INCA

The word INCA indicates all that refers to the history and civilization people of America précolombienne of the South on which a dynasty of thirteen emperors reigned, of his semi-legendary founder, the INCA Manco Capac, with Atahualpa, overcome in 1532 by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. With a capital letter, the INCA was the supreme leader of this civilization. It is one of the three great empires of the America précolombienne.

Constituted in a little less than one century, the empire INCA ( Tawantinsuyu , “four districts” in Quechua), extended its capacity on a vast area of Andean America. To its apogee it extended from current the Colombia until the Argentine and with the Chile, across the Ecuador, the Peru, the Bolivia - i.e. the Western part of South America, skirting the Pacific Ocean and the Andes cordillera. That represented a long territory of 4  000  km and covering a surface of more than 3 million km ². The capital was Cuzco, city of current the Peru.

One of the great singularities of this empire was to have integrated, in an original official organization, the sociocultural multiplicity of the heterogeneous populations which composed it. Thus the INCA empire gathered many different people and until more than 700 different languages were spoken on its territory; Incas imposed the quechua like official language however.

History of the INCA empire

Origins of Incas

Various testimonys were collected as for the origin of Incas. According to the Legend of Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo, Incas go down from Manco Capac. This one would have left the Lac Titicaca with its sister-wife Mama Ocllo, sent by Viracocha , the creative god, to bring civilization to the men after the great flood which had very devastated.

They travelled until gold the magic stick of Manco completely penetrates the earth to indicate the place to them where to be established: the ground of this place would be sufficiently rich to accommodate them. It is there that they founded the first INCA city which will become Cuzco, i.e. the “navel of the world” in Quechua. Manco Capac then taught with the men agriculture and the craft industry, and Mama Ocllo taught with the women the art of weaving.

At present, the geographic origin of first Incas remains discussed, the commonly allowed assumption being which they came from banks of the lake Titicaca, at the border of the Peru and of the Bolivia. The bringing together is often evoked with the ignored civilization of Tiahuanaco (in Bolivia). The lake Titicaca is a true inland sea of more than 8000 km ², with 3812m of altitude. It would be about a group of men carried out by Manco Capac; after a migration towards north, this one is combined with some communities quechuas to dislodge the inhabitants of the valley of the Cuzco. They are consequently all the descendants of these first colonists as their allies which are regarded as Incas.

Other sources evoke an Amazonian origin. The presence of the incas in Amazonia is attested by the discovery of the agricultural city INCA de Mameria by two explorers free-Peruvians in 1979, Nicole and Herbert Cartagena. The young archeologist and French explorer Thierry Jamin have just officialized in 2006 the discovery of three géoglyphes anthropomorphic (of enormous engraved faces with blank of mountain), and being the counterpart of a face present on the wall of the Pétroglyphe S of Pusharo discovered since 1921 by Vicente de Cenitagoya (signs engraved in the stone). For Thierry Jamin, who discovered new petroglyphs with Pusharo, their interpretation makes it possible to draw up a “memory card” of the zone, leading to sites incas, and in particular the mythical lost city, the City of the Knowledge, twin sister of Cuzco, the imperial capital of Incas: Païtiti.

Creation and expansion of the empire

The area of Cuzco is, before the arrival of Incas, inhabited by many other people, and Incas, on their arrival, are only one group there among others. These small regional powers, clashed in local wars. Incas take part in a confederation with other groups by occupying a subordinate and nondominating row initially. They adopt the language Quechua, which becomes the Lingua franca of the Andean plate then propagating it on all the territory.

The confederation rests on two halves: The Hanan, half the top, and the Hurin, half of the bottom to which belongbelong Incas. Hanan holds the political powers and religious, and Hurin, the military capacities. This distribution of the capacities partly explains rise to power by the weapons of the INCA group. Gradually, they take more and more importance in the confederation. During nearly three centuries, the neighbouring populations pour tributes to them but it is truly only in the middle of the 14th century that Incas create a State with their name.

Under Sinchi Roca, then Lloqui Yupanqui, Mayta Capac and Capac Yupanqui, they reinforce their position in the basin of Cuzco. To have plundered the villages in the neighborhood and to have pushed back the unfavourable attacks, one admits a paramount role in the confederation to them. Thus, with died Capac Yupanqui, INCA Roca seizes the control of the confederation, and Incas impose their laws on all the tribes.

