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An early researcher in the field of education: Bernardino de Sahagún in sixteenth‐century Mexico

Bernardino de Sahagún (1499/1500–1590), a Franciscan missionary in the colony of New Spain, can be seen as an early researcher in the field of education. Through his ethnographic work General History of the Things of New Spain he has been most influential in the historiography of Meso‐American pre‐Hispanic cultures. This paper focuses on the purpose of Sahagún’s research: What were his presumptions about the Nahua, what did he consider being important to know about them, and the best way to investigate their culture? In a combination of sociohistorical views and the new history of ideas the author interprets Sahagún’s Prologues where he speaks about his methods of research and his experiences with the indigenous population. The aim is to show that his presumptions concerning the research object are still with the researchers in today’s empirical educational research, for example, his method of consulting and questioning representatives of the Aztec state.