I think that while Conrad and Demerest and Resteall have different goals in their writings they do have some common things that they talk about. First Restall's book is all about clearing up Myths associated with the conquest of Mexico while Conrad and Demerest are discussing what an important role religion had in creating the Aztec and Inca empires. Restall is able to use documented history as evidence to support his arguments where as Conrad and Demerest don't have that luxury. They have to use mostly archaeological evidence. The fact that they are discussing very different time periods is one of the reasons they are using different types of evidence to support their arguments. One of the ideas that both books agree on is the fact that the Aztecs were not a weak culture that were easily taken over by the Spanish. In chapter 3 of his book Restall talks about how there were native allies that helped the Spanish conquer and Conrad and Demerests whole attitude about the Aztecs were that they were always fighting neighbors and trying to expand their territory and gain more power. From this we can see how the Aztecs may have made enimies and they would have liked to help the Spanish take over the Aztecs. Conrad and Demerest devote the first part of their book telling us how the Aztecs advanced and made their empire strong. Restall devotes a whole chapter to the myth that the Aztecs were weak. One thing I think is interesting is how both the Aztecs and the Spanish use their religion to expand their empires. The Spanish used their religion to justify the Spanish conquest. They believed that human sacrifice was horrible and that the Aztecs were monsters who need to be saved and converted. The Aztecs in kind of the same way used their religion to justify their expansion. They needed more warriors to sacrifice and so they would make war with their neighbors and take them over. The Spanish and the Aztecs used religion as a reason for their expansion efforts.
I agree with your comment and I want to focus when you mention about Restall's chapter three. Through Mathew Restall we had discovered the importance of other figures in the conquest and colonization of America. The Spaniards were not the only ones involved, thousands of indigenous and African slaves were also involved. The author named Juan Valiente. He was a slave that acquired honors and lands fighting in Chile with Valdivia. (53) Also, millions of natives who took part in it as an activist members often using the influence of the conquerors in order to obtain their own geopolitical interests; which were different from the interests of the conquerors, though well handled and directed by them for their own advantages.
ReplyDelete