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Iberian explorers -

The Conquistadors were explorer-soldiers. They came from the Iberian Peninsula, belonging to either the Spanish and Portuguese empires of the 15th and 16th centuries.

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The Age of Discovery -

During a time now referred to as the Age of Discovery, they traveled to the Americas, Oceania, Africa, and Asia, and began colonizing and opening trade routes.

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The Age of Discovery -

As a result of their explorations by sea, they brought much of the world under the control of Spanish or Portuguese dominion.

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Not trained warriors -

At the time of the Conquistadors, there were limited opportunities in Spain. Many of the fighters were farmers, artisans, or noblemen who sought to advance themselves.

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Limited military experience -

Because of their backgrounds, many of them had very limited fighting experience. Spanish soldiers made up the majority of the numbers, while some soldiers were from other parts of Europe and Africa. Troops often consisted of African slaves and Native Americans, some of whom were also slaves.

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A way out of poverty -

For European young men, joining the Conquistadors was a way out of poverty. They were taught the military arts, as well as math, writing, Latin, Greek, and theology.

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Hidalgo families -

Many of the fighters also came from the Hidalgo families of Spain, who were a class of noblemen. They were educated, but did not have financial resources.

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Conversions to Christianity -

Numerous Catholic religious orders traveled to the so-called "New World" to evangelize and convert Indians, sometimes en masse. The Dominicans, Carmelites, Franciscans, and Jesuits were among those tasked with spreading Christianity.

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Hernán Cortés (1485-1547) -

Spanish Conquistador Hernán Cortés waged a campaign against the Aztec Empire, ruled by Moctezuma II, between 1519 and 1521.

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Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar (1465-c.1524) -

Diego Velázquez de Cuéllar was a Conquistador and compatriot of Cortés. He was the first governor of Cuba and led expeditions to Mexico.

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Aztec campaign -

Velázquez had put Cortés in command of an expedition to explore and secure the interior of Mexico for colonization. However, he changed his mind by revoking the charter. But this didn't deter Cortés, who decided to go anyway, in open mutiny.

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Veracruz landing -

Though inexperienced, Cortés proved an effective leader. His small crew won several victories against the Natives as they moved between coastal settlements. When they reached Veracruz, he deliberately had his fleet scuttled, so there could be no retreat.

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Aztec campaign -

Alongside 600 soldiers, 15 horsemen, 15 cannons, and hundreds of indigenous carriers and warriors, Cortés then marched on Tenochtitlán.

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Meeting Moctezuma -

When he arrived in Tenochtitlán, the Aztec Emperor Moctezuma II let Cortés enter the capital. Later, Cortés would take Moctezuma as a hostage in his palace, ruling Tenochtitlán (albeit indirectly) through him.

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Moctezuma killed -

Velázquez sent an expedition to oppose Cortés in 1520, led by Pánfilo de Narváez. Cortés went to confront Narváez and upon his later return to Tenochtitlán, Moctezuma was killed. It's still unclear how his death occurred, with some accounts recording that his people stoned him when he requested they stop attacking the Spanish, dying a few days later; other accounts say the Spanish murdered him.

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Capturing the Aztec Empire for Spain -

Cortés decided to flee, losing much loot in the process before reaching Tlaxcala. In 1521, with the capture of the Tenochtitlán's ruler Cuauhtémoc, Cortés was able to claim the Aztec Empire for Spain. Tenochtitlán was renamed Mexico City.

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Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541) -

Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro is best known for his conquest of the Incan Empire. Landing on the Peruvian coast in 1531, it was on this third attempt that he was finally successful.

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Francisco Pizarro (1478-1541) -

Pizarro met with the Incan Emperor Atahualpa in 1532, which led to the Battle of Cajamarca. The Spanish were successful, and advanced towards Cuzco, sealing their conquest of Peru in 1533.

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Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada -

Spanish Conquistador Gonzalo Jiménez de Quesada was a lawyer and nobleman, who founded the capital of the new Kingdom of Granada (present-day Colombia), Santafé de Bogotá, in 1538.

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Francisco de Villagra -

Three-time governor of Chile, Francisco de Villagra was a Spanish Conquistador who founded the city of Santiago in 1538.

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Juan Ponce de León -

Explorer and Conquistador Juan Ponce de León led the first European expedition to Puerto Rico in 1508, and Florida in 1513. The Spaniard, who was of noble birth, became the first governor of Puerto Rico in 1509, by appointment of the Spanish Crown.

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Alternative routes -

The Venetians and the Genoans, and later the Ottomans, dominated the routes by land to the Far East from Europe. As a sea-faring nation, the Portuguese became leaders in exploration as they sought to find alternative routes.

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Naval technology and cartography -

Following the success of an expedition to Guinea in the 1400s, foreign experts in naval technology, cartography, and mathematics began arriving in Portugal. Together with Portuguese experts, they made important breakthroughs.

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Discovering a sea route to India -

In 1488, Bartolomeu Dias crossed the Cape of Good Hope. This journey proved there was an Eastern sea route to the Indian Ocean.

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Vasco da Gama (c.1460-1524) -

Vasco da Gama reached India in 1498, crossing the Cape of Good Hope to arrive there. The voyage marked the first phase in sea-based globalization that the world had ever seen.

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Pedro Álvares Cabral (c.1467 or 1468–c.1520) -

Considered the European 'discoverer' of Brazil in 1500, nobleman, explorer, and navigator Pedro Álvares Cabral is believed to be the first human to ever visit all four continents.

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Dom Francisco de Almeida (c. 1450-1510) -

Soldier and explorer Dom Francisco de Almeida was a nobleman who distinguished himself in wars against the Moors. He became the first governor and viceroy of the Portuguese State of India.

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Manuel I of Portugal -

King Manuel I of Portugal was Almeida's patron, and he sought to bring the spice trade under Portugal's control. Almeida was the first of the the Portuguese to arrive in Bombay (Mumbai) by ship.

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Portuguese authority in the Indian Ocean -

In 1509, after a decisive victory under Almeida at the Battle of Diu (against the Ottomans and the Egyptians), the Portuguese began a 100-year trade monopoly over Indian Ocean waters.

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Afonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515) -

A Portuguese general, admiral, and statesman, Afonso de Albuquerque expanded Portuguese influence across the Indian Ocean. He was the first duke of Goa following its conquest in 1510, and led the successful conquest of Malacca (in Malaysia) in 1511.

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Afonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515) -

He led the first European voyage to the Red Sea, raiding the Persian Gulf. In a scheme to combat Islam, he set about spreading Christianity. In Goa, he established the first mint to coin Portuguese money in 1510.

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Afonso de Albuquerque (1453-1515) -

De Albuquerque's miliary brilliance led to Portugal becoming the first global empire in the world's history. As the governor of Portuguese Goa, he forged diplomatic ties that would secure Portugal's status, while earning epithets including "The Terrible," "The Portuguese Mars," and "The Lion of the Seas."

Sources: (Britannica) (TheCollector) (World History Encyclopedia) 

See also: Why is the Suez Canal so important?

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