Is Conquest the Right Term?

               What is conquest? According to the dictionary, conquest is the act or state of conquering or the state of being conquered. So is conquest the appropriate description for what happened in Mesoamerica and the Andes in the 16^th century? I personally believe we could use another term to describe what actually occurred during this period. In Restall’s readings there were certain myths and ideologies that support my reasoning to how the Spaniards invaded Mesoamerica and what kind of changes were made to both the indigenous and Spaniards at that time.

                According to Restall’s readings the myth of superiority of the so called “conquest” and the colonial view of pre-Columbian native cultures will help explain my argument. There were first myth consists of understanding how religion and the “conquest” played a role. Blessed be God who gave them such grace and power. Even in attributing Conquest miracles, the concept of Spanish superiority was always transparent (134). This ideological context of the Spanish claim how their superiority overlooks the indigenous population, poorly supports how conquering their people and land took place. The second mythic explanation blames native peoples for their own defeat. The third myth explanation stems from the view of native cultures as inadequate to the task of fending off the Spanish invasion (134). The fourth myth consists of the explanation of the Conquest assuming the Spanish superiority in language, literacy, and reading “signs” (137). The last myth is rooted in the notion that Spanish weaponry in and of itself explains the Conquest, something that not even the conquistadors believed (139).

                When I think of “conquest” I think of the Spaniards taking their land and people to better them, however, the way Restall explains has to do more with the bringing of religion, culture, language, and superiority over the rest. Although, it may play a role in the actual “conquest”, the native people found ways of facing certain epidemics and improving their community by improving their quality of life even in the face of colonial changes and challenges. The Spaniards brought many new ideologies and culture, but the native borrowings of Spanish cultural elements did not represent native culture loss or decline, but rather adaptability and vitality. Natives tended to view borrowings not as loans but as part of the community practice and custom (128). Although it may be seen in these two different perspectives, my conclusion is that there can be another term we could use to really explain what occurred in Mesoamerica and the Andes, rather than simply assume it was a “Conquest” as many claim to be. Forms of miscommunication and misunderstandings played a major role when interpreting what really occurred during this time period and many will continue to believe various myths and ideologies.