In truth, I believe without trying to deceive He stresses that these monks are separate from "the Spanish," the conquerors who brutalize the native people, although the monks were generally Spanish themselves. Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies |. know the one true God they would be the most fortunate people in the world. more than ten thousand leagues, and each day more of it is being explored. His reputation as a humanitarian began to spread with the translation of his works in Europe after his death in 1566. captivity and brought to the Island of Hispaniola to be sold as slaves. Other In truth they made use of them as beasts to carry baggage on their journeys, so much so that it frequently happened that the shoulders and backs of the Indians were deeply marked with sores, just as happens with animals that carry heavy burdens. that would suffice to feed three houses inhabited by ten Indians for one [3] In 1516, Las Casas was granted the title of Protector of the Indians by Cardinal Cisneros after he submitted a report on their severe demographic decline due to harsh labor and mistreatment by colonial officials. In discussing Peru, Las Casas writes about the Incan ruler Atahualpa (c.1502–1533) and names other high-ranking Incan individuals as well. By some estimates, up to 90 percent of the indigenous people in the Americas died from the disease, war, and brutality the Spanish brought to the region. In the following year a In the section on New Spain, Las Casas discusses the Mexican king Montezuma (c. 1466–c.1520), ruler of the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan. in lots of thirteen, in memory of Our Redeemer and His twelve Apostles, He contrasts the large populations that existed in the Caribbean islands, Mexico, Central America, South America, and Florida at the time of the Spanish conquest with the tiny numbers of indigenous people that survive 50 years later. the greatest ever seen in the world, is the cause of their villainies. This was true of all their actions in America. A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies (Spanish: Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias) is an account written in 1542 (published in Seville in 1552) about the mistreatment of the indigenous peoples of the Americas in colonial times and sent to then-Prince Philip II of Spain. But because so much might be said concerning the killing and destruction of these people, as cannot without great difficulty be written (nor do I conceive that one part of 1,000 that is here contained can be fully displayed) I will only add one remark more about the previously mentioned wars, and declare upon my conscience, that notwithstanding all the above-named injustice, profligate enormities and other crimes which I omit, (though sufficiently known to me) the Indians did not, nor was it in their power to, give [the Spaniards] any cause for these crimes, any more than the pious religious living in a well-regulated Monastery could give a sacrilegious villain any reason to deprive them of their goods and life. with one stroke of the sword, could split a man in two or could cut off De Las Casas goes through only a handful of the different accounts of genocide, but sufficient to prove his point. [6], Also translated and published in English as, CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (, Brevísima relación de la destrucción de las Indias, "Mirror of the Cruel and Horrible Spanish Tyranny Perpetrated in the Netherlands, by the Tyrant, the Duke of Alba, and Other Commanders of King Philip II", "CASAS: A SHORT ACCOUNT OF THE DESTRUCTION OF THE INDIES", "Maid to Order: Columbus' "Cannibal Girl" and the Captivity Narrative", Brief Account of the Destruction of the Indies, Le Miroir de la Cruelle, & Horrible Tyrannie Espagnole Perpetree au Pays Bas, par le Tyran Duc de Albe, & Aultres Commandeurs de par le Roy Philippe le Deuxiesme, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=A_Short_Account_of_the_Destruction_of_the_Indies&oldid=983875685, History of indigenous peoples of North America, Spanish-language literature about Mesoamerica, Articles containing Spanish-language text, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2020, Articles with unsourced statements from May 2011, Articles with Spanish-language sources (es), Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 16 October 2020, at 19:36. [1] The title in English, German, Dutch, and most languages, was manipulated to farther insist on the detrimental consequences of the Spanish conquest. 25 Oct. 2020. depopulated, and the land laid waste. However, the Spaniards that were sent did not abide by the rules they were given and killed millions of … Colonization completed wiped out some groups such as the Taino. European colonizers often rationalized their policies of enslavement and cruelty with the argument that the native people were not truly human and did not have souls. As a result, the laws were partially repealed only three years later. This large island was perhaps the most Hatuey warned the indigenous people about Spanish violence and led a defensive effort. . Las Casas' account was not actually published until 1552. Spaniards who have been here for many years say that the goodness of the Some of the secular By what authority did the Spanish make claims on the native people and their land? that in the forty years that have passed, with the infernal actions of the holy fathers in the desert can scarcely be more parsimonious, scanty, living creature. It is accordingly forty-nine years now since Spaniards began arriving in numbers in this part of the world. For example, laws regulating conduct in the conquest were promulgated in 1513 and 1542 (the latter partially repealed in 1545 because of opposition). He writes of the excesses of the colonizers "who count it as nothing to drench the Americas in human blood." repartimiento or distribution was made according to the rank and Translations of his work were published widely, mostly to publicize the notion of Spanish cruelty, but not as protests against colonialism itself. This allowed them to get the gold, jewels, and slaves that they so desired quicker and with greater ease. And of all the infinite universe They have no beds, but sleep Spain's encomienda system, first developed to control non-Catholics in Spain, was brought to its colonies. began to seek ways to throw the Christians out of their lands. Copyright © 2016. them were more fertile and beautiful than the gardens of the King of Seville. They were compelled to carry burdens of eighty or one hundred pound weight a hundred or two hundred miles. Good Press publishes a wide range of titles that encompasses every genre. Las Casas describes the monk as saintly and presumably not supportive of the Spanish violence. Destruction of the Indies “The Destruction of the Indies” is a personal account in a form of a letter by Bartoleme de Las Casas. Thus, forty-nine years have passed since the first settlers penetrated As a priest and missionary, he is concerned not only about the mistreatment of the living, but also about the welfare of millions of lost souls. "Brief Account of the Devastation of the Indies Study Guide." of people. Back To History Is A Weapon's Front Page. De Las Casas revised and re-edited this book in order to make his best argument in favor of the indigenous people. A. However, his protests had little effect. Christian missionaries such as De Las Casas were also present and did their best to try to bring justice to the lands. I saw an infinite number of these … Thus, the infinite number of inhabitants that formerly peopled this island were exterminated and dwindled away to nothing. The encomienda gave the holder the legal power to demand that the indigenous people provide either tribute (gold, or other wealth) or labor. Las Casas managed to persuade the king to approve the New Laws (1542), which revoked the hereditary nature of encomienda. By Bartoleme de Las Casas. De Las Casas' commitment to saving the natives and to uncovering the truth of the conquest of the New World is astounding.