Which one of the following European explorer conquered Mexico ?
- A.Vasco da Gama
- B.Bartholomew Diaz
- C.Magellan
- D.Hernán Cortés
Correct answer
Explanation
The correct answer is D, Hernán Cortés. This Spanish conquistador overthrew the Aztec Empire and brought Mexico under Spain between 1519 and 1521.
Cortés landed on the Mexican coast in 1519, allied with peoples hostile to the Aztecs such as the Tlaxcalans, and reached the Aztec capital Tenochtitlan, where the ruler Moctezuma II received him. After fierce fighting and a long siege, Tenochtitlan fell in 1521, and Mexico City was built on its ruins as the capital of New Spain. Smallpox brought by the Europeans weakened the Aztecs greatly. A few years later Francisco Pizarro conquered the Inca Empire of Peru in the same way.
A is wrong because Vasco da Gama of Portugal found the sea route to India, reaching Calicut in 1498. B is wrong because Bartholomew Diaz rounded the Cape of Good Hope in 1488. C is wrong because Ferdinand Magellan led the first expedition to sail around the world (1519–1522) and was killed in the Philippines.
Exam tip: Cortés conquered Mexico (Aztecs), Pizarro conquered Peru (Incas).
Practice Questions
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- B.Godavari
- C.Saraswati
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- D.Mahavamsa
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- B.Nizamuddin Auliya
- C.Ibn al-Arabi
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Read the full explanation →Which twelfth century Sanskrit scholar was first responsible for the compilation of 'Nibandhas' or digests of epic and Puranic texts?
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- D.Virupaksha
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