The systematic evangelization of Mexico by mendicant orders during the Age of Discovery came to be known as the 'Spiritual Conquest of Mexico'.
Notes on verification
Multiple independent sources including Wikipedia, HandWiki, and academic publications from Cambridge and Duke University Press confirm this terminology. The term is directly attributed to Robert Ricard's seminal 1933 scholarly work, which is widely cited in academic literature on this topic.
Sources
- Catholic Church and the Age of Discovery (wikipedia)