Name of the Inca tribe. The history of ancient civilization - the Inca Empire in brief
The Inca Empire is the largest of all the states that existed in ancient South America, which existed from the 11th to the 16th centuries AD. Its territory was very vast - it occupied lands from the modern Colombian city of Pasto to the Maule River in Chile. In general, it included the entire territory of the modern states of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, except for its eastern regions, overgrown with insurmountable jungle. It also included parts of modern Chile, Argentina and Colombia. Europeans first came here after the destruction of the Aztec Tenochtitlan in Central America - the Portuguese Alejo Garcia arrived here in 1525. The Inca Empire managed to hold out under the blows of the conquistadors, who were interested in new lands, until 1572, but already in 1533 the Inca Empire lost most of its territory. Today there is a hypothesis according to which the ancient Incas managed to hide in the undiscovered city of Paititi until the mid-18th century.
According to archaeological research, the Incas did not independently become one of the most developed (relatively) peoples in the Americas. The ancient Incas adopted most of their achievements from previous peoples, as well as from those peoples that they subjugated. Before the Incas established their control over a large part of South America, there were other civilizations on this continent. In particular, the Moche culture, which developed irrigation systems, the Huari, which the resulting Inca power most resembled, the Chimu culture with unique architecture, and many others.
Near the Andean mountain range and on the coast adjacent to it in the period from the first millennium BC. before the first millennium AD Relatively advanced civilizations appeared, the economic basis of which was agriculture. The history of the Inca state began in the 12th century AD. On the coast of Lake Titicaca, a people declared itself, whose ruler was the Inca, who gave the name to his people. The Incas lived in the old place briefly, not for long. The supreme ruler decided to move his people to the city of Cusco, which is where the history of the Incas and their expansion into the surrounding lands began. Already by the 15-16th century, the Inca civilization had spread to a significant part of the territory of the current states of Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Argentina, and even reached modern Colombia.
The Inca leader Manco Capacu, thanks to whom the history of the Inca state began, built the city of Cusco at an altitude of more than 3.4 thousand meters above sea level. The city lies in a deep valley between two chains mountain range. Under his rule, the territory of the state gradually increased. Subsequent leaders began to bear the title Inca as meaning king. Inca Yahuar Huacac organized something like a regular army in the empire, which, however, became the largest force in all of South America. However, the greatest conquests occurred during the reign of the Inca Pachacuti, thanks to which the history of the Incas moved into the period of empire.
However, in the 15th century, the Incas, in short, were not friendly with each other. After the reign of the eleventh Inca, Huayna Capac, two sons remained, who started a war among themselves, dividing the empire into two opposing camps. The war ended with Atahualpa's victory over Huascar, shortly before the arrival of the Spanish conquistadors. 
In carrying out their conquests, the Incas used both their army and their politics equally effectively - they persuaded the elite in those places that were being conquered to cooperate. Moreover, before the attack, the Incas several times sent proposals to the rulers of certain lands to join the empire. The Inca civilization, spreading further and further across the continent, forced all conquered peoples to study their language. Laws and customs were also imposed on the occupied territories. However, they did not prohibit local beliefs, provided that the conquered peoples would worship the supreme Inca deity - Inti. In addition, folk crafts were actively supported, each conquered people wore their own outfits. This was done so that the status and origin of any resident of the Inca Empire could be determined by clothing.
The Inca country was distinguished by a clear division of society into warriors and those who were not warriors. The Inca armies could only be led directly by representatives of the reigning elite of the empire, or by their proteges, who must necessarily belong to the Inca ethnic group. It is interesting that the Inca country was not completely monarchical - power in it belonged not only to the ruler Inca, but also to the governor capital city Cusco. According to the historian Juan de Betanzos, he was involved in economic affairs in the empire and provided the armies with everything they needed.
Section 2 - Inca Temple
This short article will talk about the most ancient temple Inca civilization
Section 3 - Inca City
Although the center of the Inca Empire was in the city of Cusco, another Inca city, Machu Picchu, has become widespread in popular culture.
