Why did Spanish colonizers require Indigenous people in Latin America to learn Spanish and convert to Christianity?

Spanish colonizers required Indigenous peoples in Latin America to learn Spanish and convert to Roman Catholicism primarily as tools of colonial governance, cultural assimilation, and the re-creation of a Europeanized social order.123

The Spanish crown viewed the conversion of Indigenous populations as a fundamental royal duty. Religious orders, such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, and Jesuits, were instrumental in this process, often accompanying expeditions to establish the faith in areas where Indigenous temples once stood. This religious imposition was frequently used to suppress Indigenous beliefs, which the colonizers labeled as "idolatry," and to enforce a standard of "civility" that included the adoption of the Spanish language, Western dress, and European agricultural lifestyles.45236

Beyond religious objectives, these requirements served to integrate Indigenous peoples into the colonial administrative and economic framework, such as the encomienda system. By mandating these cultural shifts, the Spanish sought to solidify their authority, facilitate communication, and ensure the stability of their overseas empire.512