Its successor, Yahuar Huacac, is not also brilliant and a conspiracy puts an end to its reign. But towards 1400, Incas take again their expansion with Viracocha INCA. Despite everything, their territory does not exceed a radius of 40 kilometers around Cuzco.

With Viracocha, the INCA empire consolidates its domination on the area and extends its territory. Nobody in the surroundings can resist the INCA power except the Chanca S which endanger it in 1438. But they also will be demolished and subjected to Incas by Pachacutec, the son of Viracocha. After this victory, the expansion of the empire continues well beyond the close territories in spite of internal quarrels for the capacity.

From 1445 to 1450, Pachacutec extended its territory to the lake Titicaca, in 1463, it raises an army which it entrusts to his son Tupac Yupanqui in order to subject to the authority of Incas the immense territories separating Cajamarca from Cuzco.

Finally in 1523 the Kara, last tribe to be opposed to Incas, capitulate. Nothing any more can stop the expansion of the empire and the emperor arrives until the south of current Colombia.

To its apogee, the INCA empire extends on the Peru (original cradle), the Bolivia, the Ecuador and part of the Colombia, Argentine and Chile.

The Spanish conquest and end of the empire

But already the empire will have to face a new plague: the arrival of the Spanish in 1527 weakens the empire while bringing diseases. The emperor Huayna Capac dies about it without choosing of successor. Its two sons dispute the succession and the empire is divided into two: Atahualpa in North and Huascar in the South. The civil war makes rage and Atahualpa takes the top and eliminates Huascar. When Francisco Pizarro and its men is of return to Peru in 1532, they are not perceived like a threat, on the contrary: according to a legend, the Viracocha god was to return on ground from beyond the sea to restore peace and prosperity in the empire. Pizarro resembles this mythical character and is accommodated without fear.

At the time of a meeting between Pizarro and the emperor, this last is captured by the Spanish . Incas do not dare to attack them fear of endangering the life of their emperor-god. Whereas Atahualpa is with the hands of the Spaniards, its armies take finally the control of all the territory and reunify the empire. But Pizarro feeds the quarrels and encourages the rebellion of the people dominated by Incas. The empire is parcelled out… However, Incas still hope and wish to find their emperor. Pizarro proposes a ransom: the part where Atahualpa is locked up must be filled of gold. Incas obey but Pizarro does not hold its promise and makes carry out the deposed emperor the August 29th 1533.

The Spaniards launch out then to the conquest of all the territory, supported by the rebellious people. Arrived at Cuzco, they plunder the city and put on the throne the half-brother of Huascar, Manco INCA. This one is with the pay of the Spaniards and is completely impotent vis-a-vis the dislocation of the INCA empire.

Starting from 1548, one can say that Spanish hegemony is total. The resistance of the incas will continue during several decades, with at their head: Tisoc, Manco INCA, Sayry Túpac, Tito Cusi and Túpac Amaru, which will be decapitated by Spanish forty years after their arrival. Resistance will have a start with 17th and 18th centuries, the most important episode will be that of Túpac Amaru in 1780, always with the objective fallen through to restore the antique worsens of Tawantinsuyo.

The Spanish conquest is accompanied by plunderings, of contribution of diseases which decimate the populations, of the famine (what Incas, prosperous people, had never known because of use of silos to face the bad years), of the control of the Indians and the evangelization of the population. This one will be primarily made in language quechua ( pronounce quetchua ) and of the people hitherto unsubdued in Incas will have they to also learn this language which today is still spoken by seven million people in South America.

Indigenous demography during colonization is the following one:

  • 1525 : 12  000  000 inhabitants
  • 1553 (after the first phase of the conquest): 8  200  000 inhabitants
  • 1575 (government of the viceroy Francisco de Toledo): 8  000  000 inhabitants
  • 1586: 1  800  000 inhabitants
  • 1754: 615  000 inhabitants

The terrible fall of population, recorded as from 1575, corresponds to the final “pacification” of Peru and to the generalization of the forced labor in the encomiendas and the mines, where nearly five million Indians were absorbed in less than one quarter century. Let us note the arrival of the African slaves, used in the mines of Potosí, because the hecatomb in the indigenous population affects the other branches of industry such as agriculture and the breeding.

