The Inca Empire Free

The Inca also spelled as Inka Empire was a South American empire that existed between the 15th and The Inca Empire centuries. The Inca Empire its height of power, the Inca Empire stretched from northern Ecuador all The Inca Empire way south to central Chile and ruled over a population of 12 million, from over different ethnic groups. These include an advanced road systemhighly-developed agricultural techniques, and a centralized language and religion. These developments not only ensured the cohesion of the Inca Empire, but also contributed to its wealth and prosperity. In spite of its might, the Inca Empire fell to a handful of Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco The Inca Empire. This meaning is retained in the English The Inca Empire even today. The Inca have two oral traditions regarding the foundation of their civilization. According to one of these, the supreme god of the Inca pantheon, Viracocha, sent his four sons and four daughters to establish a village. A settlement was founded there and Manco Capac became its first ruler. In the other story, Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo were commanded by Intithe sun god, to emerge from the depths of Lake Titicaca to establish the city of Cusco. Manco Capac, first ruler of the Inca Empire. Modern scholars, on the other hand, believe the Inca first emerged as a small tribe in the Cusco valley around the 12th century. The Inca established a small city-state there but remained relatively unimportant. They began to expand their territory during The Inca Empire 14th century, when they were under the rule of Mayta Capac, the 4th emperor. Nevertheless, the influence of the Inca did not extend beyond the valley of Cusco, and it was only during the reign of the next emperor, Capac Yupanqui, that this was achieved. Still, the territory controlled by the Inca at that time The Inca Empire hardly be considered to be an empire, and it was only during the 15th century that Inca expansionism gained momentum. Under the 8th emperor, Viracocha, the Ayarmaca became the first ethnic group to be subjugated by the Inca. Viracocha also gained control of the Urubamba Valley through military conquest. Moreover, Viracocha initiated a program of permanent conquests by placing garrisons among the settlements of the conquered peoples. It was his successor, Pachacuti, however, who turned the Inca city-state into an empire. The year is an important date in the study of the Inca Empire, as this is the earliest date that can be assigned with certainty to the history of the Inca royal dynasty. It was in that Pachacuti became the ruler of the Inca. According to one version of the story, Pachacuti usurped the throne from his brother, Urco. Another version states that Urco had been appointed as crown prince. The Inca Empire an invasion of Cusco by the Chankas, the emperor and crown prince fled for their lives. Statue of Pachacuti in Cusco, Peru. Pachacuti transformed the Inca Empire. Pachacuti, on the other hand, The Inca Empire behind to organize the defense of the city. The Chankas were so badly beaten during the ensuing battle that Pachacuti won the recognition of the people and replaced Urco as crown prince. As emperor, Pachachuti expanded the territory controlled by the Inca southward to the Titicaca Basin and northward all the way to Quito the capital of modern-day Ecuador. During these conquests, many powerful tribes, The Inca Empire the Chanka and Quechua were subjugated. In order to ensure the political stability of his empire, Pachacuti pursued a policy of forced resettlement of the conquered peoples. By distributing the various ethnic groups throughout the empire, Pachacuti made it more difficult for the subjugated tribes to organize revolts. Apart from that, Pachacuti treated the defeated peoples with respect. The tribal leaders were often allowed to retain their positions and the cultures of the conquered tribes were assimilated, rather than destroyed. This tax could be paid through military service, working on public construction projects, or farming. Pachacuti died in and was succeeded by his son, Tupac. Like his father, Tupac was a capable leader and continued the expansionist policy of his predecessor. Huayna Capac expanded the empire further, though not as much as his predecessors. By the s, the Spanish were already in the Americas and would deal the first blow, albeit indirectly, to the Inca Empire. When the Spanish arrived in the New The Inca EmpireThe Inca Empire brought with them diseases that the indigenous population had never encountered before, including smallpox, measles, and typhus. These foreign diseases spread rapidly among the natives and turned into an epidemic. These diseases reached the Inca as well, probably brought to them by a tribe further east that had come into The Inca Empire with the Spanish. The epidemic