History The Spanish Conquistadors Questions
The Spanish conquistadors used several legal and ethical justifications for their actions. One of the main legal justifications was the concept of the "Requerimiento," a document read to indigenous peoples before the conquest, which claimed that the Spanish had a divine right to conquer and convert them to Christianity. This document argued that if the indigenous people refused to submit peacefully, they would be held responsible for any violence that ensued.
Ethically, the Spanish conquistadors justified their actions based on the belief in the superiority of European civilization and the idea of the "Doctrine of Discovery." According to this doctrine, European powers had the right to claim and colonize lands that were not inhabited by Christians. They saw themselves as bringing civilization, Christianity, and progress to the indigenous peoples they encountered.
Additionally, the Spanish conquistadors often argued that they were saving the indigenous peoples from their own "barbaric" practices, such as human sacrifice or idol worship. They believed that by conquering and converting them, they were actually doing them a favor and bringing them salvation.
It is important to note that these justifications have been widely criticized and condemned as colonialist and ethnocentric, and they do not align with modern understandings of human rights and cultural diversity.