Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro - Article Example

Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro Spain is one of the world’s most ancient colonial nations. Long before the British the Spaniards affiliated by their king, went on to explore new world over the sea and ame back with success. In the 15 th century, the great Colombus went in search of America. However, it was an expedition made with the motive of a trader. In later years, Hernan Cortes and Francisco Pizarro, two of the Spanish conquistadors anhiliated two of the most prosperous civilizations of that time – the Aztecs and the Incas. Cortes and the conquest of Mexico: In the year 1518 Cortes was entrusted with the command on an expedition that was to explore and secure the interior os Mexico. The motive of this expedition was to make Mexico a colony of Spain. Cortes with around 600 men landed in Yucatan Peninsula in Maya terrotory. Cortes managed to win a battle against the natives of Tabasco (March 1519). In July 1519, Cortes occupied Veracruz. The battle of Veracruz has significant meaning in Cortes’ career. This battle put him directly under the control of the Spanish emperor Charles V and freed him from the governor of Cuba. Leaving 100 men in Veracruz, Cortes set for Tenochtitlan (August 1519). At that time he was left with 400 men, 15 horsemen, 15 cannons and interestingly, 100 indigenous people whom he received from the previous battles. This inclusion of indigenous people into the army was possible because of the Mayanese interpreters within the army. Moreover, Cortes did develop a relation with a Mayanese woman, La Malincha, who was comfortable in both Nahuati and Maya languages. This liason helped Cortes become well versed in both the languages and hence he could convince the local people to join his group while by marrying La Malincha, won their trust and respect. Furthermore, on the way to Tenochtitlan Cortes formed lliances with the native American population like Nahuas, Tlaxcala and the Totonacs. A;; these alliances proved very fruitful for Cortes in the later part of his conquests. He was joined by around 3000 Tlaxcalteca and merged to the second largest city of Central Mexico, Cholula (October 1519). At this point, the forthsight of Cortes is well explained in his massacre of the natives of Cholula. It was done to inflict a fear upon the minds of the Aztecs waiting for him at Tenochtitlan. Through all the alliances he made, Cortes who started this expedition with around 600 men, made a very large army to head with by the time he appeared in Tenochtitlan. At Tenochtitlan, on the 9th October, 1519, they received a peaceful welcome by the Aztec emperor Moctezuma. Moctezuma II was a great strategician. He deliberately made Cortes enetr the heart of the Aztec empire only to let them know better so that he can find the weakness of the Spaniards and then defeat them at ease. The Spaniards were gifted with precious golds and Cortes thought that perhaps the Aztecs are taking them as the serpent god Quetzaleoatl, but soon he came to know that Spaniards aiting at the coast were attacked by Aztecs and took Moctezuma into hostage. At the same time, Panjilo De Narvaez was sent from Cuba to tame Cortes and Cortes has to leave Tenochtitlan to fight Natvaez. Cortes managed to defeat Narvaez and on his return to Mexico, he found one of his men has committed a massacre at a temple and that had initiated a local rebellion. In order to ceasefire, Cortes arranged a peace treaty with Moctezuma but Moctezuma was kille dby his own country men. Having no choice left, Cortez in July 1, 1520, decided to flee for Tlaxcala. On the way to retreat, the Spaniards lost lots of men and the loote dtreasure. Here again, Cortes previous alliance with local people paid off. As on the verge of extinction, Cortes managed to gather enforcement from Cuba through the help of his previous allies. The military prowess of Cortes gets distinct at this juncture. Realizing the need of time, Cortes followed a policy of attrition towards the island city of Tenochtitlan. The Aztec cities surrounding Tenochtitlan were conquered cutting the main city off any suppply of resources. This policy swung the balance of war once again in favor of Cortes. Finally, Cortes cenetred the city and reduced it to the ground. After Tenochtitlan he moved to capture Cuauhtemoc, the ruler of Tenochtitlan who succeeded Moctezuma (August 13, 1521). With that the Aztec empire met its end. The military prowess of Hernan Cortes and his foresight gets ell reflecetd in the way he has made alliance with local people. Unlike the other conquestadors, Cortes had not lost only brutal force and treachery to conquer the Aztecs. Rather it was brilliant strategic planning that brought the downfall of the Aztecs. Cortes also was brilliant in picking up the right man at the right places. The choice of his future mistress La Malincha and Jeronimo de Aguilar as the interpretar portrays this charecteristic of Cortes. Francis Pizarro’s first expedition in search of Peru, the land of the Incas in the year 1524, was a total failure. After two years Pizarro again headed for Peru and