killed off many Inca, including Huayna Capac and his designated successor, both of whom died around Another war of succession was triggered, this time lasting several years. The latter became the new The Inca Empire, but The Inca Empire joy was short-lived. In November that year, as Atahualpa was celebrating his victory over Huascar in Cajamarca, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his men arrived. Atahualpa agreed to meet the Spanish but was ambushed in the Cajamarca town square and taken captive. With the emperor held hostage no one dared attack the Spanish. Moreover, the long civil war had already weakened the Inca army and the Inca were not unified, one faction supporting Atahualpa, while another was loyal to Huascar. Engraving of the Battle of Cajamarca, showing Emperor Atahualpa surrounded on his palanquin. They failed to realize, however, that the Spanish were not merely the enemies of Atahualpa, but of the whole Inca The Inca Empire. Huascar was killed because Atahualpa was afraid that a meeting between his rival and the Spanish could result in a deal that would The Inca Empire his downfall. Atahualpa himself was later executed by the Spanish on the 26th of July The Inca Empire, on charges of treachery. Atahualpa, of the Inca Empire, was executed by the Spanish. The Inca Empire death of Atahualpa and the fall of Cusco, however, was not the end of the Inca Empire. It goes without saying that the Spanish intended to use these emperors as puppets. As a consequence, the Spanish had little respect for Manco Capac and the emperor was terribly abused, especially by the brothers of Franciso Pizarro, Juan and Gonzalo. Eventually, the emperor had enough of this, escaped from captivity inand launched a rebellion. Manco Capac retreated to Vilcabambawhere he and his successors continued to resist the Spanish until This was the most advanced and extensive road system in pre-Hispanic South America and covered a distance of 18, miles 30, kilometers. This road system crossed various geographical terrains, from the peaks of the Andes at an altitude of over 19, feet or 6, meters to the coast, and from rainforests to deserts, and would have been a challenge to the Inca engineers and builders. The road system took centuries to build and is today located in ArgentinaBolivia, ChileColombia, Ecuadorand Peru. The Inca Empire other remains left behind by the Inca testify to the grandeur of their civilization, some more familiar than others. On the other hand, one of the lesser- known achievements of the Inca Empire is the level of skill attained by their doctors in cranial surgery, which, according to a report, was better than their counterparts who lived during the American Civil War. Another lesser-known achievement of the Inca Empire is the development of a writing system. For a long time, scholars believed that the Inca Empire functioned without a writing system. This was regarded as a The Inca Empire, as writing is thought to be one of the fundamental aspects of civilization. Although the Inca are not known to have left behind written records, they did leave behind colorful knotted cords known as khipu. For The Inca Empire long time, scholars knew that these The Inca Empire were used to record numbers. They were also aware that the khipu may The Inca Empire been used to record myths, songs, and stories, though they have not been able to crack the code. In recent times, breakthroughs have been made in the decoding of this recording system, and it is hoped that the tales contained within the khipu will be soon deciphered. Despite its tragic end at the hands of the Spanish conquistadors, the legacy of the Inca survives till this day. Scholarly research on the Inca and their empire has provided us with much insight into this sophisticated civilization and will continue to do so in the future. Bloch, H. Cossins, D. We thought the Inca couldn't write. These knots change everything. Hirst, K. Jarus, O. The Inca Empire. Minster, C. New The Inca Empire Encyclopedia. Inca Civilization. O'Brien, J. Inca Road: The ancient highway that created an empire. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Historic Sanctuary of Machu Picchu. Wade, L. I am a university student doing a BA degree in Archaeology. I believe that intellectual engagement by advocates from both ends of the spectrum would serve to Read More. The author stated that the Incas were conquered by but The Inca Empire handful of Spaniards under Pizarro. That the Spaniards were few The Inca Empire correct, but what was left out, as is commonly done, is that many thousands of tribesmen that The Inca Empire Incas had conquered and oppressed joined with the Spaniards in warfare against the Incas, seeking to regain their independence. Pizarro would not have succeeded without them, neither would have Hernan Cortez in his conquest of Mexico, in which the same thing happened with tribes conquered by the Aztecs and oppressed by them - not to mention that members of those tribes were captured and sacrificed to Mayan gods. Ancient Origins has been quoted by:. By bringing together top experts and authors, this archaeology website explores lost civilizations, examines sacred writings, tours ancient places, investigates ancient discoveries and questions mysterious happenings. Our open community is dedicated to digging into the origins of our species on planet earth, and question wherever the discoveries might take us. We seek to retell the story of our beginnings. The lofty ambitions of the Inca

