Essay Sample on My Life Before Conquering Aztec Territory

Before the Spanish conquest of Aztec empire in early 15th century, I was a local warrior in Medellin, Spain. Other warriors and I were tasked to prevent our territories which made us engage in vicious fights with enemies for a long time. The victories made me gain experience in fighting and were chosen by the Spanish forces to join them in their mission of taking over Aztec empire from the Montezuma rule. I encouraged other warriors to join Hernan Cortez in his campaign, and many people started being united by the hatred of the Mexica thus leading to the formation of a band of conquistadors led by Hernan Cortez.

Being a person who respects human rights, I hated the Aztec cultures which practice slavery and human sacrifices. This backward culture was against my beliefs since they went to the extent of kidnapping young children and converting them to be slaves. The primitive ideas by Aztec leaders who believed in performing human sacrifices to please gods was a defining moment that challenged me to be among the conquerors. This set stage for me to leave my family and engage in the fights.

Was I satisfied in Europe?

European countries are civilized and dont engage retrogressive cultures that do not value human beings. I am very satisfied with Europe who possesses very modern cultures as compared to other countries who have backward beliefs. The human rights organizations and governments across the Europe have clear laws and policies regarding human rights. There are fewer cases of human trafficking, human sacrifices and slavery thus making it a right place to live.

Conditions At Home That Prompted Me to Join the Bawdy Band of Conquerors

My home and the entire society is such a peaceful environment where people live freely. There is no dictators and barbaric leaders who force people to engage in slavery or inhuman practices. My community does not have beliefs which allow human sacrifices just to please gods. The society members have a different religion which is against such evil acts by the rulers.

This state of the society prompted me to join another band of conquerors who value human beings and are united to end the killing in Aztec territory. The desire to offer freedom to the majority of helpless Aztec women and children challenged me to conquer their empire and capture their leaders. The community members deserve a good life just like in Europe thus the forcing other liberators and me to join hands and destroy their empire to give them brighter future.

Most Fascinating Aspect of Aztec Society

The love of arts is one of the major aspects of Aztec society. Poetry and songs were highly regarded as a core part of their culture. During Aztec festivals, there are poetry and presentation contests most about cultural activities as well as other performances from acrobats, musicians, and players (Daniel). The authors such as Netzahualcoyotl and Cuacuauhtzin used poetry to maintain peace within the community and to express the real ideologies of Aztec people. The comical presentations such as staged dramas of their gods was a uniting factor that brought unity in the society (Daniel).

The Aztecs were very artistic people. They spent most of the time in pottery and sculpting while also engaging in artistic drawings. The great artists were tasked to design arts for the Warriors which was informed of tattoos as an honor for their achievements in providing security. The Aztecs also loved playing team sports, and their favorite game was Ullamaliztli. The game attracted a large number of the locals since it was interesting thus strengthening the relationship among all participants (Daniel).

Moreover, the Aztecs designed sculptures which decorated their temples and other famous buildings. They did many things with the primary purpose of pleasing their gods. The sculpture was a true reflection their strong perception of their god and interaction with their lives. The famous calendar stone that represented the Aztec universe is one of the most surviving Aztec cultures in many centuries. The arts in general connected the entire Aztec society despite being highly stratified and complex due to cultural foundations.

Backward Aspect of Aztec Society

Human sacrifice is a most backward aspect of Aztec people. The Aztecs perform human sacrifice primarily to please their heathen gods and controlling people in their community. According to Michael Harney, a famous anthropologist, the Aztecs sacrifices more than 270,000 people annually, and they eat sacrificed people as part of the sacrificial ritual (Lazerowitz). This culture, however, is against human rights because the people chosen are mostly unwilling to undergo the process. This culture is highly criticized and condemned by many people caring about human rights.

The human sacrifice is aided by the Aztecs system of slavery which is highly practiced. The slaves were considered to be fit to be sacrificed to gain favor from their gods. The people linked cannibalism which is practiced through sacrifice as a form of providing meat to protein deficient Aztecs. The make feast using human being bodies and bones are used to make weapons, musical instruments, and tools. The harvesting of peoples hearts was a bloody mess, and merciless killing of innocents is wicked culture.

This culture portrayed the Aztecs as more savage who cared less about human rights. They historians argued that this backward culture necessitate conquering to make the governance to be civilized. The Aztecs through their beliefs argued that Huitzilopochtli, god of sun and war required continuous nourishments through freshly harvested human hearts (Lazerowitz). This bloody sustenance led to the victimization of their neighbors such as Tlaxcala people who were of an ethnic minority. They were forced to provide many sacrifice-able bodies thus leading to huge loss of lives. This retrogressive culture put the Aztecs in a bad light thus leading to their fall after the invasion.

Possible Change in Aztec Culture As A Result Of Exploration

The exploration is likely to have great impacts on the Aztec culture. Both negative and positives effects will be felt that will change the direction of Aztec people. The significant negative impact is the destruction of the entire empire. The defeat by Cortez means that the Emperor will be imprisoned and executed while the people will lose their highly regarded cultures which were rather cruel and very inhumane. Many elements of their culture are expected to be lost forever.

On the other hand, the positive effects will occur in the lifestyle improvements. The attack by the Spanish will bring good impacts on the Aztec civilization which will develop them to be modern. There will be the introduction of domestic animals, farming practices and sugar and other good practices that are likely to be implemented. The critical success will be ending human sacrifice which included torturing people through burning and drowning them. In general, the Aztec culture is expected to be attracting in future.

References

Daniel, D. A. (1992). Tactical factors in the Spanish conquest of the Aztecs. Anthropological Quarterly, 187-194.

Lazerowitz, E. (2008). The Rapid Fall of an Empire: How Hernan Cortes and His Small Band of Brothers Felled a Mighty Empire.