Incan Imperialism

Historical Analysis Essay

The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was a vital part in the collapse of the empire and in the colonization of the Andean people. The Andean people were perceived to be uncivilized savages by the Spaniards and needing to be changed. The Spaniards believed the Andean people and the land itself were for them to shape with their own culture and make it a piece of their history. The conquest and colonization of the Inca empire, from a Spaniard’s perspective, was seen as a benefit to the uncivilized Andean people but from an Andean perspective the invasion into their land was unwanted and resisted in different ways. In the engraving titled America by Theodor Galle, the initial interaction between the Spanish and Andeans

Furthermore, the engraving represents the resistance to the invasion of their homeland and the introduction of new cultures and ideologies as well as the enforcement of a single religion in the empire. These differing perspectives show that the nature of conquest is defined as the extraction of one culture and the implementation of another as well as the desire for acquiring new land and enjoying the economic benefits from the plentiful resources.

Through the extreme portrayal of the savage state of the Andean people and their unique culture, the engraves help provides insight to the basis in which the Spaniards supported the colonization of the Andean people. In the engraving by Theodor Galle, the initial

According to Thomas Brinkerhoff, a Ph.D student from the University of Pennsylvania, the indigenous Inca allies were a vital part in the success of the spanish conquest in Tenochtitlan in May of 1521. This advancement was important due to the agricultural system of chinampas (using small area of land outside the city to farm) that prevented the Mexica from accessing their food supply and in turn creating a huge blow to the resistance to conquest (Brinkerhoff 176). Without the help from the indigenous people, the Spanish would of been outnumbered and most likely unsuccessful in their conquest. Furthermore, Spanish cultural practices were seen as an improvement over the practices of the indigenous people and was important in the Spanish’s support in the colonization. Additionally, the Spanish used the present Andean culture to rationalize and support their conquest of the Inca. The lack of civilized culture led the Spanish to believe their conquest of the Inca was needed and justified. Furthermore, the Spanish saw the Andean natives as naturally malleable. As stated by Restall, “‘the Indians are not good as teachers, but as disciples… nor as preachers, but as subjects, and for this the best in the world’”(Restall 104). The Spanish perceived the Native people as unable to rule themselves and believed that installing their own