It is believed that Incas came to the Cusco Valley, where they founded the capital of the empire, around 1200. The American archaeologist J. H. Rowe, who conducted excavations in the Cusco area, suggested that until the first half of the 15th century. the Inca state owned only a few mountain valleys, and began the countdown of the imperial period from 1438 - the date when the ruler of the Inca state, Pachacuti Yupanqui, defeated the warlike Chanca Indians and annexed “ western part Sveta". However, the Inca civilization probably expanded even before the defeat of the Chanca, but it was directed mainly to the south of Cuzco.
In 1470, the Inca armies approached the capital. After a long siege, the Chimu Empire fell. The winners relocated many skilled artisans to their capital, Cusco. Soon the Incas conquered other states, including them in their new empire: Chincha in the south of Peru, Cuismanca, which united the coastal valleys of the central part of the country, including the temple city of Pachacamac, small states Cajamarca and Sican in the north.
But the legacy of the Chimu Empire was not lost. The Inca Empire did not destroy the capital of Chan-Chan and kept roads, canals, and terraced fields intact, making these lands one of the most prosperous provinces. The centuries-old culture of the Indians of Peru became the basis of ancient civilization.
From amazing miracles and treasures Inca Empire Almost nothing has survived to this day. Having captured the Inca ruler Ataualita, the Spaniards demanded - and received - 7 tons of gold and about 14 tons of silver items as a ransom for his life, which were immediately melted down into ingots. After the conquistadors executed Ataualita, the Incas collected and hid the gold remaining in the temples and palaces.
The search for the missing gold continues to this day. If someday archaeologists are lucky enough to find this legendary treasury, we will undoubtedly learn about civilization " children of the sun» a lot of new things. Now the number of products of Inca craftsmen can be counted on one hand - these are gold and silver figurines of people and lamas, magnificent gold vessels and breast disks, as well as traditional crescent-shaped tumi knives. By combining their own technologies with the traditions of Chimu jewelers, Incan metallurgists achieved perfection in the processing of precious metals. Spanish chroniclers recorded the story of golden gardens adorning temples dedicated to the Sun. Two of them are reliably known - in the coastal city of Tumbes in the north of the empire and in the main sanctuary of Cusco, the Coricancha Temple. The trees, bushes and herbs in the gardens were made of pure gold. Golden shepherds grazed golden llamas on golden lawns, and golden corn ripened in the fields.
Architecture
Architecture can rightfully be considered the second highest achievement of the Incas. The level of stone processing during the Incas surpasses the best examples of the craftsmanship of the stonemasons of Chavin and Tiahuanaco. Simple, “standard” buildings were built from small stones held together with clay-lime mortar - pirka. For palaces and temples, giant monoliths were used, not fastened together with any mortar. The stones in such structures are held in place by numerous protrusions that cling to each other. An example is the famous dodecagonal stone in a wall in Cusco, so tightly fitted to neighboring blocks that even a razor blade cannot be inserted between them.
Inca architectural style stern and ascetic; the buildings are overwhelming with their power. However, many buildings were once decorated with gold and silver plates, giving them a completely different look.
The Incas used planned development in their cities. The main element of the city was the kancha - a quarter consisting of residential buildings and warehouses located around a courtyard. In every large center there was a palace, barracks for soldiers, a temple of the Sun and a “monastery” for the Aklya virgins dedicated to the Sun.
Great Inca Roads
All the cities of the empire were connected to each other by a network excellent roads. Two main highways, to which smaller roads adjoined, connected extreme points in the north and south of the country. One of the roads ran along the coast from the Gulf of Guayaquil in Ecuador to the Maule River, south of modern Santiago. mountain road, called Capac-can (Royal Way), began in the gorges north of Quito, passing through Cusco, turned to Lake Titicaca and ended in the territory of modern Argentina. Both of these arteries, together with the secondary roads adjacent to them, stretched for more than 20 thousand km. In wet areas, roads were paved or filled with a waterproof mixture of maize leaves, pebbles and clay. On the arid coast, they tried to lay roads along areas where hard rocks were exposed. Stone dams equipped with drainage pipes were erected in the swamps. Posts were installed along the roads indicating the distance to settlements. At regular intervals there were inns - tambo. The width of the canvas on the plains reached 7 m, and in mountain gorges was reduced to 1 m. Roads were laid in a straight line, even if this meant digging a tunnel or cutting down part of a mountain. The Incas built wonderful bridges, the most famous of which were suspension bridges, designed to cross mountain streams. On each side of the gorge, stone pylons were erected, thick ropes were attached to them - two served as railings, and three supported the canvas of branches. The bridges were so strong that they could withstand Spanish conquistadors fully armed and on horseback. Local residents were required to change the ropes once a year, as well as repair the bridge if necessary. The largest bridge of this type across the Apurimac River was 75 m long and hung 40 m above the water.
