Is the religion the sole factor in the rise and decline of the Mexica and Inca empires?

Conrad’s and Demarest’s book is titled “Religion and Empire”.  A good majority of the book talks about religion and its role in the rise and decline of the Mexica and Inca empires.  But what is important to note, is the fact that the book does not talk exclusively about religion.  I say this because what I like most about this book is its thoroughness and depth.  Though the book is about religion, Conrad and Demarest also focus upon other factors that led to the rise and decline of these two empires.  There is no singular reason as to the rise and decline of these empires.  Along with religion, Conrad and Demarest lso talk about the environmental, demographic, economic and political factors that aided in the rise and decline of these empires.   “The complexity and intermingling of cause and effect in the Aztec and Inca expansions negate all single-factor explanations, which are about as convincing as the Colonial Spaniards’ devil” (Conrad and Demarest p.154).

                Each of these categories of factors creates its own element of usefulness in the study of the Mexica and Inca empires.  There can be no doubt that each of these factors contributed to the rise and decline of these empires.  But it must be understood that not a single factor can be attributed as the sole catalyst for the imperialism of these empires.  “By looking at the Aztec and Inca imperialism in this holistic perspective, we being to understand the complexity of the interplay among environmental, economic, social, political, and ideological elements” (Conrad and Demarest p.187).  Conrad and Demarest make a striking argument for the role of religion and its importance.  Indeed there is some credibility to religion being the most influential factor effecting these empires.  But Conrad and Demarest talk about more than religion which is why I find this book to be potentially the most useful in studying these two empires.  Conrad and Demarest give as complete a view of the factors and influences that led to the rise and decline of these empires as possible.