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Spanish Impressions of the city of Tenochtitlan, in Diaz’s Words:
This article is going to describe how the Spanish perceived the Aztec civilization and the central city of Tenochtitlan. The question that will be posed is this: Why were the Spaniards, in particular Bernal Diaz (Spanish conquistador of Hernando Cortes), so shocked and amazed at this Mexican city? What was so astonishing about it? The sources that will be used in this article will come mainly from the books Born in Blood and Fire, and Colonial Latin America. The first book takes you through the evolution of Latin America and the latter are primary source documents from various Spaniards as well as the indigenous peoples. Other information in this article is pulled from various classes that deal with this time period.
Before we dive into the Spanish contact with the indigenous people, let’s first look at the structure and society of the Aztec civilization. The main point that should be projected is that this Aztec society was very sophisticated. They had a great education system that enabled their children to grow up and learn and then become vested in the republic. Higher education was also offered (Chasteen 110). There was little crime in this society. This is in large part due to the fact that they had a very elaborate legal code. It was also very strict and carried stiff penalties. For example, a relatively minuscule offense could land you in jail for a long period of time or perhaps even killed. The Aztecs were too afraid to commit crimes in fear of what might happen to them if they got caught (Chasteen 111). Aztec economy was very stable. The indigenous had a tribute system in place so that taxes could be collected from neighboring towns. Their main source of agriculture was maize and beans (Chasteen 120). Slash and burn techniques were often used while cultivating these crops. This helped thrive the economy. The capital city of Tenochtitlan can be described as the Venice of the Americas (Chasteen, 148). At the time the Spanish arrived, the estimated population was somewhere between 150 and 200,000 people. At the same time, Paris had only a population of 50,000 and Seville only inhabited 60,000. This was a big city. This megalopolis consisted mainly of causeways and canals. Canoes were the main node of transportation. They were very efficient in getting about town. The aqueducts were constructed of solid masonry. There were very clean and finished houses and buildings. The few streets that were in the city were always swept and kept clean. One of the major advantages of this city is that they had public latrines. This enabled the city to stay clean. Also, there were many chinampas located throughout the region. These are “floating gardens.” They do not actually float but are located in the middle of bodies of water. Over the years, they become cemented into the base of the lakes and become solid land and then are used to cultivate agriculture. To say that this city was modern in those times were an understatement. This city was far advanced in comparison to many other world cities in the 15th century.
Spanish Arrival: The Spaniards first arrived in Mexico in 1519. When they entered, they knew a great deal already about the area and its peoples. This plays a distinct advantage into the conquest of the area. The men who first arrived in the city of Tenochtitlan were not soldiers. They were men who were seeking fortunes for themselves. The basic rule of the land was that the first to arrive would lay claim to the people and their fortunes. The leader of this particular group who embarked on the capital city was Hernando Cortes. Cortes had a distinct advantage when he arrived due to the fact that he had been familiar with the ways and means of the indigenous people for about fifteen years. He had this great knowledge from the time he spent in the Caribbean. The Aztec leader Moctezuma, had no idea what the Spaniards were up to. He actually first believed that Cortes was their god of sun. Moctezuma states, “O our lord, you are very welcome. You have reached your land, your settlement, your home, your Mexico. You have come to sit on your throne and seat, which I have possessed for some days in your name” (Lockhart, 117). Cortes used this to his advantage, and ended up conquering Moctezuma and the Aztec empire.
Spanish Impressions of Tenochtitlan: Bernal Diaz wrote a very specific diary of his impressions of the great capital city. Diaz was a Spanish conquistador for Cortes during the time of conquest. He wrote that at first glance of the capital city, “we were astonished and said these things in the city appeared enchantments from a book of chivalry”(Diaz, 111). Him and his people were amazed at what they were seeing. Diaz and his men could not believe how spectacular and advanced the city was. Diaz was particularly impressed with the architecture of the city. “Everything was shining with lime and decorated with different kinds of stonework and paintings which were a marvel to gaze on”(Diaz, 112). He basically was astonished at how clean the city and buildings were. This was due in large part to the public latrines that already existed. Spain did not have public latrines during this time. All of the garbage would simply be thrown out onto the street, giving cities a very smelly and dirty feel to it. This was a big surprise to him. He was also very impressed with the causeways that were in place. He stated that “large canoes could come into the city from the surrounding lakes through a channel they had cut, and their crews did not have to disembark (Diaz, 112). This is all new to him. He really couldn’t believe it. Finally, Bernal was amazed at the first sight of Moctezuma, the Aztec leader. “The great Moctezuma was magnificently clad, in their fashion, and wore sandals of a kind for which their name is cotaras, the soles of which are of gold and the upper parts ornamented with precious stones” (Diaz, 113). He was simply walking with pure gold on his feet. He described his encounter as a marvelous site. He looked like he was a god. He also went on to say how important the Aztec leader was. He had a “holy ness” to him. Before he would take a step, servants would sweep the land in front of him and lay cloaks down so his feet would not touch the land (Diaz, 114). He also has never encountered this kind of thing before. He was simply amazed.
The questions I posed at the beginning, Why were the Spaniards so shocked and amazed at the capital city and what was so astonishing about it were clearly answered. The main point is that they have never seen anything like this before. They were particularly amazed at how sophisticated and advanced the city and its people were. They were also shocked at how clean and kept the city was. Finally they were impressed with the Aztec leader Moctezuma. They had high praise for the city and the society on which the people lived in. However, they still end up killing many of them and taking over the land.
Bibliography:
Chasteen, John 1955. Born in Blood and Fire. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Norton and Company publishers.
Mills, Taylor, Graham 2002. Colonial Latin America: A Documentary History. Princeton University, U of California, Berkley, and Sante Fe, New Mexico. SR Books Publishing.
Lockhart, James. We People Here: Nahuatl accounts of the conquest of Mexico. University of California Press.
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