Effects+of+Colonialism

The Tarascans had carved themselves out quite a large niche in modern day Western Mexico. The Tarascans were the only empire in Central America to successfully withstand the Aztec advances. The Tarascans were thriving, having little trouble acquiring new lands and incorporating new peoples into their empire. “In the period of approximately eighty years between the creation of the centralized bureaucracy at Tzintzuntzan and the Spanish Conquest, the Tarascan empire expanded greatly, incorporating into itself a diversity of ethnic populations and defending itself successfully against covetous neighbors.” ([])



The Tarascans system of warfare included raiding villages and instantly killing the infants, wounded, and aged, while enslaving the others. They intimidated their enemies, which was one of the chief reasons they were able to thrive. Their dominance would begin to wane, however, when the first Spaniard touched down in Michoacán on February 23, 1521. It wasn’t just the Spaniards swords that caused this to happen. The Spaniards brought with them small pox and measles which devastated the Tarascan population. Seeing how the Spanish, with little difficulty, destroyed Tenochtitlan (the Aztec capital city) and with a depleted population due to disease, the Tarascans capitulated to the wants of the Spanish. The Spanish intended on allowing some autonomy for the rulers of the Tarascans due to their cooperation but when the Tarascan leader, Tzintzicha Tangaxoan, took advantage of this by collecting tribute, he was executed and the Spanish took over ruling. Essentially, colonialism transformed the Tarascans from a Mexican empire, into servants of the Spanish empire.

Interesting note: The Spanish named these natives “Tarascans [tarascue]” which translates to son-in law, which was most likely the result of misinterpretation between the two peoples. There was much intermarriage between the Spanish and Tarascans. The Tarascan people now prefer to be referred to as “Purepechas.”