The Council of the Indies, formally known as the Royal and Supreme Council of the Indies, served as the primary administrative and advisory body for the Spanish Empire regarding its overseas territories. Established in 1524 by Charles V, the council was designed to manage the vast regions of the Americas and the Spanish East Indies, operating on a conciliar model similar to the Council of Castile.
Initially an itinerant body that traveled with the monarch, the council gained autonomy and a permanent seat in Madrid in 1561 under Philip II. It exercised comprehensive legislative, executive, and judicial functions, acting as the direct administrative arm of the Spanish Crown to ensure absolute control over its colonial possessions following the conquest of the Aztec Empire.