The three documents – A Spanish view of the Cholula massacre, the Florentine codex, and Tlaxalan noblemen meet Cortex and massacre at Cholula – cover the events that took place in the Mexican city of Cholula and the episodes leading to them. While the three documents work together to provide insight into the event itself, their perspectives differ, offering diverse explanations to the reader. By considering all three points of view, historians might draw a conclusion as to what really happened and the motives that lay behind the described events.
All three documents agree that the Spanish destroyed the city, killing its citizens. Thus, De Tapia says that “the Spaniards went […] to different parts of the city killing the men and burning the houses” (p. 100). De Sahagun asserts that “people [in Cholula] were stubbed, struck, and killed” (p. 102). De Tlaxcala speaks about “Spanish soldiers’ attack [on] Cholulan priests at the Temple of Quetzalcoati” (p. 106). Moreover, all three documents highlight the role of Tlaxcalans, long-standing enemies of Cholulans, in the event. Numerous pieces of evidence show that Tlaxcalans took part in the killing alongside the Spaniards and, in fact, were doing what they had long wished to execute.
However, the accounts of why the carnage took place differ. Thus, De Sahagun asserts that Tlaxcalans incited the Spaniards’ anger against Cholulans by speaking badly about them and attributing to them evil qualities. Therefore, the massacre staged by the Spanish had little to do with Cholulans’ bad intentions; sooner, it was an act provoked by Tlaxcalans who acted in their own interests. Another account of the event is provided by De Tapia. De Tapia says that Cholulans intended to attack Spaniards on their way to Mexico and murder them. Therefore, having learned about these treacherous intentions, the marquis ordered to kill Cholulans and burn their houses. De Tlaxcala shows Dona Marina directing Spanish warriors in the attack. The differences in the approach to the described events may be explained by the fact that the authors sympathized one or another party of the conflict and therefore developed a version most advantageous for that party. On the other hand, the origin of authors themselves may have had an impact on the way they covered the events.
Another difference in the accounts of the events lies in the fact that, in one of the accounts, the events at Cholula are considered a minor part of a broader picture, while in the other two these events are treated as major happenings in themselves. This can be explained by the difference in the authors’ perspective where De Tapia and De Sharagun consider the loss of life a drastic event in itself, while De Tlaxcala sees it as an inevitable evil that cannot be avoided in the course of history.
Despite the fact that sources offer different accounts of why the massacre at Cholula took place, it is possible to draw some insights from those documents as to what really happened. First of all, it becomes clear that these were Spaniards who launched an attack while Cholulans were giving them a warm welcome. Secondly, the Spaniards acted together with Tlaxcalans in their killings and destruction of the city. While the reasons for such an attack may have been warranted, the cruelty with which the deed was perpetuated is staggering.
From the three documents, historians may infer information about the history of the struggle between clans in the Mexican part of America and how this struggle served to shape the attitudes of Spaniards who came there. Moreover, the documents show that the Spaniards did not massacre the population without any reason but instead were guided by the motives of safety born out of mistrust for the local population. Finally, neither tribes were sincere in their hearty welcome of the Spaniards and, instead, were eager to use them in their own, sometimes opposing, interests.
Bibliography
De Tapia, Andres. A Spanish View of Cholula Massacre. In Schwartz, S. B., Victors and Vanquished. Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston, MA: Bedford, 2000, p. 97-99
De Sahagun, Fray Bernardino. From the Florentine Codex. In Schwartz, S. B., Victors and Vanquished. Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston, MA: Bedford, 2000, p. 100-104
De Tlaxcala, Lienzo. Tlaxalan Noblemen Meet Cortex and Massacre at Cholula. In Schwartz, S. B., Victors and Vanquished. Spanish and Nahua Views of the Conquest of Mexico. Boston, MA: Bedford, 2000, p. 105-107