The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs - Essay Example

The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs The Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs was: a holocaust or a necessity? This was a holocaust distinctive in the way Spaniards assailed defenceless adherents who knew about their attackers’ intentions (Silberman & Alexander 179). The attackers massacred them using all manner of weapons resulting to the extermination of more than 3,000 people. The manner in which Spaniards executed this incidence implies it was a calculated move whose intention encompassed aiding them to realize their dreams.

Hence, it was not necessity for its intention encompassed eliminating the natives (Silberman & Alexander 179). This is in mass numbers with the intention of taking over common with autocratic regimes or those after certain resources from uncivilized people of the then era (Silberman & Alexander 179). Did the Aztec culture have to be destroyed after the conquest or could the city of Tenochtitlan, its agricultural patterns and family life, etc. have been preserved? Based on significant divergences between the two differing cultures, that of Aztec required an extent of destruction for the Spaniards to establish its own, which was Christianity.

This included abolishing mode of worship whereby that of Aztec included using human beings as sacrifice. This was contrary to Christianity that entailed only allegiance to the pope besides adhering to the set guidelines. Eliminating the natives’ culture was to pave way for the emergent Christianity creed whose establishment could not have been that easy if people held onto former practices. Conversely, other practices related to family as well as agriculture could have been preserved for they did not bar effective indoctrination of Christianity.

This is despite the latter characterized by some aspects that sometimes failed to conform wholly to emerging Spaniards’ creed. For instance, polygamy that encompassed some of the aspects entailed adequate suppression to enhance natives’ compliance as well as their respective devotion levels (Curtis & Hansen 426). 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?

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. Since, after his arriving they perceived him being a god whereby his actions coupled with those of entire Spaniards’ entourage would be termed as a revolution that they were anticipating. In addition, the empire would have advanced in terms of varied aspects of knowhow, which they had, for instance, chinampas system (Carrasco & Scott 74).

Consequently, this knowhow by to date would have extended to a greater extent besides characterized by numerous varied advancements. In addition, its military skills would be extremely sound based on how then the region’s neighbours contended Aztecs were incomparable (Carrasco & Scott 74). Hence, to date the empire will be acting as reference of excellence not only in food production but also in other varied areas based on their knowhow that would have experienced diverse advancements. Work Cited Carrasco, David & Scott, Sessions.

Daily Life of the Aztecs. Santa Barbara: Greenwood, 2011. Print.Curtis, Ken & Hansen, Valerie. Voyages in World History. Boston, Massachusetts: Cengage Learning, 2013. Print. Silberman, Neil A. & Alexander, A. Bauer. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. New York, NY [etc.: Oxford University Press, 2012. Print.