The Inca civilization was the largest The Inca Empire civilization in the Americas and Cusco was its capital. The best kept example of its architecture is Machu Picchu. Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. It occupies an important place in Inca mythology. Animals in Peru have specialized and adapted to the conditions of its geography. At higher altitude levels, few animals and plants can survive because of the lack of oxygen. The Inca Empire flourished in the The Inca Empire American continent from until the Spanish arrived in the continent in Starting around the The Inca Empire the Incas started expanding absorbing neighboring territories and incorporating their culture and practices into their own societies and becoming an empire. The expansion started when Sapa Inca Pachacutec came to the throne. With the help of this son Topa Inca and his grandson Huayna Capac they expanded the empire controlling a vast territory known as the Tawantinsuyu or Four United Kingdoms. The Inca Empire was the largest empire built in the Americas reaching unparalleled cultural achievement. Read more about achievements of the Incas. Map of the Tawantinsuyu, Land of the four Quarters. Click on map to enlarge. Contisuyu was the smallest region and covered the southern coast to the modern day department of Arequipa. The The Inca Empire did not leave a written record of their history The Inca Empire they never developed a written language. Its history has been passed on orally from generation to generation in the form of myths and legends. The history of the Incas is endlessly fascinating and what we know from them and the civilization they developed is from discoveries made by archaeologists. The title of emperor or Sapa Inca was hereditary. There were a total of thirteen Incas from to The first was Manco Capac and the last Atahualpa. Before the Incas ruled Cusco there were many small tribes living peacefully in the same territory. After a long period The Inca Empire peace the Chanchas, a group coming from Ayacucho, tried to invade Cusco. Inca Wiracocha and his oldest son Urco afraid for their lives fled leaving his younger son Cusi Yupanqui in charge. Cusi Yupanqui and his soldiers with the help of soldiers from other tribes defended the city and prevented the Chancas from invading it. Many local tribes joined him as he organized and expanded the empire to the east reaching the Bolivian Altiplano and to the north reaching Ecuador. Read Where do the Incas come from?. The history of the origin of the Incas is mostly mythical, it is a representation of reality that helps understand the origin of their world and the forces of nature, it explains the unexplainable. Because the Incas did not have a written language myths have been passed on orally through generations. There are two main myths of the origin of the The Inca Empire The myth of the Lake Titicaca and the myth of the Ayar brothers. Manco Capac indicating his followers where to found the capital of his empire. This couple had a divine goal; to head north and to settle where the golden rod sunk. After trying in many places, they arrived at Mount Guanacaure, near the city of CuscoPeru. In this place the rod sunk and it was there where the couple settled. Manco Capac taught the men to work the land, to build canals and organizational skills; Mama Ocllo taught the women how to weave, cook and take care of their children. They brought peace, culture, arts and the God Sun or Inti that emanated heat The Inca Empire power to the people. The legend of the Ayar Brothers tells that God Wiracocha created them and made them emerge from a cave in Pacaritambo in Cusco. They The Inca Empire with them rods made of solid gold The Inca Empire wore fine clothes embroidered with gold. They led a large group of people who carried seeds with them. During their long journey to find the appropriate place to settle they arrived at the top of Mount Guanacaure where Ayar Cache with one sling shot torn down hills, he had magical powers that The Inca Empire his The Inca Empire. Afraid of Ayar Cache his brothers deceived him into returning to the cave in Pacaritambo, once inside they blocked the entrance with large blocks of stone The Inca Empire him inside forever. The rest of the