Bernal Diaz Del Castillo

Nevertheless, Díaz returned to the coast of Yucatán the following year, on an expedition led by Juan De Grijalva , with the intent of exploring the newly discovered lands. Upon returning to Cuba, he enlisted in a new expedition, this one led by Hernán Cortés . In this third effort, Díaz took part in one of the most successful military campaigns in history, which brought an end to the Aztec empire of Mesoamerica . During this campaign, Díaz spoke frequently with his companions in arms about their experiences, collecting them into a coherent narration. The book that resulted from this was '' The Conquest Of New Spain ''. In it he describes many of the 119 battles in which he claims to have participated, culminating in the fall of the Aztec Empire in 1521 .

As a reward for his service, Díaz was appointed governor of Santiago de los Caballeros, present-day Antigua Guatemala . He began writing his history in 1568 , almost fifty years after the events described, in response to an alternative history written by Cortés's chaplain, who had not actually participated in the campaign. He called his book '' Verdadera Historia de la Conquista de Nueva España'', i.e., "True History of the Conquest of New Spain ," in response to the claims made in the earlier work.

Díaz died in 1581, without seeing his book published. A manuscript was found in a Madrid library in 1632 and finally published, providing an eye-witness account of the events, often told from the perspective of a common soldier. Today it is one of our most important sources for understanding the campaign that led to the collapse of the Aztec Empire and the Spanish conquest of Mexico.

Information About

Bernal Diaz Del Castillo