Incan
Empire
Name ______
Inca Empire
Timeline
When the Spanish arrived on the west coast of South America in the 1500s, a large portion of the region was ruled by the powerful and sophisticated Inca Empire. The Empire had ruled much of the region since the early 1400s. The center of the Inca Empire was the city of Cusco.
Pre-Inca Empire
2500 BC- Around this time people in the region began farming. They grew potatoes, corn, cotton, and other crops. They also started forming villages.
900 BC- The Chavin civilization begins to form in the northern Andes highlands.
850 BC- The Chavin build the city and temple of Chavin de Huantar. It is located around 160 miles north of where Lima, Peru is today.
700 BC- The Paracas civilization begins to form.
200 BC- The Chavin civilization collapses.
100 AD- The Nazca civilization begins to flourish. The Nazca are known for their complex textiles and ceramics. They are also famous for the Nazca Lines drawn in the desert floor. These lines form the shapes of large animals when viewed from the air.
200 AD- The Paracas civilization collapses.
600 AD- The Huari civilization begins to form in the area.
800 AD- The Nazca and Moche civilizations come to an end.
1000 AD- Many more cultures begin to form in the area during this time including the Chimu.
1200 AD- The Chimu build their capital city Chan Chan.
Inca Empire
1200 AD- The Inca tribe, led by Manco Capac, founded the city of Cuzco in the Cuzco Valley region.
1200 AD to 1400 AD- The Inca live in and around the city-state of Cuzco. During this period of time they do not try to expand their area of control.
1438 AD- Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui becomes the leader of the Inca. He begins to conquer nearby tribes and expand the control of the Inca Empire. He reorganizes the government into the Tawantinsuyu and builds the city of Machu Picchu.
1471 AD- Tupac Inca Yupanqui, Pachacuti's son, becomes emperor. He will greatly expand the Inca Empire.
1476 AD- Emperor Tupac defeats the Chuma Empire and their lands become part of the Inca Empire.
1493 AD- Huayna Capac, Tupac's son, becomes emperor. The Inca Empire will reach its peak under the reign of Huayna Capac.
Decline and Fall of the Inca Empire
1525 AD- Emperor Huayna Capac dies from a plague. This was likely smallpox brought by the Spanish conquistadors. A large portion of the Inca population will die from smallpox and other diseases over the next several years.
1525 AD- The sons of Emperor Huayna, Atahualpa and Huascar, fight over the crown. The Inca Empire fights a civil war for the next five years.
1532 AD- Atahualpa defeats Huascar and becomes the emperor. At the same time, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro arrives in Peru. Pizarro captures Atahualpa and holds him for ransom.
1533 AD- The Spanish execute Atahualpa and install Manco Inca as Emperor.
1535 AD- Francisco Pizarro founds the city of Lima, Peru and names it the capital of the region.
1537 AD- Manco Inca flees to Vilcabamba and forms an Inca government separate from the Spanish.
1541 AD- Francisco Pizarro is killed.
1572 AD- The Spanish execute the last of the Inca emperors, Tupac Amaru, signaling the end of the Inca Empire.
Inca Empire
Daily Life
The Ayllu
One of the most important aspects of the Inca daily life was the ayllu. The ayllu was a group of families that worked a portion of land together. They shared most of their belongings with each other just like a larger family. Everyone in the Inca Empire was a member of an ayllu. Once a person was born into an ayllu, they remained part of that ayllu their entire life.
Daily Life of a Peasant
The daily life of a peasant in the Inca Empire was full of hard work. The only time peasants were allowed not to work was during religious festivals. Other than that, they were expected to be working when they were not sleeping.
Most of the peasant men worked as farmers. They didn't own their own farms, but worked land owned by the government. They also had to pay taxes to the government.
The women worked hard at the home during the day. They cooked, made clothes, and took care of the children. Most girls were married by the time they were twelve years old.
Daily Life of a Noble
The Inca nobles lived a much easier lifestyle. They still had to work, but had important jobs in the government. They could own land and didn't have to pay taxes.
What type of clothes did they wear?
The men wore long sleeveless shirts or tunics. The women wore long dresses. Both men and women would wear capes or ponchos to keep them warm during the winter. The peasants and the nobles wore similar fashions. Of course the clothing of the rich was made from finer cloth and was more decorated.
A colorful Inca tunic
Hairstyles were an important part of Inca fashion. The type of hairstyle you wore told people your social status as well as what group, or ayllu, you were from.
In what kind of houses did they live?
