Religion is used as a tool for rulers to justify and motivate oppression. Since religion is used as a tool of oppression, negative political and economic effects occur. These effects include political revolutions and economic turmoil. Instances in which religion oppressed and created conflict are demonstrated by the Aztecs as well as events in Spain and England.
The Spanish Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, expelled, tortured, severely questioned, and forced Jews and Muslims to convert to Roman Catholicism. The Monarchs used The Spanish inquisition for this. Amy Blackwell shows how the inquisition was oppressive: “The Spanish Inquisition has become synonymous with severe questioning, torture, and execution.” (Blackwell, Amy) This quote explicitly …show more content…
But not only did this oppress the Jews and Muslim populations, it also took a toll on Spain’s economy. The Jews and Muslims made up most of the working, merchant class. When, they left, Spain’s economy crumbled. This is shown in Immanuel Wallerstein’s The Modern World-System, “The expulsion of the Moriscos deepened the economic difficulties still more and sent Spain looking for even more ephemeral scapegoats of it's decline. Meanwhile, the government found itself ever more indebted abroad, ever more prone to meet budgetary crisis by debt reputation, and finally unable to raise more …show more content…
They conquered and took hold of neighboring towns to gain more sacrificial victims for their gods. (Levy, Buddy pg. 103) They did this because they believed it was necessary to worship their gods. Cortes writes about this when he visits an Aztec Temple: “When these [the idols] are completed they [Aztecs] make them an offering of the heart of the victim which they sacrificed to them and besmear their faces with blood.” (Hernan Cortés) In this primary source, Cortes is writing to Charles V and explaining to him his culture shock of the Aztec practices. It shows first hand how Cortes saw the Aztecs murdering people in cold blood. The Aztecs thought it was necessary because without it their gods would destroy their world. (Bradford, Shannan) Another example of human sacrifice is found in Tamra Andrews’ “Tonatiuh”, “The Aztec sacrificed blood and hearts to Tonatiuh to fortify him and to ensure that he had enough strength to continue his celestial movement.” (Andrews, Tamra) This this created negative side effects because the people in conquered towns, either didn't mind or joined the Spanish in their conquest rather than fighting against them. This resulted in the destruction of the Aztecs. Todorov explains how this was one of the main causes of Aztec destruction in The Conquest of America: “The Indians in the regions Cortes
The Spanish Monarchs, Ferdinand and Isabella, expelled, tortured, severely questioned, and forced Jews and Muslims to convert to Roman Catholicism. The Monarchs used The Spanish inquisition for this. Amy Blackwell shows how the inquisition was oppressive: “The Spanish Inquisition has become synonymous with severe questioning, torture, and execution.” (Blackwell, Amy) This quote explicitly …show more content…
But not only did this oppress the Jews and Muslim populations, it also took a toll on Spain’s economy. The Jews and Muslims made up most of the working, merchant class. When, they left, Spain’s economy crumbled. This is shown in Immanuel Wallerstein’s The Modern World-System, “The expulsion of the Moriscos deepened the economic difficulties still more and sent Spain looking for even more ephemeral scapegoats of it's decline. Meanwhile, the government found itself ever more indebted abroad, ever more prone to meet budgetary crisis by debt reputation, and finally unable to raise more …show more content…
They conquered and took hold of neighboring towns to gain more sacrificial victims for their gods. (Levy, Buddy pg. 103) They did this because they believed it was necessary to worship their gods. Cortes writes about this when he visits an Aztec Temple: “When these [the idols] are completed they [Aztecs] make them an offering of the heart of the victim which they sacrificed to them and besmear their faces with blood.” (Hernan Cortés) In this primary source, Cortes is writing to Charles V and explaining to him his culture shock of the Aztec practices. It shows first hand how Cortes saw the Aztecs murdering people in cold blood. The Aztecs thought it was necessary because without it their gods would destroy their world. (Bradford, Shannan) Another example of human sacrifice is found in Tamra Andrews’ “Tonatiuh”, “The Aztec sacrificed blood and hearts to Tonatiuh to fortify him and to ensure that he had enough strength to continue his celestial movement.” (Andrews, Tamra) This this created negative side effects because the people in conquered towns, either didn't mind or joined the Spanish in their conquest rather than fighting against them. This resulted in the destruction of the Aztecs. Todorov explains how this was one of the main causes of Aztec destruction in The Conquest of America: “The Indians in the regions Cortes