“The Broken Spears” is a fascinating and captivating book that provides an engaging and graphical account of the annihilation of Mexico by the Spanish. The book provides a more expressive and human perspective of the events of the military confrontation between the Spanish and Aztecs (Leon-Portilla 1992). This literary text is written by Miguel Leon-Portilla who provides nuanced insights into the ineffective leadership, superstitions, and artillery disadvantages that contributed to the Spanish Conquest of the Aztecs. The genesis of the Spanish conquest can be traced back to November 8, 1519, when the Spaniards approached the Aztec capital.
The purpose of the source is to provide a different perspective – the conquered point of view. The author utilizes first-hand accounts of native Aztecs such as Sahagun’s native informants to capture the natives’ viewpoints of events, such as the massacre in the main temple (Leon-Portilla 68). Furthermore, the author intended to illuminate the shortcomings of the Mexicans that contributed to their defeat. This is evidenced by the Sahagun’s native informants’ account of the massacre (Leon-Portilla 71). The Spaniards ambushed their unsuspecting hosts at the height of the celebrations. The Aztecs were not oblivious of their visitors’ true intentions, and thus they were caught by surprise and overwhelmed by the Spanish army.
The target audience of “The Broken Spears” includes students, researchers, practitioners, and other professionals who are enthusiastic about the history of the colonial period, particularly the Spanish colonization of the Americas. Besides that, the book is intended for scholars and practitioners who are interested in learning about ancient cultures. The author draws on eyewitness accounts of the Aztecs to provide a clear description of the Aztec and Spanish cultures. The book exhibits various tones, including historical, informative, and violent.
The author incorporates old, scholarly literature and eyewitness accounts, which make the source palatable and easy to read and understand. The book incorporates relevant information about the misguided leadership of the Aztecs, cultural beliefs, superstitions, and artillery advancement that define the two warring factions. One particular passage that caught my attention is as follows: “When they entered the hall of treasures, it was as if they had arrived in Paradise. They searched everything and coveted everything; they were slaves to their greed” (Leon-Portilla 68). The visual demonstrations of the brutal events, such as the savage seizure of King Montezuma’s treasures and the vicious massacre in the main temple reflect the violent tone.
Miguel assumes that Aztecs are ignorant, weak, and superstitious. Indeed, the Aztecs have some archaic values and traditions which partly contributed to their defeat. Their culture is deeply rooted in several practices, such as worshiping idols, building statues, and performing rituals. One fascinating belief is that the Spanish were ‘gods’ due to their physical appearance. This is evident in King Montecuhzoma’s welcoming of conquistador Herman Cortes with celebrations and presents. The king tells the Spanish leader, “Our, lord, you are weary. The journey has tired you, but now you have arrived on the earth” (Leon-Portilla 68). There seems to be no bias in the author’s assumptions considering the eyewitness accounts of the Aztec culture.
Overall, this book provides a succinct account of how the Spaniards conquered the Aztecs. I almost thought that the Spanish general was an outstanding leader and master of conquest with an unmatched army and that they defeated the Mexicans so easily. However, after reading the eyewitness and graphical representation of what transpired during the war, I have realized that many factors disadvantaged the Aztecs, including lack of superior weapons, support from local allies, ravaging non-indigenous illnesses, and inaccurate interpretations of the Spaniards’ intentions. This book is useful for the historical study of my topic because it provides first-hand accounts of the Spanish invasion and colonization of the Americas. It also illuminates the sharp contrast and conflict between the Spanish and Aztec cultures. An in-depth exploration of these issues helps me gain nuanced insights into the research topic.
Bibliography
Leon-Portilla, Miguel, eds. 1992. The Broken Spears: The Aztec Account of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston: Beacon Press.