The Spanish chroniclers were the European writers who recorded the history of the Spanish conquest and the early colonial period. The most important of these chroniclers were Hernán Cortés himself, whose letters to Charles V provide a first-person account of the conquest; Bernal Díaz del Castillo, whose Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España is one of the great works of Spanish colonial literature; Francisco López de Gómara, whose Historia general de las Indias was influential in shaping the European view of the conquest; and Bernardino de Sahagún, whose Florentine Codex is the most comprehensive single source on Mexica civilization. These chroniclers, together with the indigenous writers, provide the documentary record of Mexica civilization on the eve of the conquest.
Hernán Cortés
Hernán Cortés was the leader of the Spanish conquest, and he wrote a series of letters to Charles V, the Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain, that provide a first-person account of the events. The letters, known as the Cartas de relación, were written between 1519 and 1526, and they describe the conquest from the perspective of the conqueror. The letters are an important source for the Spanish view of the conquest, and they are also an important source for the early history of the colonial period.
The letters of Cortés are biased by the perspective of the conqueror, and they tend to emphasize the heroic achievements of the Spanish and the legitimacy of the conquest. Yet the letters are also an important source for the Mexica state, and they contain valuable information about Mexica religion, customs, and political organization. The letters have been widely read and analyzed, and they remain a central source for the study of the conquest.
Bernal Díaz del Castillo
Bernal Díaz del Castillo was a soldier in the conquest, and he wrote a history of the conquest that is one of the great works of Spanish colonial literature. The Historia verdadera de la conquista de la Nueva España was written in response to the more flattering accounts of López de Gómara, and it provides a more critical view of the conquest. Díaz’s account emphasizes the contributions of the indigenous allies, particularly the Tlaxcalans, and it provides a more nuanced view of the conquest than the official Spanish accounts.
Díaz’s history was written in old age, and it reflects the perspective of a soldier who had participated in the conquest. The history is a vivid and often critical account of the events, and it is widely considered to be the most reliable of the Spanish accounts. Díaz’s history has been translated into many languages, and it is one of the most widely read accounts of the conquest.
Francisco López de Gómara
Francisco López de Gómara was a Spanish historian and chaplain to Hernán Cortés, and he wrote a Historia general de las Indias that was influential in shaping the European view of the conquest. The history was published in 1552, and it was based on the accounts of Cortés and other participants in the conquest. The history was widely read in Europe, and it helped to create the heroic narrative of the conquest that has been influential in Western culture.
Gómara’s history was criticized by Bernal Díaz and other participants in the conquest, who accused Gómara of plagiarism and of presenting an overly flattering view of Cortés. Despite these criticisms, Gómara’s history remains an important source for the European view of the conquest, and it has been widely read and analyzed.
Bernardino de Sahagún
Bernardino de Sahagún was a Franciscan friar who spent much of his life in Mexico, and he compiled the Florentine Codex, the most comprehensive single source on Mexica civilization. The codex was compiled with the help of indigenous collaborators, and it was based on extensive interviews with elderly Mexica informants who remembered the pre-conquest past. The codex is a twelve-book encyclopedia of Mexica culture, written in both Nahuatl and Spanish, and it provides a detailed and nuanced picture of Mexica life.
Sahagún was a careful and methodical researcher, and he developed a sophisticated methodology for the gathering and the analysis of information. His work has been widely praised by modern scholars, and it is considered to be one of the great achievements of early colonial ethnography. The Florentine Codex is now preserved in the Biblioteca Medicea Laurenziana in Florence, from which it takes its name.
Other Spanish Chroniclers
In addition to these four major chroniclers, there were many other Spanish writers who recorded the history of the conquest and the early colonial period. These included Toribio de Benavente, known as Motolinía, who wrote a history of the Indians of New Spain; Diego Durán, who wrote a history of the Mexica and the conquest; and Francisco de Clavijero, who wrote a history of ancient Mexico in the eighteenth century. These writers, together with the four major chroniclers, provide a rich and complex picture of Mexica civilization and the Spanish conquest.
The Indigenous Chroniclers
The indigenous chroniclers were Mexica and other Nahua writers who recorded the history and culture of their people in the colonial period. The most important of these writers include Fernando de Alva Ixtlilxochitl, a descendant of the royal family of Texcoco; Domingo Francisco de San Antón Muñón Chimalpahin Quauhtlehuanitzin, a historian from Chalco; Hernando de Alvarado Tezozomoc, a descendant of the Mexica ruling family; and the anonymous authors of various codices, including the Codex Aubin and the Codex Telleriano-Remensis. These writers provide a perspective on Mexica history that complements and sometimes contradicts the Spanish sources.
Related Articles
- Historical Codices and Sources on the Aztecs — the broader context
- What are the Aztec codices and what do they contain? — the indigenous books
- What is the Florentine Codex? — Sahagún’s work
- The Spanish Conquest and Hernán Cortés — the campaign
- History of the Aztec Civilization — the broader history