A. The Aztec and Inca had large, united empires, but the Maya did not. The Mayan region was divided into several independent city-states, some of which became powerful. A king ruled each city-state and served as the head of the government, military, and religion. Each king had a court of followers and was advised by a council. To avoid war, kings often acted as diplomats as they formed alliances with other
city-states. However, diplomacy often failed and, as a result, war between city-states was common. The city-state structure of the Maya prevented them from uniting into an empire.
