4 ms·
> I wonder if this kind of customs helped the Spanish conquest and subsequent colonization of the Inca/Aztec Empire. I don't think so. It's probably mostly do
by Jedd 9y ago
> I wonder if this kind of customs helped the Spanish conquest and subsequent colonization of the Inca/Aztec Empire.
I don't think so. It's probably mostly down to what Jared Diamond describes - Guns, Germs, and Steel.
The occasional score of children and conquests slaughtered voluntarily is dwarfed by the numbers of natives that died from smallpox (f.e.).
- yosito 9y agoGuns may have had much less to do with it than is commonly believed. I recommend the book 1492 if you're curious about why that is.
- Jedd 9y agoI tend to agree. I suspect the availability of guns was useful in a few key engagements, but the accidental weaponisation of smallpox (for example) was much more effective in wiping out indigenous forces.
- yosito 9y agoAnother thing to consider is that European guns sucked during that time period. Bows and arrows and other native weapons were probably very competitive.