<P> Maya kings were the centers of power for the Maya civilization . Each Maya city - state was controlled by a dynasty of kings . </P> <P> Maya kings and queens felt obliged to legitimize their claim to power . One of the ways to do this was to build a temple or pyramid . Tikal Temple I is a good example . This temple was built during the reign of Yik'in Chan K'awiil . Another king named K'inich Janaab' Pakal would later carry out this same show of power when building the Temple of Inscriptions at Palenque . The Temple of Inscriptions still towers today amid the ruins of Palenque, as the supreme symbol of influence and power in Palenque . </P> <P> Maya kings cultivated godlike personas . When a ruler died and left no heir to the throne, the result was usually war and bloodshed . King Pacal's precursor, Pacal I, died upon the battlefield . However, instead of the kingdom erupting into chaos, the city of Palenque, a Maya capital city in southern Mexico, invited in a young prince from a different city - state . The prince was only eleven years old . </P> <P> Pacal and his predecessors not only built elaborate temples and pyramids . They expanded their city - state into a thriving empire . Under Yik'in Chan K'awiil, Tikal conquered Calakmul and the other cities around Tikal, forming what could be referred to as a super city - state . Pacal achieved in creating a major center for power and development . </P>

Who did the rulers of the mayan city-states said they were descended from