this time he retained with limited success. From his second expedition, Pizarro managed to collect some pirecs of textiles, ceramics as wella sgold and solver from the local natives and that helped him convince the then Spanish emperor towards Peru. Empowered by help from the Spanish emperor, Pizarro was provided with three ships that comprised of 180 men and 27 horses. Pizarro was awarded the governorship of New Castile by the Spanish king and this position in later years of his expediture found to be a source of annoyance for the other people of his group, especially Almagr. Like Hernando Cortes, Pizarro also collecetd a native on his expedition who was later baptised to Felippilo and regarded as equivalent to Cortes’ La Malinche. Felipillo also served as a interpretor. Pizarro landed in the coast near euator in the year 1532. apparently unwillingly, Pizarro had to involve himself in a conflict with the Punian natives in the battle of Puna. The battle took a toll of three Spaniards and 400 Punians. After the battle Hernando De Soto joined Pizarro and they both moved towards Tumbes. The place was already deserted and destroyed. The two conquestadors who were in charge of Tumbes were never found again and local chiefs explained that some fearsome Punians led a severe attack and deserted the place. Tumbes was not a safe place for Pizarro any more and he moved further inwards to make the first Spanish settlement in Peru “San Miquel de Piara” (July 1532). Fom then on Hernando de Soto moved further to explore new lands and after several days returned with a group of people from Inca himself. Theyw ere accompanied with presents. The messenger expressed that Inca was expecting a meeting with the Spaniards. Atahualpa, the king of Inca was resting at Sierra in Nortehrn Peru. It was near Cajamarca. Atahualpa’s brother Huascar was already defeated by Atahualpa. Pizarro kept on waiting for around two months and he was accompanied by only 106 infantry and 62 horsemen. After reaching Cajamarca, Pizarro sent Hernando d eSoto, Vicente de Valverde and Felipillo to approach Athualpa. Atahualpa with his 80000 soldiers was adament enough to refuse the Spaniards any recognition in his land after being refused, Pizarro defeated the Incas in the battle of Cajamarca in Novemebr 16, 1532. atahualpa was imprisoned by the Spaniards and the Inca king was taken to the ranson room. The Spaniards had a strange demand. They asked the Incas to fill a room (22 by 17 feet) with gold and two with silver. Tha ransom was paid but Atahualpa, who was convicted of killing his brother abd conspirating against the Spanairds,was executed in August 29, 1533. In 1533, Pizarro invaded Cuzco with indigenous troops and the fate of the Incas was sealed. Even after the execution of Atahualpa, Incas continued to regroup under Manco Inca Yupanqui and this led the Spanairds to come out of their so called chilvalry and prganise one of the most civil military movement in the military history that massacred all Incas and raped their women. Adding to the shame, the great Francisco Pizarro himself violated the wife of Manco Inca. Both Hernando Cortes and Francisco Pizarro were great Spanish conquestadors. The main simialrity among themselevs comes fromt heir liking for adventure. Both of them seem to have realized the importance of interpretors while conquering foreign nations. While Hernando Cortes took La Malincha and Jeronimo de Aguilar as interpretors Pizarro opted for Felipillo. Cortes headed for Mexico, a location near to Spain whereas Pizarro showed great courage to invade Peru which is in South America.tiem and again Cortes faced resistence from the non Aztecs, often they were from his own class and nationality. Pizarro on the other hand, faced immense hardship to convince his countrymen about the prospect of his invasion of Inca. The most significant different between Hernando Cortes and Francisco Pizarro in terms of military prowess is that while Cortes made alliances with local tribesa nd even after defeated some tribes, extended his hand of friendship towards them, Pizarro was more staunch in and disregarded taking the local tribe into his troops. This proved vital for both of them. On one hand Cortes got ample help from the local tribes on his way to defeat the Aztecs, Pizarro did not receive much help though he had made a faint try when he declared Athualpa as the killer of his brother Huascar in order not to annoy the local people with the execution of Atahualpa without a reason. Moreover Cortes was bereft of any stigma like raping any local woman but Pizarro committing the same has stigmatized his name. Among the two if Pizarro deserves more credit for choosing a far away destination from Spain, Cortes will be rememebred as a more fair practitioner of militray ideology. After all both of them are reckoned as a shame to humanity and responsible for the abolition of two most prosperous civilizations of that time. References: Prescott, William, History of the Conquest of Peru, Modern Library; New Ed edition, 1998, pp. 1-705 Restall, Matthew, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest. Oxford University Press, 2003 Read More