Most of the people lived in adobe brick homes with thatched roofs. The homes were mostly single story with one room. There was typically very little furniture in the homes, just some baskets for storing things, thin mats to sleep on, and a stove.
What did they eat?
What people ate depended a lot on where they lived. Corn, squash, and beans were the main staples of their diet, but they ate other things as well including tomatoes, peppers, fish, and ducks.
In general, the people ate well and were taken care of. If someone couldn't work or was too old to work on the fields, the government took care of them and made sure they had enough food.
Did the kids go to school?
Only the wealthy children went to school. Peasant children began to work when they were still young and only learned the craft or skill that would be their job for the rest of their lives.
Children were not watched over like they are in most societies today. They were left alone throughout the day. Parents didn't hug or coddle their children. The mother would feed and clean the child, and then leave it to itself.
Interesting Facts about the Daily Life of an Inca Commoner
- Many men carried a small bag around with them, almost like a purse. In this bag they kept coca leaves for chewing as well as good luck charms.
- Starting at the age of 14, men of the nobility wore large gold earplugs. They would put in bigger and bigger plugs over time.
- Many people had to pay their taxes through labor. They worked for the government as soldiers, builders, or farmers in order to pay their taxes.
- The government had inspectors that would keep an eye on the commoners. They even checked to see if the people were keeping their house clean and tidy.
- Most commoners were not allowed to travel within the empire. Only the rich and government officials were allowed to travel.
Inca Empire
Government
When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 1500s the Inca Empire was huge. It stretched for over 2000 miles from the north to the south and had a population of an estimated 10 million people. The Inca needed a sophisticated and organized government to maintain an empire this large.
Monarchy
The Inca government was called the Tawantinsuyu. It was a monarchy ruled by a single leader called the Sapa Inca.
Sapa Inca - The emperor or king of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa Inca, which means "sole ruler". He was the most powerful person in the land and everyone else reported to the Sapa Inca. His principal wife, the queen, was called the coya.
Inca Government Organization
Below the Sapa Inca were several officers who helped to rule the empire. High ranking officials were often relatives of the emperor and were always part of the Inca class.
- Viceroy - Below the Sapa Inca was the viceroy, or Inkap Rantin. He was a close relative of the Sapa Inca and worked as his closest advisor.
- High Priest - The high priest, called the "Willaq Umu", was also a very powerful man. He was probably second in power to the Sapa Inca due to the importance of religion in the Inca Empire.
- Governors of a Quarter - The Inca Empire was divided up into four quarters. Each of these quarters was ruled by a governor called an Apu.
- Council of the Realm - The Sapa Inca also kept a council of men who advised him on major matters. These men were powerful nobles.
- Inspectors - In order to maintain control and to make sure people were paying their taxes and following the ways of the Inca, the Sapa Inca had inspectors that watched over the people. The inspectors were called "tokoyrikoq".
- Military Generals - There were also military generals. The head general was usually a close relative of the Sapa Inca. These leaders were called "Apukuna".
- Other Officials - There were many other government officials and leaders throughout the Inca Empire such as priests, military officers, judges, and tax collectors.
Dividing up the Empire
The Empire was divided up into quarters called "suyu". The four suyu were Chinchay Suyu, Anti Suyu, Qulla Suyu, and Kunti Suyu. At the center of the four quarters was the capital city of Cuzco.
Each suyu was then further divided into provinces called "wamani". A lot of times each wamani was made up of a tribe that had been conquered by the Inca. There were also smaller divisions within each wamani.
The smallest, and maybe the most important, division of government was the ayllu. The ayllu was made up of a number of families and often acted like a large family. The ayllu was responsible for paying taxes. Also, land was assigned by the government to each ayllu based on the number of people in the group.
Inca Taxes
In order to run the government, the Inca needed food and resources which they acquired through taxes. Each ayllu was responsible for paying taxes to the government. The Inca had tax inspectors that watched over the people to make sure that they paid all their taxes.
There were two main taxes that the people had to pay. The first tax was a portion of the ayllu's crops. The crops were divided up three ways with the first third going to the government, the second third to the priests, and the final third was for the people.
The second type of tax was called the mit'a. The mit'a was a labor tax that each man between the ages of 16 and 60 had to pay by working for the government for a portion of the year. They worked various jobs such as laborers on government buildings and roads, mining for gold, or even as warriors in the army.
Laws and Punishment
The laws were made by the Sapa Inca and passed down to the people through the tax collectors. Murder, stealing, cheating on taxes, and cursing the gods was all against the law.
