Why couldn't the Aztecs and Inca exploit divisions among the Spanish, according to Si Sheppard?

Si Sheppard says Spanish feuds, such as the Narváez expedition sent to arrest Cortés or Almagro's fight with Pizarro, were personal rivalries among Castilians who would have united against a common enemy. Native divisions were between whole societies with long histories of war. When Cuitláhuac proposed an alliance, older Tlaxcalan leaders refused and the Tarascans wanted nothing to do with the Aztecs, and with Spain the only European power present there was no rival outsider to play off.

• Sheppard says playing European powers against each other became possible later, once the English, French and Dutch arrived.
• Dwarkesh Patel argues the English East India Company's ability to replace leaders gave it an edge over Indian states exposed to bad heirs.

Source: our own transcription of the episode. The full conversation is on Dwarkesh Podcast (2026-10-01). Read the whole episode summary →

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