A
Conquistador (
Spanish loanword [
kon.kis.t?a'ð?o?]) (
English Conqueror) is one of the Spanish soldiers,
explorers and
adventurers who took part in the gradual
conquest of large parts of
America and
Pacific Asia, bringing them under
Spanish colonial rule between the 15th and 19th centuries.
The term used for the Portuguese explorers and conquerors of Brazil is the Bandeirantes.
The bulk of the Conquistadors were generally younger men, while their Captains and leaders were mostly middle aged[citation needed].
"The Captains of the company were not conquering youth and adolescents as the rest of the host. They were, rather, mature men. Neither young nor old people, because the waiter he loses respect and the old force. The warlords of the conquest of Mexico (Cortes, Alvarado) was 34 years. Francisco Pizarro, was the oldest of all. Therefore, the Spaniards called him "El Viejo"(Old) and the Incas called him the "Apu Machu"." by Pablo Macera[clarify]