However, there wasn't a lot of crime in the Inca Empire, mostly because the punishments were very harsh. For example, people were often executed for cursing the gods. If they were caught stealing, they would have their hands cut off.
Interesting Facts about the Government of the Inca Empire
- Every ayllu had its own tax collector.
- Although the Inca had a road system between the cities, commoners were not allowed to travel on the roads. The roads were guarded by the army and trespassers were usually killed.
- The name for the inspectors "tokoyrikoq" is translated as "he who sees all".
- Most conquered tribes were allowed to remain in their homelands. However, if they were considered rebellious, they would be moved to other areas of the empire.
- The Inca roads were an important part of the Inca government as they were used for communication.
Inca Empire
Mythology and Religion
The religion of the Inca was closely tied into the everyday life of the Inca as well as with their government. They believed that their ruler, the Inca Sapa, was part god himself.
The Inca believed that their gods occupied three different realms: 1) the sky or Hanan Pacha, 2) the inner earth or Uku Pacha, and 3) the outer earth or Cay pacha.
Inca Gods and Goddesses
- Inti - Inti was the most important of the gods to the Inca. He was the god of the sun. The emperor, or Inca Sapa, was said to be a descendent of Inti. Inti was married to the Goddess of the Moon, Mama Quilla.
- Mama Quilla - Mama Quilla was the goddess of the Moon. She was also the goddess of marriage and the defender of women. Mama Quilla was married to Inti the god of the Sun. The Inca believed thatlunar eclipsesoccurred when Mama Quilla was being attacked by an animal.
- Pachamama - Pachamama was the goddess of Earth or "Mother Earth". She was responsible for farming and the harvest.
- Viracocha - Viracocha was the first god who created the Earth, the sky, the other gods, and humans.
- Supay - Supay was the god of death and ruler of the Inca underworld called the Uca Pacha.
Inca god Viracocha
Inca Temples
The Inca built many beautiful temples to their gods. The most important temple was the Coricancha built in the heart of the city of Cuzco to the sun god, Inti. The walls and floors were covered with sheets of gold. There were also gold statues and a huge gold disc that represented Inti. Corichancha means "Golden Temple".
The Inca Afterlife
The Inca believed strongly in an afterlife. They took great care in embalming and mummifying the bodies of the dead before burial. They brought gifts to the dead that they thought the dead could use in the afterlife.
The Inca felt so strongly in the afterlife that when an emperor died, their body was mummified and left in their palace. They even kept some servants to watch over the dead emperor. For certain festivals, such as the Festival of the Dead, the dead emperors were paraded through the streets.
Symbol for Inti the Sun god
Inca Heavens
The Inca believed that the heavens were divided into four quarters. If a person lived a good life they lived in the part of heaven with the sun where there was plenty of food and drink. If they lived a bad life they had to live in the underworld where it was cold and they only had rocks to eat.
What were Huacas?
Huacas were sacred places or objects to the Inca. A huaca could be manmade or natural such as a rock, a statue, a cave, waterfall, mountain, or even a dead body. The Inca prayed and offered sacrifices to their huacas believing that they were inhabited by spirits that could help them. The most sacred huacas in the Inca Empire were the mummies of the dead emperors.
Interesting Facts about the Mythology and Religion of the Inca Empire
- They allowed the tribes they conquered to worship their own gods as long as the tribes agreed to worship the Inca gods as supreme.
- The Inca held religious festivals every month. Sometimes human sacrifice would be included as part of the ceremony.
- The Inca worshiped mountains and considered them sacred. This was because they believed the mountains were the source of water.
- The Spanish tore down the temple of Coricancha and built the Church of Santo Domingo at the same location.
- Priests were very important and powerful in Inca society. The High Priest lived in Cuzco and was often the brother of the emperor.
Inca Empire
Science and Technology
The Inca Empire was a complex society with an estimated population of 10 million people. They had large stone cities, beautiful temples, an advanced government, a detailed tax system, and an intricate road system.
The Inca, however, didn't have a lot of basic technologies we often consider important to advanced societies. They didn't use the wheel for transport, they didn't have a writing system for records, and they didn't even have iron for making tools. How did they create such an advanced Empire?
Below are some of the important scientific innovations and technologies used by the Inca Empire.
Roads and Communication
The Incas built a large system of roads that went throughout their empire. The roads were usually paved with stone. Stone steps were often built into steep areas in the mountains. They also built bridges where the roads needed to cross rivers.