Roads became the basis of the empire, stretching over a vast area from Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south and from the Pacific coast in the west to the eastern slopes of the Andes. The very name of the state claims world domination. This word in the Quechua language means “four interconnected countries of the world.” Across the countries of the world there was also administrative division: in the north was the province of Chinchasuyu, in the south - Collasuyu, in the west - Kontisuyu and in the east - Antisuyu.
During the reign of the most famous emperors - Tupac Yupanqui, who took the throne in 1463, and Vaino Capac (1493-1525), the state finally acquired the features of a centralized empire.
Society
At the head of the state was the emperor - Sapa Inca, the Only Inca. A census of the empire's population was carried out and a decimal administrative system was introduced, with the help of which taxes were collected and an accurate count of subjects was carried out. During the reform, all hereditary leaders were replaced by appointed governors - kuraks.
The entire population of the country carried out labor duties: processing state fields of maize and sweet potatoes (potatoes), maintaining state herds of llamas, military service and work on the construction of cities, roads and mines. In addition, subjects were required to pay a tax in kind - in textiles and livestock.
The practice of mass resettlement in conquered territories became widespread. The Quechua language spoken by the Incas was declared official language empires. Residents of the provinces were not prohibited from using their native language. Compulsory knowledge of Quechua was required only from officials.
Writing
It is believed that the Incas did not create their own writing. To transmit information, they had a knotted letter “kipu”, perfectly adapted for the needs of management and economics. According to one legend, the Incas once had writing, even books, but they were all destroyed by the reformer ruler Pachacuti, who “rewrote history.” An exception was made only for one, kept in the main sanctuary of the Coricancha empire. Those who robbed the capital ancient civilization Incas The Spaniards discovered in Coricancha canvases covered with incomprehensible signs, inserted into golden frames. The frames, of course, were melted down and the canvases burned. Thus perished the only written history of the Inca Empire.
There are very few sources of information regarding the history of the Incas, an ancient Indian civilization. Most of the information comes from Spanish conquistadors and missionaries. Filippo Huaman Poma De Ayaalo, an Inca artist of the 16th century, left one original and priceless document - these are drawings and chronicles that give detailed description Inca society. Realizing that his world could disappear, Huaman Poma described all its splendor. This was his life's work. He intended to give it to King Philip II, in the hope that the monarch would see his colony in a different light and change his attitude towards it.
In his work, he also described the way of life of the Andean peoples before the arrival of the Incas - the Indians led a harsh and difficult lifestyle, they were practically savages. But everything changed with the appearance of a creature who was half-man, half-god - the son of Inti, the son of God. His name is Manco Capac. He called himself “Inca” and brought civilization to his world.
He taught people to build cities and cultivate the land. Under his leadership, the Inca world began to flourish. His wife Manco Capacá Ocllo taught the women how to weave.
This was the world of the Incas, where one name belonged to both the ruler and his people.
100 years after the formation of the Inca Empire, in the 15th century, this state, located on the territory of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, ceased to exist. However, more on this a little later... The article will talk about who the Incas were.
The Birth of Civilization
According to legend, the sun god Inti created the ancestors of the Inca rulers. These were 4 brothers and 4 sisters who came out of the Tampa Tokko cave. Their leader was Aiyar Manko, who carried a golden staff in his hands. He had to find a place where the staff would enter the ground, which would be a sign of fertile soil.
After long wanderings, Aiyar Manco and his brothers and sisters came to the valley of Cuzco, where the staff finally entered the ground.
Defeating the warlike local residents, the siblings founded the capital of the Inca Empire. Ayar Manco began to call himself Manco Capac, which means “ruler of the Incas.” He became the first Sappa Inka (paramount chief).
