Chapter 7 Lesson 3: the Inca

Chapter 7 Lesson 3: The Inca

* The Inca of South America built the largest and richest empire the Americas had ever seen.

* The Inca originally was the title of the emperor.

*The Inca Empire stretched down the western side of the Andes.

* Little is known about the origins of the Inca.

* The Inca themselves had different origin stories, or legends about how they came to be.

* Much of what we do know comes from the archeological site of Machu Picchu. This mountaintop city of more than 140 granite buildings may have been the home to some 1,000 people.

* Many of the buildings were temples.

* They have also uncovered mummies. Many believe that Machu Picchu was a religious center.

*The first Inca ruler was Manco Capac, according to legend, came from Lake Titicaca. They were believed to be one of the first people living in the region.

* The eventually settled and built a city, Cuzco. It was the Inca capital for the life of the empire.

* The Inca civilization was not particularly large. For about 200 years, they fought against local groups of people for dominance. They also formed alliances with some groups.

* Many believe that the eighth Inca ruler was Inca Viracocha. In 1438, the Inca were attacked by a powerful people from the north, the Chancas. Viracocha fled Cuzco.

*Inca history might have ended if it weren't for his son, Pachacuti. He stayed to fight. They were outnumbered and according to legend, he called for the stones to rise up and turn into soldiers to help the Inca.

*He then became emperor and expanded the Inca world. He separated neighboring peoples he conquered and resettled them in other areas to avoid a strong resistence.

* Men from conquered lands became soldiers in the Inca army. As a result, Pachacuti's power grew and expanded.

* To commemorate, or honor, his victories, he became a great builder. Many great building were built in the city of Cuzco.

* In about 1463, Pachacuti turned control of the army over to his son, Topa Inca. He became a great conqueror. He nearly doubled the size of the Inca Empire.

*In just 50 years, Pachacuti and Topa Inca had turned the Inca into rulers of the greatest empire in the Americas.

*The Inca had an efficient form of government. When they conquered new peoples and territories, they allowed the old rulers to stay in power. They could rule as long as they were loyal to the Inca. This gave them little reason to result.

*These rulers and their people did pay some takes in the form of land or services. They had to work on government building projects, such as roads or serve in the army.

*The Inca closely supervised the people in the empire. The chain of command included the ministers of the Empire, the traveling inspectors, and the governors of the provinces. They were responsible for about 10,000 Inca subjects. When the emperor gave an order, it went down the chain of command.

*The Inca never developed a system of writing. However they did keep records of taxes, crop production, and other things using the quipu, a rope with various lengths and colors of cords. They were knotted together. The length, color, and knots could stand for distances, directions, numbers, and objects.

* The Inca were fine stoneworkers and builders of great cities. The enormous stones they used were cut into irregular shapes.

* The Inca did not need cement to hold the stones together.

They were cut with stone hammers. Then they were polished with wet sand. The blocks of stones fit together so tightly that not even a knife blade could fit between them.

* The Inca built more than 14,000 miles of roads to link their empire.

*They never used wheels. This meant that roads did not need to be built to a certain width to fit wheeled vehicles. Many were little more than footpaths. Others were wide and paved in stone.

* They built roads across nearly every type of landscape: deserts, rain forests, plateaus, and mountains. They dug tunnels through rock. They built rope bridges across canyons, or narrow, deep valleys with steep walls.

* The roads were built to be used by the government and military only. The bridges were considered sacred. Anyone who damaged one on purpose was put to death. They are still there today for people to walk on.

* The Inca Empire only lasted 100 years. The Incas were conquered in 1527. Civil war broke out between two rivals for the title of emperor. This weakened the Inca. Just as this war was ending, Francisco Pizarro arrived. He only had 167 men. He also had horses and firearms, which helped him defeat the Inca. The Spanish executed the emperor. The lack of leadership, led to the fall of the Inca Empire.

Chapter 7 Lesson 3: The Inca

* The ______of South America built the largest and richest empire the Americas had ever seen.

* The Inca originally was the title of the ______.

*The Inca Empire stretched down the western side of the ______.

* Little is known about the ______of the Inca.

* The Inca themselves had different origin stories, or ______about how they came to be.

* Much of what we do know comes from the archeological site of ______. This mountaintop city of more than ______granite buildings may have been the home to some ______people.

* Many of the buildings were ______.

* They have also uncovered ______. Many believe that Machu Picchu was a ______center.

*The first Inca ruler was ______, according to legend, came from Lake ______. They were believed to be one of the first people living in the region.

* They eventually settled and built a city, ______. It was the Inca ______for the life of the empire.

* The Inca civilization was not particularly large. For about ______years, they fought against local groups of people for dominance. They also formed ______with some groups.

* Many believe that the eighth Inca ruler was Inca ______. In 1438, the Inca were attacked by a powerful people from the north, the ______. Viracocha fled Cuzco.

*Inca history might have ended if it weren't for his son, ______. He stayed to fight.

They were outnumbered and according to legend, he called for the ______to rise up and turn into soldiers to help the Inca.

*He then became ______and expanded the Inca world. He separated neighboring peoples he conquered and resettled them in other areas to avoid a strong______.

* Men from conquered lands became ______in the Inca army. As a result, Pachacuti's ______grew and expanded.

* To ______, or honor, his victories, he became a great ______. Many great buildings were built in the city of Cuzco.

* In about 1463, Pachacuti turned control of the army over to his son, ______Inca. He became a great conqueror. He nearly ______the size of the Inca Empire.

*In just ______years, Pachacuti and Topa Inca had turned the Inca into rulers of the ______empire in the Americas.

*The Inca had an ______form of government. When they conquered new peoples and territories, they allowed the ______rulers to stay in power. They could rule as long as they were ______to the Inca. This gave them little reason to revolt.

*These rulers and their people did pay some taxes in the form of land or ______. They had to work on government building projects, such as ______or serve in the army.

*The Inca closely ______the people in the empire. The chain of command included the ministers of the Empire, the traveling ______, and the governors of the ______. They were responsible for about ______Inca subjects. When the emperor gave an order, it went down the chain of ______.

*The Inca never developed a system of ______. However they did keep records of taxes, crop production, and other things using the q______, a rope with various lengths and ______of cords. They were knotted together. The length, color, and knots could stand for ______, directions, ______, and objects.

* The Inca were fine ______and builders of great cities. The enormous ______they used were cut into ______shapes.

* The Inca did not need ______to hold the stones together. They were cut with ______hammers. Then they were polished with wet ______. The blocks of stones fit together so tightly that not even a ______blade could fit between them.

* The Inca built more than ______miles of roads to link their empire.

*They never used ______. This meant that roads did not need to be built to a certain ______to fit wheeled vehicles. Many were little more than footpaths. Others were wide and paved in ______.

* They built roads across nearly every type of landscape: ______, rain forests, ______, and mountains. They dug ______through rock. They built rope ______across canyons, or narrow, deep ______with steep walls.

* The roads were built to be used by the ______and military only. The bridges were considered ______. Anyone who damaged one on purpose was put to ______. They are still there today for people to walk on.

* The Inca Empire only lasted ______years. The Incas were conquered in 1527. ______war broke out between two rivals for the title of emperor. This weakened the ______. Just as this war was ending, ______arrived. He only had ______men. He also had horses and ______, which helped him defeat the Inca. The Spanish executed the ______. The lack of ______, led to the fall of the Inca Empire.