brothers returned The Inca Empire Guanacaure where The Inca Empire lived for one year. One day Ayar Oche flew to the sky to talk to his father the Sun who in turn commanded him to tell Ayar Manco to change his name for Manco Capac. After carrying on his task he turned into stone. Manco Capac, Ayar Auca and the four sisters reached their destination, the valley of Cusco, where they settled and build their house where the Coricancha Temple was later built. The commoners were the working class or ayllu who contributed to the economy through their labor. The Inca society had a vertical, stratified The Inca Empire hierarchical organization resembling a three level pyramid. At the top was the Sapa Inca as the most important and powerful person in the empire. Below him was the royalty comprised of his closest relatives, sons and The Inca Empire. Following the royalty was the nobility and included his other relatives and those who had attained distinction through service to the royal family such as priests and chiefs. At the third level were professionals such as craftsmen, architects and engineers; they commanded much respect from the highest levels as they provided the skills to expand the empire. At the bottom of the hierarchical level and the most populous was the ayllu. In exchange they received food, healthcare and free education. Every member of the ayllu was entitled to a piece of land which was distributed according to family size. This land was used to grow their own subsistence food and surplus could be exchanged among neighbors. The redistribution of foodpublic services and the sense of security in this agricultural society made the population loyal to the highest ranks of society. Ama Llulla. Do not lie. Inca law was draconian in essence, small offenses carried heavy punishments. There were no prisons, instead offenders were punished so that the penalty was a consequence of their actions and was meant to be exemplary to the rest of the population. Read more about Inca law. Incas worshiped many Gods but the most important were Wiracocha and Inti. Inca The Inca Empire shared a common polytheistic religion in which the Sun or Inti and the Sapa Inca were their main gods. The result was a large number of deities and a melting pot of beliefs. It was common The Inca Empire the Inca people to worship natural resources such as a stream of water, animals, crops or a mountain. Read more about Inca gods and religion. The Ayllu was the working class. They contributed to society by paying a tax or mita in form of labor in exchange of food, education, clothes and health. The success of the Inca economy was due to its collective labor and high degree of central planing that allowed the collection of tribute in the form of labor and the redistribution of resources. Unlike other advanced civilizations trade was not part of the Inca economy, so much so that they never developed a monetary system. Collective labor was the main economic activity. There were three types of collective labor — ayni, minka and mita. The first two benefited their own communities. The third one, mitawas a tax paid to the Inca which benefited the entire empire. Every member of the community or ayllu was required to fulfill mita The Inca Empire which included serving as soldiers, messengers, farmers, builders. The tasks were temporary and rotational. As a social state, the empire emphasized the importance of redistribution specially of agricultural products, developing sophisticated terrace agricultural techniques in such a rugged terrain. They focused on the optimization of land and irrigation networks resulting in high productivity rates. Every year after harvest crop that was not consumed was stored in collcas, storage houses located along the roads, which The Inca Empire be use through out the year or in case of drought or bad weather. This system of redistribution allowed the Inca government to feed its population and build social wealth and therefore a loyal society. The Incas were expert engineers and built a network of roads and bridges that allowed them to reach every The Inca Empire of the empire. When the Spaniards arrived the empire was in civil war. The spread of disease accelerated its fall at the hands of the conquerors. The arrival of the Spaniards brought new diseases to The Inca Empire Americas. The next in line was Huascar as it was customary for the oldest son of the Sapa Inca and the Coya to inherit the throne. Atahualpa was proclaimed Sapa Inca by his followers in the northern administrative city of Quito starting a long and debilitating civil war. Within the next fifty years other diseases such as typhus, diphtheria and measles weakened the population even further destroying the remains of the Inca civilization. Read more about the fall of the Inca empire. The Amazon Rainforest is home to more than 1, species of frogs. The Poison-dart