Was everything exactly like that?
Ethnologists at the National Center for Scientific Research are not entirely sure of the historical existence of the first eight Incas. Rather, they were mythical characters. Due to the fact that all currently available information about the Incas is closely related to their epic.
Each family of Inca rulers had its own traditions, similar to African ones. Each generation of rulers told history in their own way.
A significant period in the history of the Incas is associated with the ruler Pachacuti. Among other things, he was the greatest religious reformer. During his reign, the Inca people became much less dependent on the high priests of the solar religion.
Pachacuti time
In the 12th century, the Andes were inhabited by a huge number of different peoples and tribes constantly warring with each other. Pachacuti wanted to create an empire that would unite all the Andean peoples. His name, which means “world changer,” perfectly describes his aspirations.
He united the tribes around the city of Cusco and his goals became a reality.
At the beginning of the 15th century, the Inca Empire was subjected to an armed attack by the Chanca tribe. The city of Cusco is under threat. Pachacuti took command of the army and managed to repel the attack and, inspired by the victory, began military expansion.
Pachacuti captured territory in the area of Lake Titicaca and expanded the possessions of the Inca Empire of Tahuantinsuyu in the North up to the Cojamarca region.
A few words about the way of life
Briefly, the culture of the Incas reflects their life. When the Incas enslaved peoples, they presented local rulers with special gifts - women and various wonders. Thus, they made him somewhat grateful, left him in debt. In exchange for these gifts, the leaders had to pay tribute to the Incas or perform various types of work for them. From that moment on, they entered into a relationship that is historically called vassalage. This could be forced labor, called "mita", or unequal exchange, called "aine".
This system of relationships with captured tribes became one of the main aspects of the power of the Incas.
Creation of an orderly system on such a wide scale in the territory of one of the largest mountain ranges planet - was not an easy task. The Incas needed to create collective labor, trade, a management system and ensure security. All this would have been impossible without the construction of roads.
There is no doubt that the Incas already knew what a wheel was. However, mountainous landscapes were not suitable for the use of wheeled vehicles. Even today, most travel in the Andes is done on foot. But the Incas conquered mountain peaks, creating a developed network of communication routes. They built bridges in a world that literally hung between heaven and earth.
A few words about the reign of Sappa Inca
The power of the Incas, like any other power, required influence on the consciousness of people. AND majestic city Machu Picchu, according to ethnologists, is only part of the image of power. For example, the ruler could not be looked at in the face. His image has always been associated with sacred rituals. He was revered as the son of the Sun and was a real shrine for the people.
The power of the ruler was perpetuated after his death, when he joined all the gods and himself became a God. The Huamana Poma Chronicles describe the Incas' understanding of life after death. They believed that human life force does not disappear after death. In their minds, the ancestors could protect those living on earth.
Capital of the Empire
In the heart of the Andes, at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters, was the city of Cusco - the capital of the Inca Empire. In 1534 it was practically wiped off the face of the earth by Spanish invaders. The city of Cusco is the political and spiritual center of the Inca Empire.
In addition to Cusco, there were several administrative centers, there weren't many cities in the Inca Empire. Most of the territory is small villages where the Incas lived and worked on plantations. Agriculture was the centerpiece of their economy.
Rituals
To understand who the Incas were, it is worth turning to their epic.
In the chronicles of Mana Poma, one of the chapters is devoted to a rather strange ritual - capacocha. During some events, such as solar eclipses, volcanic eruptions, or epidemics, children were sacrificed to earn the favor of the spirits. It also happened that these were the children of tribal leaders.
The capacocha was an important part of the political and religious cult in Cusco.
Counting system
Although the Incas did not have a written language, they used a system of knots and cords called a quipu to record numbers and possibly other information. Thanks to the decimal system, taxation of subjects was orderly and efficient.
Taxes in the form of food were collected throughout the empire and collected in kolpos. This system provided the population with acceptable living conditions and was an important aspect in controlling the economy of the empire.
They lived on high altitudes, where every 5-6 years there might not be a harvest, so they simply needed to stock up.
