Question

What reasons do the leaders of Tenochtitlan offer for rejecting the teachings of Franciscan missionaries? What importance do they accord their own religious traditions?

Answer 1

In 1519, Spanish started a conquest of many regions of the world after starting from Cuba. It was under the leadership of Hernando Cortes. He had an army of 600 men and spread to conquer Mexican city. Mexican empire was ruled by Montezuma-II with capital established at Tenochtitlan which is now called as Mexican city. Role of Franciscan missionaries was to baptize many people and convert them into christianity. They converted many people nearly 4-9 million while traveling towards spain in 1536. The reasons the leaders of Tenochtitlan offer for rejecting the teachings of Franciscan missionaries was tha the process of baptization was not easy but involved a complex cultural process of exchanging community beliefs. The other reasons include spread of disease which led to the destruction of many christian populations in spain.

The importance which can be given to the religious traditions in spain to survive the natural calamities and spread of diseases among leaders of Tenochtitlan are intermixing and breeding with some European migrants and colonizers or maintenance of cultural autonomy among these people. This led to the survival of their populations and prevented them from getting killed from infectious diseases. The religious traditions changed to christianity due to emergence of Franciscan missionaries in European colonies like France, spain and portugal. The prominent example is that of Bartolome de las casas who established that Indians have a frail appearance and Blacks can be enforced into labor system because they are very sturdy and strong. He started the Encomienda system which established that groups of North American people can be used in the labor system in Europe but Spanish emperor Charles V abolished this system.