Aztec and Inca Religious Zeal Essay -- Pre-Colombian History

Aztec and Inca Religious Zeal The Aztec and Inca peoples lived in militaristic and intricacyist societies whose ideals were fueled by their phantasmal convictions. Expansionism was necessary for both societies to support their religious beliefs. The religious zeal of these two civilizations became something that the leaders of the imperiums could non control. These empires were built with ideologically driven conquests, which became the cornerstones of their societies and something beyond the control of the receivers. Every imperialistic acres has a motive for expansion. Military, materialism, and missionary are three of the biggest motives foe expansion that imperialistic countries use to expand their borders. Conquests that are based strictly on militaristic or materialistic goals make up long-lasting empires that rule for centuries without decline. These two motives require that some semblance of a governance be set up in conquered territories so that the ruling country w hitethorn use these territories as they wish. Furthermore, once these types of conquests are started, emperors are able to abandon them as they wish. Ideological conquests, however, are driven by deep-down religious convictions that emperors and rulers digest little power over. Furthermore, conquests that are driven by ideologies do not require the conquerors to establish works governments in their wakes. Therefore, imperial land-holdings that were acquired through ideologically driven conquests sometimes require re-conquering. The Aztec and Inca empires were built through various ideologically driven conquests, which became ingrained in their societies and grew beyond the emperors control. The Aztecs expansion was promoted by their need for human sacrifices in order to keep the world working in the proper order. The Mexica peoples, who founded the Aztec empire, rise in power coincided with their tribal gods, Huitzilopochtli, rise in the pantheon of gods to one of the creator gods (Bakewell, 23). The further Huitzilopochtli blush in the pantheon the more sacrifices were needed to keep the universal balance. The Mexica people inherited the use of human sacrifices from their predecessors, the Toltecs, but Huitzilopochtli was a Mexica creation. Mexica imperialism was due to the elevation of Huitzilopochtli and the conceptualization of an imperial cult that united the patron deity, ... ...bility and support ended up ruining their empire. Split inheritance was so ingrained in Inca family that it took on a life of its own and could not be stop by anyone. In the minds of the Incas the short-term benefits of the split inheritance system outlying(prenominal) out-weighed the long-term detriments of which they arguably were not aware. Both the Incas and the Aztecs were part of empires that were built by religious ideologies that required the expansion of a state. These ideologies had similar benefits like a better after-life, material riches, and social mobility, and similar disadvantages. The disadvantages included not allowing for government of conquered territories and over-extending each empires sphere of influence to the point that policy-making stability was impossible. Each society had a potential savior of the empire in the end, but the religious ideologies of the people were far too bulletproof for any emperor to oppose. Works CitedBakewell, Peter. A History of Latin America. Blackwell Publishers Inc., Malden, MA. 1998Conrad, Geoffrey W. and Demarest, Arthur A. worship and Empire The Dynamics of Aztec and Inca Expansion. Cambridge University Press. New York, NY. 1984