In return, the empire provided security, maintained infrastructure, and provided residents with a means of subsistence. For this purpose, large warehouses with essential goods were built everywhere. Such kolpos existed in every region.
Now let's get back to the division of land
Pochacuti's son, Tupac Inca, continued to conquer new territories and became ruler in 1471. By the end of his reign, the empire extended throughout Western South America. He showed the inhabitants of neighboring tribes who the Incas were.
In 1493, the ruler was replaced by his son Huayna Capac. The wars of the new ruler on distant frontiers increased the level of discontent in the empire.
In 1502, having won a victory in civil war, Atahualpa's army faced invaders from Europe. And although the Incas outnumbered the Europeans, Francisco Pizarro, with a small contingent of conquistadors, completely defeated their huge army. With the help of guns and horses, which the Incas had never seen before, the Spaniards were victorious. Atahualpa was captured and killed a year later.
However, according to historians, this is not the only reason for the fall of the empire. At that time, it was in the process of fragmentation and war, which was the main reason for the collapse.
The great rise of the Inca Empire was almost as fleeting as its fall. And now, unfortunately, we can find out who the Incas were from the few sources that have survived to this day.
Incas(Inca) - a tribe from the Cuzco Valley, whose powerful civilization existed in the “pre-Columbian” era on the South American continent. The Incas managed to create a powerful empire that changed its appearance and conquered many peoples.
The Incas themselves called their empire Tawantinsuyu(Four cardinal directions), because from Cusco to different directions there were 4 roads.
The Indians called their ruler Inka, which means “lord”, “king”. Then “Inca” began to be called all representatives of the ruling class, and with the invasion of the conquerors - the entire Indian population of the Tawantinsuyu empire.
Creation of the Great Inca Empire
Thanks to archaeological finds, it is obvious that the Inca civilization arose in 1200-1300. At the end of the 11th century, due to the drought that had been raging in the Andes for more than 100 years, neighboring, stronger tribes lost their power in fights for water and food.
Inspired by success, the Inca rulers turned their gaze to the abundant land - a spacious plateau with. And Pachacutec-Inca-Yupanqui, one of the great rulers of the Incas, undertook a military campaign to the south in the 15th century.
The population of the lakeside states was about 400 thousand people. The mountain slopes are riddled with gold and silver veins, and fat herds of llamas and alpacas grazed in the flowering meadows. Llamas and alpacas are meat, wool and leather, that is, military rations and uniforms.
Pachacutec conquered the southern rulers one after another, expanding the boundaries of his possessions, which became one of the largest empires on the planet. The number of subjects of the empire reached about 10 million people.
Victories in the military field were only the first stage on the path to power; after the warriors, officials, builders and artisans got down to business.
Incas: Wise Rule
If an uprising broke out in some Inca province, the rulers undertook the resettlement of people: they resettled residents of remote villages to new cities located near the built roads. They were ordered to build warehouses along the roads for regular troops, which were filled by their subjects with the necessary provisions. The Inca rulers were brilliant organizers.
The Inca civilization reached an unprecedented peak. Stonemasons erected architectural masterpieces, engineers turned scattered roads into a single system connecting all parts of the empire. Irrigation canals were created, agricultural terraces were laid out on the mountain slopes, about 70 types of crops were grown there and significant reserves of provisions were stored in storage facilities. The governors were excellent at taking inventory: they were aware of the contents of each repository of the vast empire, keeping records using a kippah - an analogue of the Incas' computer code - bundles of multi-colored threads with special combinations of knots.
The Inca rulers were quite harsh, but fair: they allowed the conquered peoples to preserve their traditions. The main social unit was the family. Each group of 20 families had a leader who was subordinate to a superior, who already headed 50 families, and so on - until the Inca Ruler.
Social structure of civilization
The Inca Empire had such a social structure: everyone worked here, with the exception of the youngest and very old people. Each family had its own cultivated plot of land. People weaved, sewed clothes, shoes or sandals, made dishes and jewelry from gold and silver.
The inhabitants of the empire had no personal freedom; the rulers decided everything for them: what to eat, what clothes to wear and where to work. The Incas were remarkable farmers; they built grandiose aqueducts to irrigate fields with water from mountain rivers, growing many valuable crops.
