Where's The Mastery?

Although we have come to know the Spanish invasion of Mesoamerican and the Andes as the Spanish Conquest, it is my belief that the word "conquest" is inappropriate.  On our first day of class we began by defining the word conquest using phases such as, "the religious overtaking of another civilization," and "forced imposition of culture."  We used words such as violence and force to describe conquest in practice.  When we review Merriam-Webster's Dictionary, we see that the word conquest leads us to the word conquer, which is defined first as "to gain or acquire by force of arms." In addition, a portion of Webster's definition is as follows, "to gain mastery over." I believe this element of the definition of conquest makes its use in this case problematic.  There is a time implication to "gaining mastery," thus an end.  Restall discusses a "myth of completion" in chapter four of his book, Seven Myths of the Spanish Conquest.

            Throughout chapter four Restall provides evidence that suggests the Spanish Conquest "remained incomplete for centuries after...initial...invasions" (65).  Out of the seven "dimension[s] of incompleteness" (71) that Restall presents, I believe dimensions four and five are the most convincing.  In his fourth dimension of incompleteness he tells us of continued "patterns of resistance" (73).  The fifth dimension of incompleteness is "the degree to which native peoples maintained a degree of autonomy within the Spanish empire" (73).  Restall tells us that in many native towns there continued to be autonomy and as long as they "existed, the Conquest could never complete" (74).  Evidence of continued native resistance and long periods of native autonomy in some towns suggests an incomplete conquest.  I believe this incompleteness makes the use of the word "conquest" incorrect; Restall appears quiet on this point.  I am not sure if one word or phrase can aptly describe the events known as the Spanish Conquest.