StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
In the essay “The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes” the author provides Duran and De Cieza’s views on the indigenous American civilizations, which have more differences than similarities. Duran explains more of the brutality of the Aztecs while De Cieza explains more of the Incas…
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER93.6% of users find it useful
The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes"

Question 3 Duran and De Cieza’s views on the indigenous American civilizations have more differences than similarities. Duran explains more of the brutality of the Aztecs while De Cieza explains more of the humaneness of the Incas. Duran states than the Aztecs sacrificed men in their ceremonies to further exalt the occasions. They had six dreadful sacrificers [sic] and priests who worshiped their idols and then threw war prisoners on a sharp stone and ripped out their chests. After killing all prisoners, they distributed the bodies and ate them (Duran 595).

In contrast, De Cieza states that the soldiers of the Inca were ordered not to engage in violence when they conquered. The armies always came out victorious. Crops and houses of the enemy were spared and if there was famine, food was ordered so that those who were newly won find their rule favorable (De Cieza 598). De Cieza also explains that the system of tribute collection for the Inca was very well organized. It is argued that all villages knew where to send their tributes. Incas visited the kingdom with great pomp in greatly adorned rich litters and many people filled the slopes and hills to see his passing calling blessings on him (De Cieza 598).

Duran dissimilarly argues that the principle way in which kings and warriors used to obtain glory was soldiery. They had to be the best in destroying armies, taking prisoners and killing. Then they were given rewards, honors and weapons to proof their deeds (Duran 596). In spite of these differences, there are some similarities on their views especially on the severity of punishments on wrong doers. Duran states that adulterers were to be stoned or thrown down into rivers and buzzards while and thieves were to be sold as slaves or killed (595).

De Cieza also states that ravishers of women, thieves and conspirators against the Inca were to have their heads cut off or killed in their manner of choice (598). In conclusion, De Cieza seems to appreciate the civilizations of the Incas especially on how well they conquered vast lands without war while Duran tends to focus more on the brutality of the Aztecs especially punishments that they inflicted on their war prisoners. Works Cited De Cieza, Pedro de Cieza de Leon on the Incas. Considering the Evidence: The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes.

Document 12:2/ The worlds of the fifteenth Century. Print. Duran, Diego Duran on the Aztecs. Considering the Evidence: The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes. Document 12:1/ The worlds of the fifteenth Century. Print.

Read More
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“Essay 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words”, n.d.)
Essay 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/history/1693134-essay-6
(Essay 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words)
Essay 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words. https://studentshare.org/history/1693134-essay-6.
“Essay 6 Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/history/1693134-essay-6.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The Aztecs and the Incas through Spanish Eyes

Research Paper on the Aztecs

the aztecs were an advanced culture centered on the highlands of Mexico from about the 12th century A.... Unfortunately for the aztecs, the Spanish liked what they saw of the riches and land around them and decided to take it for their own.... Before settling near the southern edge of modern Mexico, the aztecs were a group of semi-nomadic people with weak political powers and a notably fragmented identity1.... A small part of the colorful politics of the area at the time, the aztecs were actually driven into the highlands by other more powerful nations and for a few centuries they lived relatively peaceably with their neighbors, much differently than the society we envision now as the aztecs: a violent and powerful group motivated by gold, wealth and bloodthirsty gods....
6 Pages (1500 words) Essay

Cin the Aztec Civilization

An argument can therefore be made that the religious conversion of the aztecs was ignited in part due to their practices of human sacrifice and cannibalism was instructed by Europeans who themselves practiced a form of cannibalism and whose entire religion is based on the necessity of a human sacrifice.... the aztecs believed that this source must be kept moving in order to keep it from disappearing forever into the darkness of night and so to accomplish this (Alves 43)....
5 Pages (1250 words) Essay

Spanish Conquest over Aztecs

nbsp;… In 1521, Cortes and his troops gathered with Tlaxcalans and planned to deny the aztecs food and water thereby resulting in starvation that led to the death of many people.... nbsp; SPANISH CONQUEST OVER the aztecs Spanish Conquest over Aztecs Aztec was an impressive .... Upon obtaining the king's approval, Cortes identified and liaised with the native friends who were foes of the aztecs.... Cortes first captured and imprisoned Montezuma thereby driving the aztecs into fear thus admitting their submission to the Spaniards....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Aztec Cultural Analysis

the aztecs do consist of a small group of people who did demonstrate a continuous expansion in power, controlling a great part of south and central Mexico.... Analytical research does indicate that Aztecs Aztec Cultural Analysis Affiliation Aztec Cultural Analysis Task the aztecs do consist of a small group of people who did demonstrate a continuous expansion in power, controlling a great part of south and central Mexico.... spanish arrival at around year 1500 led to the final collapse of the kingship....
2 Pages (500 words) Term Paper

The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs

This is in mass The Spanish Conquest of the aztecs The Spanish Conquest of the aztecs was: a holocaust or a necessity?... Presently, the aztecs will have a strong empire whose basis is Christianity besides people holding onto the notion former prophesy came to its fulfilment with the arriving of Cortes.... Daily Life of the aztecs.... How would the world be different today if the spanish had only destroyed the Aztec religion and its emphasis on human sacrifice, but allowed the Aztec Empire and Tenochtitlan to remain as they were before 1519?...
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Apex of Regional Civilizations

?the incas of Pedro De Cieza De León.... Duran and de Cieza gives an illustrative accounts of how the indigenous Americans, aztecs and Incans, lost their civilizations.... This document looks into the origin of the aztecs into their Spanish conquest according to the Nahuatl chronicle that disappeared from historical perspective.... 251-8), the conflict between the Europeans and the American Indians was purely based on the spanish accounts of morality acts Lecturer's and Number Submitted The Apex of Regional Civilizations In the documents, Duran (1993) extracts the 16th century history of the stable Aztecs their mythical origin to the destruction of the empire by Spain by describing the court life of the elite, common people and life during war, flood, and drought....
1 Pages (250 words) Essay

Conquer of Inca Empire by the Spanish Conquistadors

paniards introduced in the war while the incas were already in war, and this was a great advantage to Pizarro and his expedition.... It slowed communication among the incas and made the Spaniards recruit more allies who conquered mercilessly towards the central government (Christine, 2004).... he capture of Atahualpa Emperor was also a significant boost for the Spaniards in conquering the incas as it increased confusion among the incas, which reduced the response of the incas as they attacked the Incan empire....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Conquest of the Aztec Empire

Broken Spears has highlighted many reasons as to why the aztecs were at a disadvantage when it came to defending themselves against the Spanish, whom they considered to be their gods who had finally come to them from across the sea (Miguel León-Portilla et al.... The epidemic of smallpox was already making a stronghold in the area where the aztecs live and this led to widespread death and sickness in the region.... Though the lesser numbers of the Spanish was something that should have worked in favor of the aztecs....
7 Pages (1750 words) Essay
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us