Many buildings erected by the Incas still stand today. The Incas created many original bridges from willow twigs and vines twisted into thick ropes. The Incas were natural potters and weavers:
They wove the finest fabrics from cotton, such that the Spaniards considered them silk. The Incas also knew how to spin wool, making beautiful and warm woolen clothes.
Mummy - ruler of the Incas
In the middle of the 15th century, Huayna Capac, the new ruler of the Incas, ascended the throne. Then it seemed that the Inca dynasty was all-powerful. People could even change nature in incredible ways: during the construction of Huayna Capac's residence, workers leveled hills, drained swamps, and moved the riverbed (Spanish: Rio Urubamba) to the southern part of the valley to plant cotton, corn, chili peppers and peanuts, and In the center of the “new” territory, a palace - Quispiguanca - will be built from brick and stone.
Around 1527, Huayna Capac died of an unknown illness. Those close to him, mummifying the body, transported it to Cuzco, and members of the royal family visited the deceased, asking for advice and listening to the answers spoken by the oracle sitting next to him. Even after his death, Huayna Capac remained the owner of the Quispiguanca estate. The entire harvest from the fields was used to maintain the mummy of the ruler, his wives, descendants and servants in luxury.
The traditions of inheritance among the Incas were such that even after the death of the rulers, all the palaces remained their property. Therefore, each Inca, as soon as he ascended the throne, began the construction of a new city palace and country residence. Archaeologists have discovered up to a dozen ruins royal residences, erected for at least six rulers.
Inca - Spanish Conquest
In 1532, a detachment of 200 foreign conquerors under the leadership landed on the coast of what is now Peru. They were wearing steel armor and armed with firearms. Along the way, those dissatisfied with the dominance of the Incas joined the army. The Incas stubbornly resisted the conquerors, but the empire was weakened by internecine war and the fact that large number Inca warriors died from smallpox and measles brought by the Spaniards.
The Spaniards reached the northern city of Cajamarca, executed the ruler, placing their puppet on the throne.
Cusco, the capital of the Incas, was conquered by the Spanish in 1536. The invaders appropriated palaces, flourishing country estates, women and girls from the royal family. When the last Inca ruler was beheaded in 1572, it marked the end of the Tahuantinsuyu Empire. The Inca culture was destroyed, the state was plundered. The extensive network of roads, temples and palaces gradually fell into disrepair.
In the western half of South America, below the equator, on the vast plains between the Andes, lived an industrious people who created a large civilized empire. Its kings, called Incas, were descended from the sun. It was said that, taking pity on the miserable life of the savages of the country of Peru, the sun sent his children Manco Capaka and his sister, who was also his wife, to gather them into a comfortable society, teach them agriculture, the art of spinning and weaving, and other crafts necessary for a comfortable life.
The first parts of the country to which Manco Capac and his sister introduced education were the environs of Lake Titicaca, on the islands of which colossal temples of the sun and moon, surrounded by sacred maize fields, subsequently stood. The Inca people went to these temples on pilgrimage. To the north stood in the beautiful valley of the Andes holy city Cusco, protected by surprisingly strong walls. It was the capital of the Inca king; it housed a magnificent temple of the sun, where pious Peruvians from all over the kingdom also came to worship. Like the Aztecs, the inhabitants of Peru did not know iron, but they knew how to build huge stone buildings. These were government buildings. The king called the people to build them. The mass of the population was enslaved by the aristocracy, whose members, actually called Incas, were considered to belong to the same clan. The head of this family was the king, whose rank passed by inheritance to the eldest son or, if there were no sons, then to the closest relative, whose father and mother were people of the royal family.
The growth of the Inca Empire during the reigns of its various sovereigns
Inca kings
The Inca kings, sons of the sun, were considered sacred. They had unlimited power, appointed all rulers and judges, established taxes and laws, were high priests and commanders in chief. The nobles, the highest rank of which were the Incas, members of the royal family, observed forms of special reverence in their relations with the king. The Peruvian aristocracy had a ritual similar to knighthood: a young man of noble birth knelt before the king; the king pierced his ear with a golden needle. On special occasions, the Inca king appeared to the people in magnificent clothes, woven from delicate vicuña wool, decorated with gold and expensive stones. He traveled frequently throughout the state; he was carried in a rich palanquin; he was accompanied by a numerous brilliant retinue.
