The 'Holocaust' of the Americans Natives In 1492 two events occurred, which tied the fate of two human groups - the Indians and the Jews. On that year the Jews were expelled from Spain, in what is known as the Expulsion from Spain, regarded by some Jews as one of the most terrible disasters in history. On that same year America was discovered to the European Native - a fact that cause the Indians' holocaust and the beginning of mass annihilation of that group of people. The nightmare that Spanish and Portuguese Jews went through by the "European native" can be seen in the stories of the Maranos, during the time of the Visigots' persecutions in Spain, in Morocco during the reign of the Al-Wahids (12th century), in southern Italy between the 13th - 16th centuries and in Persia from the 17th century onwards. In northern Europe the question of the Maranos rose after every case of calamity, but usually, we use this term to define the most important group of Maranos in the Pireneic peninsula at the end of the 14th century. Maranos usually refers to the first generation of these compulsory converted Jews, whereas the next generations were referred to as "of Maranos descent". The surge of pogroms against Jews, starting in Seville on the summer of 1391, flooding the whole of Spain, was something never seen in such scope in Jewish history. In addition to that, the pogroms, which started at the 15th century, together with Vicente Ferrer's venomous propaganda, caused many Jews, leave voluntarily and follow the compulsory converted. This way, converting to Christianity was almost fashionable in the upper classes of Spanish Jews. Upon entering Christian society the Maranos acquired major influence in the state. Soon they occupied senior positions in courts (mainly in financial administration), climbed high in Church, and acquired a name in literature and arts. Thsy also married into some of the noble Spanish families. As a result, the people's jealousy did not decrease but rather increased, mainly due to the fact that many of these "new Christians" still remained attached to Judaism, keeping to its commandments almost in the open, supported and visited Synagogues, married within their own and overtly despised the Christian customs forced on them. Their descendents kept this standpoint or many generations later (though some of the anti-semitic writers them were of Jewish origin). The public's prejudice against the "new Christians" remained in force, though on the outside the Maranos were Christian. The focus shifted now from religion to race, and eventually the Maranos remained a distinctive, isolated group, a target to all the prejudices they suffered as Jews. Some of the restrictions enforced on Jews included them too. Blood riots broke out eventually - isolated at first, but in 1473 - all over Castillia. The church demanded that punishing measures be taken against these dishonest Christians, and for that purpose the Inquisition was created in 1480. The Expulsion of Jews from Spain on1492 was also justified with the argument that the Jews were encouraging the Maranos to keep to their religion. From 1481 onwards the inquisition systematically persecuted the Spanish Maranos, until they finally gave in and became total Christians. Only in the island of Majorca the persecution continues until the 18th century, and there they are well recognized among the citizens. After a short while, the tragedy of The Spanish Jews hit the Jews in Portugal too. In 1497 the whole Jewish congregation, without exception, was forced to convert, seemingly. Since it included the whole congregation - it could not be real. Possibility to adhere to Judaism secretly was easier in Portugal than in Spain, thus even among the most religious almost no events of martyrdom happened. In 1540 the Inquisition was created in Portugal as well, and fought the so-called Christians for more than 200 years, with many victims during that period. As in Spain, in Portugal too the number of Maranos descendents among all classes was large, mainly in higher classes - not matching their real number - and the economic and cultural life in Portugal. At first, the new Christians were forbidden to leave for countries where they could, supposedly, return to Judaism. But this ban was impossible to keep. During the 16th century, most of the new Christians moved to the Muslim countries, such as Turkey and Greece, where they were welcome by existing Jewish congregations. In Salonica, for example, all the members of the "Ba'al Tshuva", "Portugal" and "Lisbon" congregations were descendents of Portuguese Maranos. A tourist visiting the land of Israel in the middle of the 16th century, found all over the country families of former Maranos, many of whom settled in Zfat. Other congregations were in Italy, where in 1556 the Pope found a pretext to assault the congregation in Ancona: twenty five were burned alive and the others fled. Other centers of Marano families were in Ferara, Venice and Livorno. During those years, in which the Jews were forced to cope with the culture of the "European native" and his persecutions, the Maya had to deal with the Spanish messengers. 13 In the Yucatan peninsula, as well as in area of Guatemala and Honduras, the culture of the Maya was discovered. In many aspects the Maya culture was very similar to that of the Aztecs, only more ancient. The Maya, too, built cities, impressive in their size and beauty, and glorious temples in the shape of graded pyramids. The Maya too had knowledge of mathematics, including the use of zero (still an innovation in Europe) and well-developed knowledge of astronomy. The Maya had written culture, being the only society in the New World to use hand writing in the form of hieroglyphics. Unfortunately, most of the Maya books were soon destroyed by the Spanish Conquistadors and missionaries, and only little was left. One of the main weaknesses of the Maya was their fatalistic faith. They held a circular philosophy of history, according to which each circular cycle ends in catastrophe. The period in which they encountered the Spaniards was, according to their concept, close to the end of the cycle, thus their disaster was to be expected. Their fatalism, unlike