conquistador

Also known as Spanish conquistador, Portuguese conquistador

thumb|right|Hernán Cortés led the [[Spanish conquest of the Aztec Empire and expanded the Spanish Empire in the Americas]] thumb|right|Afonso de Albuquerque expanded the [[Portuguese Empire across the Indian Ocean]]

AI overview

A conquistador was a Spanish or Portuguese military leader who conquered territories and peoples in the Americas, Asia, and other regions during the age of exploration, expanding European empires overseas. These conquests, such as Hernán Cortés's takeover of the Aztec Empire and Afonso de Albuquerque's expansion across the Indian Ocean, fundamentally reshaped global geography and had lasting consequences for indigenous populations and the development of European colonial power.

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Image: Los 13 de la Isla del Gallo.jpg

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female form of label: konkistadorė
Commons category: Conquistadors
Commons gallery: Conquistador
male form of label: conquistador

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Article

37 sections

Contents

Conquest
Background
History
Early Portuguese period
Birth of the Spanish Kingdom
Treaties
Spanish exploration
Colonization of the Caribbean, Mesoamerica, and South America
North America colonization
Asia and Oceania colonization, and Pacific exploration
Portuguese exploration
After 1500: West and East Africa, Asia, and the Pacific
North America
South America
Iberian Union period (1580–1640)
Disease in the Americas
Mythic lands
Secrecy
Financing and governance
Conflicts among conquistadors
Military advantages
Strategy
Tactics
Weapons and animals
Weapons
Animals
Nautical science
Navigation
Ship design
Winds and currents
Cartography
People
People in the service of Spain
People in the service of Portugal
See also
References
Further reading

Conquistadors (, ) or conquistadores (; ; ) were Spanish and Portuguese conquerors who explored, traded with, and colonized parts of the Americas, Africa, Asia, and Oceania during the Age of Discovery. Sailing beyond the Iberian Peninsula, they established numerous colonies and trade routes, and brought much of the New World under the dominion of Spain and Portugal.