In all areas of the state, the kings had magnificent palaces. Their favorite residence was Yucay, a rural palace in a picturesque valley near Cusco. When the Inca king "went to his father's dwelling," the entire population of the empire observed established forms of mourning. Precious vessels and expensive attire were placed in the king’s tomb, and his beloved servants and concubines were sacrificed on his coffin; the number of these victims is said to have reached several thousand people. Expensive things were also placed in the coffins of nobles; At their funerals, wives and servants were also sacrificed.
Social structure of the Inca Empire
All land of the Peruvian Empire was considered the property of the Incas. It was divided among people of all classes; the size of the plots was commensurate with the needs of the class, but only the lower class cultivated the land. In those villages that belonged directly to the government, a third of all products agriculture and industry belonged to the king and his family; the other third went to the maintenance of churches and numerous clergy; the remaining third was divided annually in each rural community among householders in proportion to the number of souls in the family. Agriculture was under the patronage of the king. Products of agriculture and industry, including fine textiles made from vicuña wool, were stored in the royal stores and distributed as needed.
Taxes and duties in kind lay only on the commoners; the nobility and clergy were free from them. The commoner in the Inca Empire was obliged to work like a working animal, to properly perform the work assigned to him, without thereby improving his position, but was provided for from want. The people worked diligently under the supervision of overseers, the land was excellently cultivated, the mines delivered a lot of silver and gold; Bridges and stone roads were built along the main roads. Many of these structures were enormous; roads were carefully repaired; all areas of the state were connected by them with Cusco; mail went through them.
Inca city Machu Picchu
Inca conquests
The Inca Empire was peaceful. Its kings did not forget to take care of the good organization of the army, but they loved to conquer neighboring tribes not with weapons, but with the influence of civilization, industry, and through persuasion; in cases where they made conquests, they treated the conquered mercifully. The purpose of the conquests was to spread Peruvian worship and social order. Temples of the sun were built in the conquered areas; Numerous clergy settled at the temples; the land was divided into plots, the Peruvian work order was introduced; the crude dialects of the conquered were gradually replaced by the language of the Incas. In those areas whose population stubbornly resisted this influence, numerous Inca colonies were founded, and the former inhabitants moved en masse to other areas.
Scientists called amauta, were in charge of schools and kept chronicles of events using a special method of “knot writing” called pile. The tribes that lived near the initially small kingdom of the Incas were once hostile to it, but little by little they merged with the Peruvians into one people, having mastered the Peruvian language and submitting to the orders introduced among them by the Incas.
Sample of "knot letter" quipu
Serving the sun
The service of the sun in the Inca Empire was magnificent and almost completely pure from human sacrifice; they were produced only occasionally and in small quantities. Usually only animals, fruits, flowers, and incense were offered to the sun. Cannibalism disappeared among the Peruvians. Their main food was maize, bananas and cassava; They prepared an intoxicating drink from young maize trunks, which they loved very much. Another favorite pleasure of theirs was chewing coca leaves, which produce an effect similar to opium.
In the temples of the sun, an eternal sacred fire burned, which was maintained by the virgins of the sun, who lived like nuns. There were a lot of them. Some of them received the honor of becoming one of the wives of the Inca king. The king and nobles were allowed polygamy; but it seems that only one wife was considered legitimate.
The Inca Empire before the Spaniards
Such was the Inca Empire when the Spaniards, led by Pizarro, arrived to enslave him. They marveled at the carefully cultivated fields of the Peruvians, the beautiful products of their industry, the well-built houses, which usually had only one floor to prevent damage from earthquakes, but were spacious and comfortable; they marveled at the huge magnificent temples, the strong walls of the fortresses; They saw a hardworking, self-controlled people, meekly obeying the laws, which were considered the decrees of the deity.
The theocratic structure gave the state the character of an organism in which everything happens according to the law of necessity; every Peruvian was assigned his place in one caste or another, and he remained in it with submission to fate. Commoners lived by the rules imposed on them upper castes, but for the lack of freedom they were rewarded with security from want.
