Broken Spears Essay Research Paper Broken SpearsAround free essay sample

Broken Spears Essay, Research Paper Broken Spears Around 1519, a Spaniard by the name of Hernan Cortes sailed to what we now know as modern twenty-four hours Mexico. Diego Velazques, governor of Cuba, instructed Cortes to do contact with the New World. What was supposed to be an guiltless journey of geographic expedition and trading, became a hideous race murder of the Aztecs of the New World. Cortes was a violent, manipulative, and a greedy adult male. To give you an thought of the force Cortes and his work forces were capable of perpetrating, I would wish to associate a transition of a Nahautl history, from the book by Miguel Leon-Portilla, Broken Spears: They ran in among the terpsichoreans, coercing their manner to where the membranophones played. They attacked the adult male who was beating and cut off his weaponries. Then they cut off his caput, and it rolled across the floor. They attacked all the celebrators, knifing them, spearing them, striking them with their blades. They attacked some of the from buttocks, and these fell immediately to the land with their visceras hanging out. Others they beheaded: they cut off their caputs, or divide their caputs to pieces. They struck others in the shoulders, and their weaponries were torn from their organic structures. They wounded some in the thigh and some in the calf. They slashed others in the venters, and their visceras all spilled to the land. Some attempted to run off but their bowels dragged as they ran ; they seemed to embroil their pess in their ain visceras. ( twenty-six ) The old transition took topographic point during the Fiesta of Toxcatl. Although Cortes was non present at this clip, I believe the actions of his work forces were a direct contemplation of Cortes thirst for force. I besides came across different parts in the book where it described how Cortes and the Spaniards would hang, anguish, and provender people to their Canis familiariss. Cortes was besides involved in the violent death of unarmed people in Cholula. Cortes would utilize any agencies necessary to suppress the Aztecs and rob them of their gold. Cortes most likely was a violent adult male due to the fact that he came from a classical influenced society that was violent by nature. An illustration of the force in this society was the type of athleticss and amusement they used to bask, such as human and carnal combat. Most of the clip the also-ran of the battle would pay with their life. I think Cortes was a manipulative adult male every bit good. In the book it describes how he was able to derive Alliess such as the Tlaxcaltecas and increase the size of his ground forces. Cortes besides was able to do great fright and confusion by the usage of his arms, Canis familiariss, and Equus caballuss. The native ous people had yet to see any of these types of arms and animate beings. A good illustration of merely how manipulative Cortes was takes topographic point when Motecuhzoma meets him for the first clip. Motecuhzoma believed Cortes was their god Quetzalcoatl returning to claim his imperium. After Motecuhzoma tells Cortes how happy he is for returning to his people, Cortes answers: Tell Motecuhzoma that we are his friends. There is nil to fear. We have wanted to see him for a long clip, and now we have seen his face and heard his words. Tell him that we love him good and that are Black Marias are contented. Then he said to Motecuhzoma: We have come to your house in Mexico as friends. There is nil to fear. La malinche translated this address and the Spaniards grasped Motecuhzoma s custodies and patted his dorsum to demo their fondness for him. ( 65 ) Little did Motecuhzoma cognize the great grief his people would subsequently come to digest. Another trait of Cortes was that he was a avaricious adult male. All the blood that was spilled was in the hunt for gold. Cortes would hold liked one to believe that this senseless slaughter occurred in the name of the Lord, to distribute Christianity. Cortes s true motivation was the ictus of gold for his ain personal addition. Any gilded point that was seized was melted down in order to transport every bit much as possible. All the Aztec adult females would be searched under their vesture for gold. Cortezs and the Spaniards would even travel so far as to demand gold that was lost by the Spaniards when they retreated from the Canal of the Toltecs. A good portraiture of Cortes greed is from an history where Motecuhzoma sent his minister plenipotentiary to run into Cortes and brought him gifts of gold. They gave the Gods ensigns of gold, and ensigns of quetzal plumes, and aureate necklaces. And when they were given these nowadayss, the Spaniards explosion into smilings ; their eyes shone with pleasance ; they were delighted by them. They picked up the gold and fingered it like monkeys ; they seemed to be transported by joy as if their Black Marias were illumined and made new. The truth is that they longed and lusted for gold. Their organic structures swelled with greed, and their hungriness was famished ; they hungered like hogs for that gold. ( 51 ) Cortezs came to the New World with such few work forces, and such small resources. He was able to derive 1000s of Alliess, and deceive 1000s of work forces. He conquered one of the largest imperiums within a 2 twelvemonth clip period. Although I am non fond of Cortes character, and I am disgusted by the mistreatment of the Aztecs people, I must acknowledge I admire Cortes as a great military leader.