Conquest of Tenochtitlan - Two Competing Viewpoints - Essay Example

For the Indians part, the arrival of the Spaniards was originally thought to be the return of a god, Quetzalcoatl. This is indicated in many reports by the Spanish that tend to highlight the naiveté of the Indians, but is also mentioned in the written record of the Indians: “It was as if he [Motecuhzoma] thought the new arrival was our prince Quetzalcoatl. This is what he felt in his heart: He has appeared! He has come back! He will come here, to the place of his throne and canopy, for that is what he promised when he departed!” (Leon-Portilla, year). However, while the Spanish insisted that this impression was long-lasting, the Indians themselves indicate that they quickly understood that this was not the god they had expected. While those in Tenochtitlan understood this as the Spaniards proceeded to burn all their sacred treasures with eyes filled with greed, the Cibola tribes and other plains tribes similarly could not submit their own religious beliefs and lives to the greed and domination of the Spaniards.

For their part, the Spanish seem not to have been completely unsympathetic to the plight of the Indians that had been encountered. Juan Jaramillo (1896) describes his expedition with some detail, indicating highly practical Indian populations who had not only two-story houses, but innovative constructions such as hot rooms built underground against the chill of the winters and the hide-covered constructions (teepees) that others used as a means of portable housing to follow the herds of buffalo. While he does not indicate these people were rich by any means, he does indicate that they were courteous, welcoming, and content with their lives upon their first encounter.

However, investigations into reports of “cruelties” committed by the Spaniards turned out an interview of Juan Troyano, whose testimony seemed somewhat puzzled as to why the Indians would not immediately and peacefully surrender everything they had upon Coronado’s arrival. “Although … the requerimiento was read and made understandable by an Indian from the province of Señora who, they said, knew the language, the Indians of Cibola never were willing to come in peace” (Flint, 2002). Several plots for revolts, with some highly successful for as long as ten years, further indicate that the Indians did not feel they were being treated appropriately by the newcomers.

While the Spanish accounts contain a tone of moderate surprise regarding the reactions of the Indians, even these accounts reveal a great deal of abuse and avarice. Indians were turned out of their homes, had all of their provisions seized, and seemed to be the frequent sufferers of physical abuse as well. Although they show a general puzzlement about the nature of these creatures, the Indians themselves indicate a general revulsion toward the Spaniards, seeing them as greedy mongrels fighting to control all and forcing the Indians to war as the only means of survival yet armed with frightening weapons that were next to impossible to understand. These accounts provide an idea of the Indians that is slightly different from what the Spaniards would have their king understand. Read More