Question

In 1520, the Spanish conquistador Hernán Cortés wrote to Spanish King Charles V from the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan in what is now Mexico. Read the following excerpt from his letter. Then answer the questions based on the excerpt.
This great city contains a large number of temples, or houses, for their idols, very handsome [buildings] . . . the principal ones religious persons of each particular sect are constantly residing, for whose use, besides the houses containing the idols, there are other convenient habitations. . . . Among these temples there is one which far surpasses all the rest, whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe; for within its precincts, surrounded by a lofty wall, there is room enough for a town of five hundred families. . . . There are fully forty towers, which are lofty and well built, the largest of which has fifty steps leading to its main body, and is higher than the tower of the principal tower of the church at Seville. The stone and wood of which they are constructed are so well wrought in every part, that nothing could be better done, for the interior of the chapels containing the idols consists of curious imagery, wrought in stone, with plaster ceilings, and wood-work carved in relief, and painted with figures of monsters and other objects.

Three halls are in this grand temple, which contain the principal idols; these are of wonderful extent and height, and admirable workmanship, adorned with figures sculptured in stone and wood; leading from the halls are chapels with very small doors, to which the light is not admitted, nor are any persons except the priests, and not all of them. In these chapels are the images of idols, although, as I have before said, many of them are also found on the outside; the principal ones, in which the people have greatest faith and confidence, I precipitated from their pedestals, and cast them down the steps of the temple, purifying the chapels in which they had stood, as they were all polluted with human blood, shed ill the sacrifices. In the place of these I put images of Our Lady and the Saints, which excited not a little feeling in Moctezuma and the inhabitants, who at first [protested], declaring that if my proceedings were known throughout the country, the people would rise against me; for they believed that their idols bestowed on them all temporal good, and if they permitted them to be ill-treated, they would be angry and without their gifts, and by this means the people would be deprived of the fruits of the earth and perish with famine. I answered, through the interpreters, that they were deceived in expecting any favors from idols, the work of their own hands, formed of unclean things; and that they must learn there was but one God, the universal Lord of all, who had created the heavens and earth, and all things else, and had made them and us . . . and they were bound to adore and believe Him, and no other creature or thing.

I said everything to them I could to divert them from their idolatries, and draw them to a knowledge of God our Lord. . . . Afterwards, Moctezuma and many of the principal citizens remained with me until I had removed the idols, purified the chapels, and placed the images in them, manifesting apparent pleasure; and I forbade them sacrificing human beings to their idols as they had been accustomed to do; because, besides being abhorrent in the sight of God, your sacred Majesty had prohibited it by law, and commanded to put to death whoever should take the life of another. Thus, from that time, they refrained from the practice, and during the whole period of my abode in that city, they were never seen to kill or sacrifice a human being.

1.) What is Cortes describing in this passage?
2.) How does Cortes feel about the temples in the city? List at least three pieces of evidence to support your answer.
3.) Based on this excerpt, what was Cortés’s attitude toward the religion of the Aztecs?

Answer 1

1) In this passage Cortez is describing in great details the temples, the natives’ religion and how he tried to convince them that there was only one God they should worship. At first natives protested but them accepted the rules imposed by the conqueror.  

2) Cortez describes in a very detailed version how the temples were built. He sounded surprised and amazed by the architecture of the temples as well as the decoration of idols. Evidence from the passage can be found in the following parts: “Among these temples there is one which far surpasses all the rest, whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe”, “The stone and wood of which they are constructed are so well wrought in every part, that nothing could be better done”, “Three halls are in this grand temple, which contain the principal idols; these are of wonderful extent and height, and admirable workmanship”.  

3) According to the excerpt, Cortez did not agree or understand the religion of the natives, especially the part of human sacrifices. He tried to convince natives that there was only one God and that there was not such a thing as receiving favors from the Idols.  

Answer 2

1) Cortés is describing the way that temples look in Tenochtitlán and how he 'modified' these temples in order to make them similar to the Spanish ones and how he tried to convert Aztecs' religion into Christianity.

2) He is astonished about the architecture and decoration of the temples, he even compares it with the architecture in Sevilla.

- Among these temples, there is one which far surpasses all the rest, whose grandeur of architectural details no human tongue is able to describe.

-There are fully forty towers, which are lofty and well built, the largest of which has fifty steps leading to its main body and is higher than the tower of the principal tower of the church at Seville.

- These are of wonderful extent and height, and admirable workmanship.

3) He doesn't have any respect for Aztecs' religion, he gets rid of their sculptures, he prohibits sacrifices (which were an Aztec tradition), and he obligates them to believe in his only God and Lord.