The Fall Of The Aztec And Inca Empires
...y the Aztecs and wished to escape the tributes required of them. Moctezuma had left the consolidation of the empire up to his generals while he devoted his time to wordily pleasures and religious duties in Tenochtitlan. Across the Atlantic Ocean, another great empire had recently accomplished s consolidation of its own. Spain had successfully completed the Reconquista. I think that to better understand the reasons for the conquest of Mexico and the elimination of its civilizations we should mention the process of the settlement of New Spain. Finding a solid Muslim wall to the south, in Northern Africa and the powerful French kingdom to the north, the only direction that the Spanish saw in which to expand was to the west. The popes had intentionally given sovereignity over any new lands discovered to Portuguese; but with advent of Columbus' discovery, the Spanish wished to end this legacy of Portuguese favoritism in the Vatican. The new pope, Alexander VI, issued a series of four bulls that established the papacy as an adamantly pro-Spanish power. These bulls gave the Spanish title to Columbus' discoveries and any non-Christian western lands discovered as long as the native populations were converted to Christianity. With Spanish control of the Carribean and Gulf of Mexico assured, Spain proceeded to colonize the islands in the area, converting the islanders as they went and often massacring whole populations purposely or accidentally killing them by transmitting European diseases. The main goals in the expansion were to Christianize the Indians (as dictated by the pope), to gain trading power, and of course, to acquire the great mineral wealth of the Americas. This mineral wealth included vast amounts of gold and silver ore. The Spanish nation, mostly catholic and very much expansionist, looked with great greed towards the new discovered lands. In the year of 1511, the Spaniards invaded and subjugated the island of Cuba. Cortes was among the conquerors. When Fernando and Isabel died, the throne of Spain passed on to Carlos V, who later reigned also as emperor of Austria, Germany, Luxemburg, the Netherlands, and part of Borgona. With great precaution, he authorized Cortes to explore but not to conquest. The instructions of the king, though, included a clause by which Cortes, in cases of trouble, could take the actions that would best suit to the service of Our Lord God. The clever Cortes later interpreted these words in his own way, adapting them to his own purpose. Cortes's fleet landed at what is now Vera Cruz on April 21, 1519. Eight months later he had already he had already reached the heart of the Aztec world - the great city of Tenochtitlan - where he had been received as a guest of honor. In the mean time he was informed that many vassal kings, who owed allegiance to the emperor Moctezuma, secretly detested him, and would readily support anyone who might help them throw off the hated Aztec yoke. The march of Cortes through Mexican lands can be explained mainly, according to Laurette Sejourne, by the undoubted talent that Cortes had for intrigue and betrayal, what allowed him to rapidly orient himself in the laberint of Mexican politics , little after his arrival after his arrival, he discovered that resentment and rebellion were very present among the tribes that were subjugated to the domination of Moctezuma, and immediately formed military alliances that made possible his astonishing victories. And an unbreakable will, that did not stop before murders or mass killings, he accomplished everything else. (Burning Water). After months of fighting Cortes ordered a full-scale assault of the city. At the same time in the Aztec capital, a smallpox epidemic began that killed or immobilized much of the population. The captain-general appealed to the emperor (who was Cuahtemoc by this time) to surrender. Everywhere he went with his army they left a trail of destruction - burned or pulled-down homes and temples - regardless of whether or not there were wounded men, women, or children inside. But the Aztec king refused to leave the city in the hands of the Spaniards. He asked to be killed, and Cortes pardoned him. This lack of understanding for each other's culture is one sign that there would have been no way for the two empires to have an equal existence. The Spaniards' disgust with the barbaric rites of the Aztecs gave them an excuse to force the Aztecs (and later the rest of the Mexicans) down into the lowest echelons of the new Hispanic society. But it should be considered that while human sacrifice is surely barbaric, enslaving peoples is hardly a sign of being civilized. He had the advantage of his fanatic catholic missionary zeal that served him as a justification to exploit the Mexicans, supported mainly the Aztec customs of performing human sacrifices and practicing cannibalism. These customs offend the sensibilities of the 20-th century but have different impact when they were committed in Europe at the time when Cortes invaded Mexico. The conquerors banished the Aztecs from their city and began to clear it. Around half million people were killed. The Aztec homes were torn down and new homes for the conquistadors were built by reluctant Mexican laborers. It is ironic that very little gold was found in the city as compared to what was expected. And so, in the year of 1525, the Aztec world had its end. Th...