In Conrad’s and Demarest’s Religion and Empire, one of the main concepts of the book is the importance of religion to both civilizations. In this aspect both civilizations were very similar to each other. Among the many similarities the Inca and Aztec civilizations shared between them were their land expansion agenda, military tactics but most importantly their religion. In terms of religion the sun was a very important part of both of their religions. For the Inca, the sun was their most important god in their religion. For the Aztecs, the sun was one of two of their most important gods. The sun was very important in both empires, was because the sun was seen as the provider, the giver of life as all living things need it for survival. The sun is needed for agriculture because it makes plants grow, which in turn lets animals live by feeding off of plants, and the humans live by using the plants for medicine, and other things. The major difference in the two civilizations was the purpose of the sacrifice.
Although both civilizations have were known to commit human sacrifices, the purpose of the sacrifice was different for both civilizations. For the Incas, excluding those sacrifices committed during war, human sacrifice was linked closely with religion in terms of the survival of the community and the maintenance of established political power. The Inca religion was based primarily on the worship of nature gods such as the sun, the moon, the rain, and the mountains--which dominated the landscape. Inca sacrifices were made for their ancestors who remained with them mummified after they passed on to the afterlife. In contradiction the Aztecs would sacrifice captives and offered them to the sun (Huitzilopochtli) as the Aztec high priests believed that “Huitzilopochtli has to be maintained by the red and precious liquid” (p.46). Thus the Aztecs believed that if no sacrifices were made to the sun on a daily basis, he would fail to rise in the morning as he would have been powerless to fight the dark forces (night). As we have read in Religion and Empire the concept of human sacrifice and more importantly, religion was very important to the dogma of both civilizations and how they operated.
Yes I completely agree both societies had a lot in common. Obviously they lived in different continents but had they lived in close approximations they probably would have been each others biggest rivals. Religion most importantly plays a huge role in their lives. I think the clear difference was with the Aztecs and their fixation with human sacrifices. It was definitely much more intense then the Incas. It seems the Incas did sacrifices as you said as worship to their sun God and maybe we can even say it was traditional but the Aztec acted as if their lives depended on it.
ReplyDeleteI agree with this post too. The Aztecs do seem to do more of a sacrifice because they believe that if sacrifices are not done then there will be no more tomorrow. They depend on these sacrifices in order to keep living which takes them to be more brutal more savage towards killings they do. Yes, I would agree with the comment above that religion does plays an important role. Gods are the things that gives them faith and live in order to keep surviving and like any human kind, I believe that it is in instinct of believing in something bigger than us. It is the thing that keeps us balance and gives us a purpose of living. I say this because if both groups did not believe or did not have an ideology then there would be no purpose to live. So both groups share the ideology of religion in order to keep living and in order to have a purpose in life. This shows that religion or ideology are a common within in groups even today. Various religious groups sacrifice their lives for what they believe in.
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