One of the largest Empires in the history of modern civilisation was also the first of global magnitude – the Spanish Empire. The so-called conquistadors conquered the Aztek, Inca and Maya civilisations. The empire dominated over the vast territories of North and South America. For a certain period of time, the Spanish Empire also ruled the oceans with its large and skilled navy. The ‘Golden Age’ of the Empire took place during the 16th and 17th Centuries.

The Spanish Colonial Empire flourished between 1521 and 1643. It was called the ‘Golden Age of Spain’, or Siglo de Oro in Spanish. Some sources say that during the 16th Century alone, the Spanish Queen held the equivalent of 1.5 trillion US dollars in gold and silver obtained from New Spain (the colonies). The empire was controlled from Seville, not from Madrid. The rise of the empire is also incredible, for it started from scratch because the Habsburg dynasty left Spain with no money, even in war, for example during the Castilian War of the Communities in the beginning of the 16th Century.

After Columbus’ discovery, many ships were launched to explore the new world.  Brave and uncompromising people called  ‘Conquistadors’ led them. The spread of disease among the natives of the new land worked in favour for the Conquistadors, and very soon the Aztecs and Incas, great people with great civilisations, were subdued and they knelt before the Spanish Empire. 

The most successful (or notorious) conquistador proved to be Hernan Cortes, who, with comparatively small forces, overthrew the Aztec Empire during the years 1519 – 21 and took its gold and added Mexico to ‘The New Spain’. The other great strike on the indigenous cultures was that of Francisco Pissaro, who led the warfare against Peru, the Inca Empire’s heart. The rumors of more gold caused numerous expeditions originating from Spain.