Why the Inca Empire may have surrendered to the Spanish
In short: The Inca Empire was the largest nation state in the western hemisphere, yet it fell to a small band of Spanish conquistadors. This documentary explores a startling theory: the Incas may have believed their downfall was predestined.
Anthropologist Bill Sullivan investigates the cultural and astrological beliefs that may have facilitated the Spanish conquest in 1532. While 170 Spaniards faced a force of 40,000 Incas, the empire's collapse is linked to a systematic charting of the stars. The Incas believed that celestial events paralleled earthly events exactly 100 years in the future.
According to myths passed down to Jesuit priests, the Incas foretold the end of their civilization during the reign of their first ruler. Because they believed their doom was written in the stars, they may have viewed resistance as futile, leading to the fall of a mighty civilization of master builders and fearsome warriors.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: The Secrets Of The Incas - Part 1 of 2 (Ancient Civilization Documentary) | Timeline
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