600 C.E to 1450 warfare, militarization, and the glorification of the warrior class during this era Warfare became endemic; hence this period is called a “Times of Trouble.” In both Mesoamerica and among the Mayan city-states, the principal goal of warfare was the creation of subordinate tributary states among the defeated to obtain tribute, although the Maya sometimes occupied the lands of the defeated citystates Thus the defeated states were often left intact to collect the required tribute Another goal of warfare was to take captives for prestige and to provide labor for the victor Artwork depicted warfare and glorified the warrior As a result, warfare was often endemic in the regions and contributed to the depletion of resources and, combined with ecological degradation and burgeoning population, led to the decline and fall of Classic Maya in the ninth century Scholarly debate prevails concerning the nature of warfare in the Andes region While one school of thought contends that warfare was more ritualized and ceremonial than destructive, another argues that the wars waged in this region was extremely destructive, with the winner achieving domination and rule over the vanquished Throughout the world, most successful states relied on formidable military forces to conquer and defend their empires They also devoted considerable resources and effort to developing successful strategies, tactics, and advanced weaponry to maintain their rule and defeat their competitors and enemies xli