Wrath of Quetzalcoatl
Aztecs were a major empire in the Americas. They were originally from what is now called Mexico, but moved south, which is now called Central America in 1200s. By 1400s, they had captured large parts of Central America. But the catch here is, what caused the downfall of the big and impressive empire? Allegedly, it was none other than their own belief system that destroyed them.
As Aztecs were a polytheist community, one of their many deities was Quetzalcoatl, regarded as the “Feathered Serpent”. The Aztecs claimed to be the direct descendants to the supreme serpent. Such was the importance of Quetzalcoatl, that in the city of Teotihuacan, pits have been found under the temple of the Feathered Serpent, containing bones of those warriors who had been sacrificed to him.
So here they believed that the pale skinned serpentine god had gone away to the east- but with a promise of him returning. So when the Spanish invaders showed up from the east, with their army of thousands, in 1519, led by Hernán Cortés, Aztecs believed that their god had returned. Moctezuma 2, the then ruler of the Aztecs showered them with gold and gifts, and invited them to their heavily defended capital, Tenochtitlan. Once entering the capital, the Spanish were awestruck by the grandeur, and wanted more. Thus they took King Moctezuma 2 captive, and killed him in 1520, resulting in the gradual fall of Aztecs. Aztecs couldn’t compete with the invaders as Spanish had advanced weapon technology of the age, and the Aztecs had to die a brutal death. The Spanish also joined hands the neighbouring rivals of the Aztecs, which created a even bigger impact. Moreover, the rivals were more than willing to join hands with the Spanish, as Aztecs were infamous for the brutality they inflicted on their opponent’s warriors, occasionally sacrificing them in their temples.
Plus Spanish were immune to smallpox, and carried the virus everywhere they went. The smallpox they carried made their conquest even easier as the virus killed a majority of the people in Tenochtitlan. From a wider perspective, Spanish invasion of the Aztecs provided a base for their further conquests in the nearby areas.
But here comes the most astonishing part of the whole scenario. Aztecs were a highly advanced civilisation, and practiced astrology. Some of their literature states that, “Pale skinned people will come from the east, and will be rightful heirs to our throne”. So, did their astrology already predict their downfall? And if it did, was them allowing the Spanish enter their capital, and the further events; all according to their own will?
