Somewhere about the year 1440 there was a general revolt of the eastern provinces; Mayapan itself was assaulted and destroyed, and the Peninsula was divided among a number of petty chieftains.
Such was its political condition at the time of the discovery.

There were numerous populous cities, well built of stone and mortar, but their inhabitants were at war with each other and devoid of unity of purpose.[1] Hence they fell a comparatively easy prey to the conquistadors.
[Footnote 1: Francisco de Montejo, who was the first to explore Yucatan (1528), has left strong testimony to the majesty of its cities and the agricultural industry of its inhabitants.

He writes to the King, in the report of his expedition: "La tierra es muy poblada y de muy grandes ciudades y villas muy frescas.

Todos los pueblos son una huerta de frutales." _Carta a su Magestad, 13 Abril, 1529_, in the _Coleccion de Documentos Ineditos del Archivo de Indias_, Tom.

xiii.] Whence came this civilization?
Was it an offshoot of that of the Aztecs?
Or did it produce the latter?
These interesting questions I cannot discuss in full at this time.