The Ambivalence of the Conquest in both the Maya and the Spaniards
The Conquest of the Yucatan was nothing more than trial and error. The Spaniards,were never sure what kind of greeting they would receive, floating along the coast in search of water. When they began there conquest of Maya cities, they were also not sure if it's inhabitants would surrender, fight back, or in the extreme, burn and destroy their own resources so that the Spaniards could not have access ( In the long-run hurting themselves). Clendinnen states that, "They learnt that a town which had once welcomed them with gifts might on their next entry greet them with arrows." (25) The fluctuation of the severity of reactions towards the Spaniards invasion, left them at times dieing of thirst because a tribe would not allow them near their water source; that was only able to be quenched by moving on to a less volatile or populated area.
Even though the Maya went to such extreme measures as to deny the Spaniards access to their resources, at times they were curious and even protective over them. Clendinnen refers to an instance when the Maya backed away from the Spanish and then followed them through the forest. She states, " Was each group of Maya still obstinately parochial...?Or were they persuaded...that the Spaniards were birds of passage?" (35) The Maya's ambivalence towards the Spanish rested on the question, "Are these people friend or foe?".
If one were to personify the Yucatan Peninsula, a description fitting of it's personality would be ambivalent towards the Spanish. Most of the conquest the terrain made it difficult for the Spanish to use tactics that were successful in previous conquests. Horsemen, which were normally successful against Indians on foot, had trouble because the horses were uncontrollable on the stony terrain. But the harsh landscape did make way for smoother ground every -once-and-awhile. According to Clendinnen, "In those few places in the peninsula where the terrain happened to suit them..." they "...enjoyed their usual success." (33)
The fluctuating relationship between the Maya and the Spanish and the unstable terrain left the scoreboard at a tie throughout most of the Conquest. Why the Spanish were able to successfully conquest the peninsula was based on technology,coupled with a constant influx of man power. Clendinnen describes many times how the Spanish may have been dwindled in numbers, but for every man that died there was always a boat-load waiting to replace them. But, the conquest wasn't so clear cut, the Spanish were at times almost defeated, so it could have gone either way.
I agree that the conquest of Yucatan was a trial an error because they did not know what the situation was. Your right when you say that the Spanish did not know what was awaiting them. The native might be friendly one minute than luring them into an ambush the next. I agree that they were scared and all they wanted was “solely to fill their casket and desired nothing more than to return to their ship” (9). They were desperate for water and they did not know what were awaiting them when they enter Native American territories.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your assessment that the terrain make the Spanish feel ambivalent on the one hand they had superior technology but on the other hand some of their technology advantage was neutralized by the terrain sometime become a burden. Clendinnen say that some of their technology at one point gives them advantage and the next break down. I agree that even their biggest advantage did not do them well when they enter harsh terrain. Their feeling of success may have been mix.
I agree that the relationship with the native were up and down. I remember Clements describing the Spanish thought that the Indian was untrustworthy forgetting treaty as soon as the Spanish leave. I don’t know if I would call it a success because the native were resting them whenever they could and they did not have full control in remote area and they were pretty hostile. But I do agree with you when you say that the conquest could have gone either way because there was some big defeat and if the Spanish was discourage by those defeat than the conquest would have been a bust.