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Codices from the
Oaxaca Valley
Inscribed 1997
What is it
Three codices from 1529 recording Spanish Crown grants
of the title of Marquisate of the Oaxaca Valley of Mexico
and land in the area to the soldier and explorer Hernán
Cortés (1485–1547).
Why was it inscribed
The codices and dossiers are rare examples of the written
pre-Hispanic culture of Mexico which was largely lost or
destroyed after the Spanish conquest of the region.
Where is it
Archivo General de la Nación, Mexico City, Mexico
Charles V, Holy Roman emperor and king of Castile,
awarded the title of Marquis of the Oaxaca Valley and
gave extensive grants of land to the conquistador Hernán
Cortés in recognition of his services to the Spanish Crown.
Cortés was an energetic and prolific explorer and
soldier who had first set foot in the Americas on the island
of Hispaniola as an 18-year-old in 1504. He took an active
part in the Spanish conquests of both Hispaniola and
Cuba, working his way up through the local political
administration and acquiring increasing wealth through
land and slaves. His military campaign in Mexico from 1518
to 1521 resulted in the defeat of the Aztec empire and saw
him rewarded with the position of governor of Mexico.
Pages from the codices � �
� Hernán Cortés, First Marquis of the Oaxaca Valley
The grants of some of the richest areas of land in what
was now called New Spain, were made on 6 July 1529 and
were recorded in the codices, which detail the extent
of Cortés’s new holdings and its forms of administration.
Although the codices deal with the business of the new
culture of the Spanish incomers, they were drawn up
by local scribes and reveal a form of expression which is
different from that of European culture. The indigenous
scribes (tlacuilos) who drafted the three documents used
their own writing system and wrote on agave (maguey)
paper. These documents have allowed the expression
of the indigenous culture to be preserved, as adaptation
to Spanish practice led to the abandonment of native
forms of expression, and most pre-Hispanic original
documents were destroyed.
The codices are accompanied by other documents
drafted by the descendants of Hernán Cortés regarding
land ownership and the payment and collection of taxes.
Some of these relate directly to local people: in one area,
detailing the onerous tribute and taxation the locals
were obliged to pay Martín Cortés, Hernán’s son and the
second marquis; and another listing Mayan Indians with
the names of their chiefs and taxpayers. These documents
were drafted in the indigenous Nahuatl language.
Codices from the Oaxaca Valley 183