Conquistadors

thumb|right|Hernán Cortés led the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and expanded the Spanish Empire in the Americas]] thumb|right|Afonso de Albuquerque expanded the [[Portuguese Empire across the Indian Ocean]]

Adelantado (, , ; meaning 'advanced') was a title held by some Spanish nobles in service of their respective kings during the Middle Ages. It was later used as a military title held by some Spanish conquistadores of the 15th, 16th and 17th centuries.

indigenous peoples integrated into armies of Spanish conquistadors

historical essay by Peter Martyr d'Anghiera