed,<ref>{{Cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=eK28BAAAQBAJ&pg=PA8|title=An Archaeology of the Margins: Colonialism, Amazighity and Heritage Management in the Canary Islands|last=Jose Farrujia de la Rosa|first=Augusto|publisher=Springer Science & Business Media|year=2014|isbn=9781461493969|pages=8|language=en}}</ref> in others the government was [[democracy|elective]]. In Tenerife all the land belonged to the kings who leased it to their subjects.<ref name=EB1911/> In Gran Canaria, [[suicide]] was regarded as honorable, and whenever a new king was installed, one of his subjects willingly honored the occasion by throwing himself over a precipice.<ref name=EB1911/><ref>{{cite book |last=Aliño |first=López-Ibor |author2=Carmen Leal Cercós |author3=Carlos Carbonell Masiá |author4=Janssen-Cilag |others=World Psychiatric Association |title=Images of Spanish Psychiatry |publisher=Editorial Glosa, S.L. |isbn=84-7429-200-X |page=574 |date=2005 }}</ref> In some islands, [[polyandry]] was practised;<ref name=EB1911/> in others they were [[monogamy|monogamous]]. Insult of a woman by an armed man was allegedly a capital offense.<ref name=EB1911/> Anyone accused of a crime had to attend a public trial in Tagoror, a public court where those prosecuted were sentenced after a trial.

[[File:At Candelaria, Tenerife 2022 124.jpg|thumb|right|A statue of the Guanche Mencey Añaterve. [[Candelaria, Tenerife]].]]

The island of Tenerife was divided into nine small kingdoms (''menceyatos''), each ruled by a king or ''Mencey''. The Mencey was the ultimate ruler of the kingdom, and at times, meetings were held between the various kings. When the Castilians invaded the Canary Islands, the southern kingdoms joined the Castilian invaders on the promise of the richer lands of the north; the Castilians betrayed them after ultimately securing victory at the Battles of [[Battle of Aguere|Aguere]] and [[Second Battle of Acentejo|Acentejo]].

=== Kings (''Menceys'') of Tenerife ===
*'''[[Acaimo]]''' or Acaymo of [[Menceyato de Tacoronte]]
*'''[[Adjona]]''' of [[Menceyato de Abona]]
*'''[[Añaterve]]''' of [[Menceyato de Güímar]]
*'''[[Bencomo]]''' of [[Menceyato de Taoro]]
*'''[[Beneharo]]''' of [[Menceyato de Anaga]]
*'''[[Pelicar (mencey)|Pelicar]]''' of [[Menceyato de Adeje]]
*'''[[Pelinor (mencey)|Pelinor]]''' of [[Menceyato de Icode]]
*'''[[Romen (mencey)|Romen]]''' of [[Menceyato de Daute]]
*'''[[Tegueste (mencey)|Tegueste]]''' of [[Menceyato de Tegueste]]

In Tenerife, the grand Mencey [[Tinerfe]] and his father Sunta governed the unified island, which afterwards was divided into nine kingdoms by the children of Tinerfe.