the rigidity and determination of the Spaniards may explain, in a way, their surrender. But, against the theory that it was the fatalistic faith that allowed the acceptance of occupation as an edict stands the fact that once they came to know the nature of the white conquerors, following the Aztec bitter experience - they fought desperately for their life. The very struggle shows that the fatalistic assumption is mot true, and it was not the reason for their behavior. It was the terms of conduct, unfamiliar to the Indian continent, which did not correspond with their expectations from the "European native's" behavior - just as were the European Jewish holocaust and the acts of the "European native" during World War II - incomprehensible and horribly fantastic until it actually happened. The occupation of the Maya lasted about twenty years and was completed only in 1545. Pedro de Alvaro, a Spanish soldier known for his cruelty, is considered the conqueror of the Maya territories. But, of all the actions of Spanish occupation in Central and Southern America, the most dramatic and amazing affair was that of the conquest of the kingdom of Peru. The center of the southern empire, the Inca empire, was some 3,000-4,000 meters above sea level - high up in the Ands. The empire extended some 5,000 km, on a long narrow strip, from the place in the center of present Chile, up to Colombia in the north, including the territories of today's Peru and Bolivia. This territory included some 7 million citizens, i.e., a rather crowded population. The Inca culture was, too, highly developed, created by the Cachua tribe (Inca is not the tribe's name, but the emperor's name - Caesar and high priest - ruling the empire). The Cachua took over the whole area in the 12 century. Just like the Aztec Empire it was a relatively young empire, when the Spaniards arrived. It had a remarkable centralist government, ruled by the emperor from his capital, by an elaborate system of officials. It had fast post services, a tax system, cities, forts, temples and paved roads. Rumors of that Kingdom of the Sun had reached the area of Panama, conquered by Spain already in the second decade of the 16th century. During the thirties of the 16th century the Spaniards approach the area.. In 1531 a Spanish soldier by the name of Francisco Pizaro, with a few soldiers, started his way to the south, along the shores of the Altlantic Ocean, with the specific purpose of reaching the Kingdom of the Sun. He sets way with 62 horsemen and a hundred infantry-men. Pizaro and his troops landed on the beach near the center of the Empire, and made their way on foot for hundreds of kilometers toward the capital - Cusco - high up in the Ands, an extremely difficult area. Pizaro and his people marched through highly hostile population, through marshes and jungles, before starting to climb the mountains. They could easily be finished off on their way, If not for the unique circumstances within the Incas, who were undergoing a war between claimants to the throne among the leadership, causing the empire to split between their supporters. Hard and ominous prophecies made by the Gods and priests, together with the fatalistic approach, probably caused the leaders to demonstrate no active resistance to begin with, thus missing the opportunity to finish the small Spanish army on its way. The large confrontation between the Inca emperor - Atahualpa - took place far away from the capital, in a place called Kahmarca. Atahualpa sits there with his huge army, waiting patiently for the Spaniards to come. Pizaro arrives there with his handful of people on November 16, 1532. Few horsemen with shotguns manage to sow fear and terror among thousands of Inca soldiers. Within a few hours a horrible bloodshed occurs. The Spaniards have but a few casualties and manage to overcome the Indians. According to Spanish testimonies, the massacre was horrifying. The Inca was taken prisoner and the Spaniards promised to release him for ransom. The Inca - a tragic historic figure - manages to raise within several weeks a fortune - in gold and silver treasures. It is handed over to the conquerors for his release, but they, in turn, decide to kill him. To find the pretext for killing the Inca, the "European native" converted him to Christianity and then accused him of heresy - which calls for capital punishment. The "European native" ties him to a pole, as did the inquisition, a rope tied around his neck, and after some words intended to appease their conscience - the rope is tightened and the Inca choked to death. With regard to these atrocities - both the assassination of The Jew from Galille - Jesus, and the Inca, what was said in the trial or after it is rendered useless by the end of the act and its results. It is the hard evidence that will guide the reader in examining the acts of the "European native" toward humanity. Thus, both the murders - of the Inca and of Jesus - are called 'murder' because of the intention and not the Roman/Church trial behind it. The first European colony in America was nothing more than a pack of gold diggers wrapped in glory. Columbus expected to obtain the precious metal by commerce, but the Indian demand for barter goods was soon exhausted, and the Spaniards began to seize the gold by force. Similar to other places in America, where Europeans arrived, the Indians welcomed them at first as guests, then hated them as invaders, and finally fought them in a desperate futile battle. The Spaniards, who came just for the gold, complained about the governor's order to build houses and grow crops. Their supplies of food and wine from Spain ran out, and soon enough - gangs of armored men raided the fertile country, fed on its wealth and tortured its natives to get their gold. Rome's conduct in its provinces was similar in purpose, but different in nature - somewhat more elegant than that of the Spanish "European natives". But the results were the same, and it was the results that counted. Click to continue >> 12 Charles Herman Pritchett, The American Constitution, p. 87, Tel Aviv, Zmora-Bitan, 1982 13 Prof. Miri Eliav-Feldon, 500 years to the discovery of America, p. 48, Min. of Defense - Ed., Tel Aviv, 1992.