Primary Source Analysis: Hernan Cortes: Second Letter to Charles V, 1520 - Report Example

Order 418270 Topic: Primary Source Analysis: Hernan Cortes: Second Letter to Charles V, 1520 How does Cortés describe Temixtitlan (Mexico)? Cortes describes Mexico with awe and wonder. He says, he finds it difficult to believe what he is observing, the things he is seeing around, yet he has to believe, for he is directly experiencing their existence. He seems at ease both with the gun and the pen. Cortes expresses humility about his skills in both the domains. He writes, “ I shall not be able to relate an hundredth part of what could be told respecting these matters; but I will endeavor to describe, in the best manner in my power, what I have myself seen; and imperfectly as I may succeed in the attempt, I am fully aware that the account will appear so wonderful as to be deemed scarcely worthy of credit; since even we who have seen these things with our own eyes, are yet so amazed as to be unable to comprehend their reality.”(www.fordham....) The Generals mind is working on the military lines. He is giving his assessment of the country for the future course of action as the Majesty may think fit. The description about Mexico indicates the map of the area as if it will be useful from the point of view of military strategy to conquer the areas. He writes, “This Province is in the form of a circle, surrounded on all sides by lofty and rugged mountains; its level surface comprises an area of about seventy leagues in circumference, including two lakes, that overspread nearly the whole valley, being navigated by boats more than fifty leagues round. One of these lakes contains fresh and the other, which is the larger of the two, salt water. On one side of the lakes, in the middle of the valley, a range of highlands divides them from one another, with the exception of a narrow strait which lies between the highlands and the lofty sierras.”(www.fordham....) He is revealing as if, a strategy for the conquest and gives details of the infrastructure for the express purpose. He mentions about the advantages and disadvantages of the topography of Mexico. If this was the only source we had on Spanish views and perceptions of early Mexico what sort of generalizations or characterizations could you make on Spanish imperialism (or moral superiority for that matter) based on how Cortés describes the people and their customs? Cortes is simply fascinated about Mexico on all counts. The place from the point of view of topography and the people about their standard of living and standard of life! His description about “Salamanca”, is comparable about a big shopping mall of the modern times. He writes, “ where are daily assembled more than sixty thousand souls, engaged in buying and selling; and where are found all kinds of merchandise that the world affords, embracing the necessaries of life, as for instance articles of food, as well as jewels of gold and silver, lead, brass, copper, tin, precious stones, bones, shells, snails, and feathers.” (www.fordham....)Cortes sounds like an economist as he continues with the description of land, labor, capital and organization of Mexico. He doesnt miss the smallest of the details so that His Majesty can get the entire picture and analyze the implications. The description about the food habits reveals the cruel mind-set of the people. “ There is a street for game, where every variety of birds in the country are sold, as fowls, partridges, quails, wild ducks, fly-catchers, widgeons, turtledoves, pigeons, reed-birds, parrots, sparrows, eagles, hawks, owls, and kestrels; they sell likewise the skins of some birds of prey, with their feathers, head, beak, and claws. There are also sold rabbits, hares, deer, and little dogs [i. e. the chihuahua], which are raised for eating.” (www. Fordham....) The complete, item-wise description by Cortes, reads like the storekeepers inventory of a big shopping mall. Mexico had anything and everything, from articles of daily use, novelties, decoration items, rare and exotic ones. The food habits were mixed. They were vegetarians and non-vegetarians. The imperialistic society of Mexico enjoyed all sorts of luxuries of life. What was the purpose of this letter? What did Cortés hope to achieve? Was it propaganda? Cortes is the conqueror of the Aztec empire and the founder of colonial Mexico. On embarking upon the military adventure, a shrewd generals mind relentlessly works on two counts. How to conquer the intended territory and and advantages and the disadvantages of the conquest. His correspondence through detailed letters(1519-1526) is a valuable source of geographical and historical data, and reveals his conquistador mentality. The purpose of the letters is not propaganda but to provide adequate data for His Majesty to make up his mind, to embark upon a military adventure for fulfilling territorial aggrandizement. The letters provide adequate statistical data for a military plan for Spains growing colonial enterprise. Knowledge of law and military discipline makes a good combination. Any General with the territorial ambitions in a new land, thinks of the age-old, time-tested military and political tacit. How to implement the divide and rule policy in the the land that he has just entered! Cortes precisely was up to the same move. The military mind is characterized by innovative thinking, lots of imagination, challenge the accepted doctrine, mixture of caution and aggression, professional optimism, sharp outlook, and sometimes think much ahead of the instructions of the highers authority. The mind of Cortes was the combination of several minds-- the academic mind, the commercial mind, the industrial mind and above all the conquerors mind. The Generals mind is the total mind of the fighting force. A good General always leads by example. Cortes was a visionary and an innovator. The letter itself does not indicate plans for any definite military action, but provides enough backgrounder information for His Majesty to think and analyze, plan, synthesize and come to a conclusion. It provides enough geographical data to think coolly and interpret hostile capabilities of the enemy. Cortex gives great importance to the layout of the city, its roads and bridges, and he seems to plan a military adventure on the city, at the same time weigh the advantages and disadvantages if an attack is to be launched. He writes, “there are also very wide bridges, composed of large pieces of timber, of great strength and well put together; on many of these bridges ten horses can go abreast. Foreseeing that if the inhabitants of the city should prove treacherous, they would possess great advantages from the manner in which the city is constructed, since by removing the bridges at the entrances, and abandoning the place, they could leave us to perish by famine without our being able to reach the main land, as soon as I had entered it, I made great haste to build four brigantines, which were soon finished, and were large enough to take ashore three hundred men and the horses, whenever it should become necessary.” (www.fordham....)Finally, Cortes has revealed his mind. He is almost up to a military adventure. He is finding it irresistible not to go for a confrontation and establish a base at Mexico. He makes the special mention of the “ building in the great square that is used as an audience house, where ten or twelve persons, who are magistrates, sit and decide all controversies that arise in the market, and order delinquents to be punished. In the same square there are other persons who go constantly about among the people observing what is sold, and the measures used in selling; and they have been seen to break measures that were not true.” (www.fordham....)Cortex also provides details of the religious beliefs of the people, and makes the special mention of a great temple “whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe.”(www.fordham....) Cortes cleverly reveals a fact to His Majesty, that supports his intended plan for territorial ambitions in Mexico. He is pleased to get information that they were not the aborigines of the country, and their ancestors had emigrated to Mexico many years ago. So,the unasked question is, what is wrong if now Cortes and people of Spain create settlements in Mexico on a permanent footing? *************** References: www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1520cortes.html – Retrieved on March 1,2010 . Read More