frog is by far the The Inca Empire poisonous frog on earth. The Amazon Rainforest is also home to more than 10, species of mammals, 1, species of The Inca Empire and the Amazon River and its tributaries The Inca Empire more than 3, species of fish. The Nazca The Inca Empire are an exceptional collection of geoglyphs in the southern desert of Peru. There are about figures among them. A comprehensive database of facts about animals The Inca Empire enhance the academic experience of those interested in wildlife. More than three quarters of the Peruvian territory lies east of the Andes. The jungle or Selva has two parts, the high and the low Selva. Culture Fascinating culture and Inca heritage of this beautiful country. Lake Titicaca Lake Titicaca is the highest navigable lake in the world. Animals of Peru Animals in Peru have specialized and adapted to the conditions of its geography. TV Guide - Discovery UK

The Incas were most notable for establishing the Inca Empire in pre-Columbian Americawhich was centered in what is now Peru from to ,box and represented the height of the Inca civilization. The Inca state was known as the Kingdom of Cuzco before Over the course The Inca Empire the Inca Empire, the Inca used conquest and peaceful assimilation to incorporate the territory of modern-day Peru, followed by a large portion of western South Americainto their empire, centered The Inca Empire the Andean mountain range. However, shortly after the Inca Civil Warthe last Sapa Inca emperor of The Inca Empire Inca Empire was captured and killed on the orders of the The Inca Empire Francisco Pizarromarking the beginning of Spanish rule. The remnants of the empire retreated to the remote jungles of Vilcabamba and established the small Neo-Inca Statewhich was conquered by The Inca Empire Spanish in Before the Quechua spelling reform it was written in Spanish as Tahuantinsuyo. Tawantin is a group of four things tawa "four" with the suffix -ntin which names a group ; suyu means "region" or "province". The empire was divided into four suyu s, whose corners met at the capital, Cuzco Qosqo. The knowledge of these myths is due to oral tradition since the Incas did not have writing. The archeological The Inca Empire seems to indicate that The Inca Empire Inca were a relatively unimportant tribe until the time of Sinchi Roca, also called Cinchi Roca, who is the first figure in Inca mythology whose existence can be supported historically. The Inca people began as a tribe in the Cusco area around the 12th century. Inunder the command of Sapa Inca paramount leader Pachacutiwhose name meant "world-shaker", they began a far-reaching expansion. The land Pachacuti conquered was about half the Andes mountain range. Pachacuti reorganized the kingdom of Cusco into an empire, the Tahuantinsuyu, a federalist system which consisted of a central government with the Inca at its head and four provincial governments with strong leaders: Chinchasuyu NWAntisuyu NEKuntisuyu SWand Qullasuyu SE. Pachacuti is also thought to have built Machu Picchueither as a family home or retreat. Pachacuti would send spies to regions he wanted in his empire who would report back on their political organization, military might and wealth. He would then send messages to the leaders of these lands extolling the benefits of joining his empire, offering them presents of luxury goods such as high-quality textiles, and promising that they would be materially richer as subject rulers of the Inca. Most accepted the rule of the Inca as a fait accompli and acquiesced The Inca Empire. The ruler's children would then be brought to Cuzco to be taught about Inca administration systems, then return to rule their native lands. This allowed the Inca to indoctrinate the former ruler's children into the Inca nobility, and, with luck, marry their daughters into families at various corners of the empire. His most important conquest was The Inca Empire Kingdom of Chimorthe Inca's only serious rival for the coast of Peru. At its height, Tahuantinsuyu included Perusouthwest Ecuador The Inca Empire, western and south central Bolivia The Inca Empire, northwest Argentinanorthern Chile and a small part of The Inca Empire Colombia. Tahuantinsuyu was a patchwork of languages, cultures, and peoples. The components of the empire were not all uniformly loyal, nor were the local cultures all fully integrated. The portions of the Chachapoya that had been conquered were almost openly hostile to the Inca, and the Inca The Inca Empire rejected an offer of refuge in their kingdom after their troubles with the Spanish. Economic productivity was based on collective labor which was organized in order The Inca Empire benefit the whole community. The ayni was used to help individual members of the community in need, such as a sick member of the The Inca Empire. The Minka or teamwork represented community service and the Mita was the tax paid to the Inca in the form of labor. The Inca did not use currency, economic exchanges were by reciprocity and took place in markets called catus. Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro explored south from Panama, reaching Inca territory by It was clear that they had reached a wealthy land with prospects of great treasure, and after one more The Inca EmpirePizarro traveled to Spain and received royal approval to conquer the region and be its viceroy. Significantly, smallpoxwhich had spread from Central America—had considerably weakened the empire. Pizarro did not have a formidable force; with just men, 1 cannon, only 27 horses and bananas, he often needed to talk his way out of potential confrontations that could have easily wiped out his party. Hernando de Soto was sent inland to explore the interior, and returned with an invitation to meet the Inca, Atahualpa, who had defeated his brother in the civil war and was resting at Cajamarca with his army of 80, troops. Pizarro met with the Inca, who had brought only a small retinue, and through interpreters demanded that he convert to Christianity. A widely disputed legend claims that Atahualpa was handed a Bible and threw it on the floor, the Spanish supposedly interpreted this action as adequate reason for war. Though some chroniclers suggest that Atahualpa simply didn't understand the notion of a book, others portray Atahualpa as being genuinely curious and inquisitive in the situation. Thereby, the victory of the comparatively small Spanish force can be attributed to the presence of Spanish horses, which were unknown to the Inca before the arrival of Pizarro, as well as to The Inca Empire usage of guns and cannons by the Spanish men. Furthermore, the local educational investments, which had an impact on economic growth and development, did not equal those of the Spaniards, with the numeracy level of Peruvian Inca Indios amounting to half the numeracy level of Spanish invaders. Pizarro used the capture of Atahualpa to gain gold as a ransom. Atahualpa offered the Spaniards enough gold to fill the room he was imprisoned in, and twice that amount of silver. The Incas fulfilled this ransom. Over four months, almost 8 tons of gold was collected. Pizarro was supposed to let the ruler of the Incas free once the ransom was paid, but he refused to release the Inca after that and instead had him strangled in public. The Spanish maintained that this was at Atahualpa's orders; this was one of the charges used against Atahualpa when the Spanish finally decided to put him to death, in August The Spanish installed his brother Manco Inca Yupanqui in power; for some time Manco cooperated with the Spanish, while the Spanish fought to put down resistance in The Inca Empire north. Meanwhile, an associate of Pizarro's, Diego de Almagroattempted to claim Cusco for himself. Manco tried to use this intra-Spanish feud to his advantage, recapturing Cuscobut the Spanish retook the city. Manco Inca then retreated to the mountains of Vilcabamba and founded the Neo- Inca Statewhere he and his successors ruled for another 36 years, sometimes raiding the Spanish The Inca Empire inciting revolts against them. After the fall of Tahuantinsuyu, the new Spanish rulers repressed the people and their traditions. Many aspects of Inca culture were systematically destroyed, including their sophisticated farming system. The Spanish used the Inca mita mandatory public service system to get labourers for mines and plantations. When one family member died, which would usually happen within a year or two, the family would be required to send a replacement. The major languages of the empire, Quechua and Aymarawere employed by the Catholic Church to evangelize in the Andean region. In some cases, these languages were taught to peoples who had originally spoken other indigenous languages. Today, Quechua and Aymara remain the most widespread Amerindian languages. The legend of the Inca has served as inspiration for resistance movements in the region. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. This article needs additional citations for The Inca Empire. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be The Inca Empire and removed. See also: Inca mythology. Main article: Spanish conquest of Peru. The Incas. Explorations in Economic History. Civilizations portal. Categories : Inca History by ethnic group. Hidden categories: Articles with short description Short description is different from Wikidata Articles needing additional references from December All articles needing additional references All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from February Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read Edit View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Wikimedia Commons. Neo-Inca State. Encomienda Indian auxiliaries Spanish missions in the Americas.