Jessica Bagby
Dr. Brandon
English 112
16 February 2011
First Paper
Everyone has known bullies, they have either been bullied by, known a bully, or have been the bully. The Spanish Conquistadors were the bullies of the 1500’s, who came in groups and wielded broadswords. From the accounts of the Japanese and the natives of the Indies, both have in common the negative impact from the Spanish. The Spanish conquistadors were self-righteous and manipulative; they used religion as a way to justify their actions and takeover other countries.
The Japanese let the Spanish conquistadors into their country and many converted to the Catholic faith. It wasn’t until later that they suspected the Spanish had an ulterior motive. “We were also taught that, unless a person committing a sin confesses it to the padre and secures his pardon, he shall not be saved in the world beyond. In that way the people were led into believing in the padres. All that was for the purpose of taking the lands of others.” (Worlds of History Vol. two p.643) When the Japanese realized that the Spanish were using the Catholic faith to take lands and other commodities, the Japanese switched back to one of the forms of Buddhism. Even when the Japanese declared their independence from Christianity they spoke of what they knew they were giving up so there could be no question as to ignorance on their part. “Hereafter we shall not harbor any thought of the Kirishitan in our heart. Should we entertain any thought of it at all, we shall be punished by Deus Paternus (God the Father), Jesus (His son), Spirito Santo (the Holy Ghost), as well as by Santa Maria (St. Mary), various angels, and saints.” (Worlds of History Vol. two p.643)
The Spanish took their actions to another level in the Indies. No longer satisfied with just converting the heathens, the Spanish took a more active role in taking control of the culture. “This [Hispaniola] was the first land in the New World to be destroyed and depopulated by the Christians, and here they began their subjection of the women and children, taking them away from the Indians to use them and ill use them, eating the food they provided with their sweat and toil.” (Worlds of History Vol. two p. 615) The Spanish found themselves in a rather lucky position; here is a fertile land that they can make money off of If only those pesky natives weren’t there. The Spanish felt justified in taking the lands and killing any that opposed them because the natives were heathens and to oppose the Spanish conquistadors was to oppose the Catholic faith and put themselves in league with the devil. The Spanish not only killed, maimed, and turned natives into slaves but did so in public ways as to discourage any natives from opposing the Spanish in the future.”And because all the people who could do so fled to the mountains to escape these inhuman, ruthless, and ferocious acts, the Spanish captains, enemies of the human race, pursued them with the fierce dogs they kept which attacked the Indians, tearing them to pieces and devouring them. And because on few and far between occasions, the Indians justifiably killed some Christians, the Spaniards made a rule among themselves that for every Christian slain by the Indians, they would slay a hundred Indians….”(Worlds of History Vol. two p. 616) The natives of the Indies were not made up of warrior type tribes. The Spanish not only had far more superior and modern weapons but they also had combat skills and the experience of battle. So the Spanish very easily suppressed and ultimately wiped out the natives who questioned their treatment and that of their people.”And still more strongly I affirm that until the multitude of people on this island of Hispaniola were killed and their lands devastated, they committed no sin against the Christians that would be punishable by God’s law, such as vengeful feelings against such powerful enemies as the Christians have been, those sins would be committed by the very few Indians who are hardhearted and impetuous.” (Worlds of History Vol. two p.616)
The Japanese and the natives of the Indies both sent messages to Spain indicating that they wanted to be left alone and the wrongs that the conquistadors had done to them, and both were eventually granted. But the Japanese differed from the natives of the Indies in that their culture had samurai, warriors who were also very deadly and had combat skills that could surpass the conquistadors. So the Spanish were not able to take over Japan in an invasion like they did with the Indies. Japan was also an empire with one ruler whereas the Indies had different tribes and chiefs, so by the time the chiefs finally realized the danger and what was going on most of them had been wiped out or otherwise incapacitated.
The Spanish Conquistadors felt superior to other cultures because of their religion and modern weaponry. The Spanish did whatever they thought necessary to achieve their goals even though it took advantage of and hurt other cultures. They behaved in a very selfish and immature fashion.
Works Cited
"Worlds of History Vol. two" by Kevin Reilly"The Devastation of the Indies" by Bartolome de Las Casas
"Japanese Edicts Regulating Religion"