The emperors incas

The list of the emperors incas is called Capaccuna (in quechua most powerful among the human beings ). Before Viracocha INCA the emperors incas are semi legendary and the dates of their reigns are dubious.

Kings de Vilcabamba

Between 1533 and 1572 part of wire of Huayna Capac revolts against the Spaniards and takes refuge in the area of Vilcabamba. Their capacity will remain localized in the neighborhoods of this center of resistance.

Religion

The sun-worship

In the Andes, many communities claimed themselves originating or downward of such crowned place, such star or such animal. It is in this context that as from the 15th century, Incas want to be to be the wire of the Sun (called Inti in quechua). For their contemporaries, the military victories and the enlightened policy of the sovereigns incas seem to confirm this marvellous origin. Incas thus impose the sun-worship like official worship in the empire: the solar idol will côtoiera the myriad of divinities adored in the empire. It is not a question for all that a worship monotheist but rather an animism of State.

To institute the worship, Incas build temples dedicated mainly to the sun. Most famous of all is Coricancha (enclosed of gold in quechua), temple of the Sun of Cuzco. This temple, the main thing in the empire, was also used as place of worship with other divine entities like Mama Quilla, the Moon, and Illapa, divinity of the lightning, the flash and the thunder.

The temple of the Sun with Cuzco, true Holy of Holies of the empire, did not remain with the devastations of the conquest. There remain about it today only some descriptions like some pilot walls of splendor of the work. It was built with stones of size adjusting perfectly the ones in the others, without cement. Its Circonférence made more than 365 meters. Inside the temple trônait, inter alia treasures, a gold disc representing the Sun as well as a representation of the the Pantheon INCA. It was there also a garden crowned where all the elements of nature were represented in the shape of statuettes entirely out of gold, metal symbolic system of the sun.

As a sign of veneration or allegiance true, the people submitted by Incas built in their provinces of many places of sun-worship. Some are still visible nowadays, they testify to the geographical extension of the worship. In Peru, one will find the temple of Vilcashuaman. Close to more the high summit of Peru, the Huascarán, was a temple where took place of the sacrifices. In Bolivia, a temple of the Sun had also been set up on the Isla del Sol of the Lac Titicaca. Once per annum, a LAMA is immolé. The head and the legs of the animal are buried on a hill of the island of the sun in full lake Titicaca. With Caranqui, Ecuador, a temple is which formerly contained earthenware jars full of gold and with money.

The principal festival of the empire was the Inti Raymi. It was held on June 21st, winter solstice and the shortest day in the southern hemisphere. In thanks of all the good things of the previous year, it was also used to ask the protection of the sun for the seeds which were going to start soon.

For the office of the worship, the chroniclers report to us that a third of the grounds cultivated in the communities was allotted to the Sun. The setting in culture of these grounds constituted at the same time a form of worship and an economic form of imposition.

Worship of other divinities

INCA Garcilaso of Vega reports to us that Viracocha would have been the true god of Incas, the Sun being as for him a divinity of window in the Andes animists. But we know today that the sun-worship has in fact little by little replaced the worship of Viracocha, older. Viracocha is a god former to Incas, commun run with several pre-incas cultures. Its worship would have appeared between 700 and 1200 after J.C., in first in the culture Huari. Many legends incas are directly inspired by legends of other cultures, for example of Tiahuanaco, and the same the worship of Viracocha was adopted by Incas.

The INCA Empire being composed of a mosaic of people which inevitably were not destroyed or were reduced in slavery, certain local worships could perdurer without for all this the people originating in Cuzco do not adopt them. Another obvious case is that of Pachacamac: it is a god of the central coast of Peru whose origins are dubious, but the worship was in any case former even to that of Viracocha. The largest known temple devoted to this god is called itself Pachacamac and goes up at the time of the culture Lima. The worship would have probably appeared between the year 300 and the year 600 of our era. It is however with the culture Ishmay, civilization local which was between the rivers Rimac and Lurin (1000-1450 after J.C.), that the site of Pachacamac knows its apogee.

During the first centuries of INCA domination, the god Inti was thus not venerated and the various people seemed to have a certain freedom of worship. It is only during the 15th century, under the reign of Pachacutec which the sun-worship appeared, and this one was quickly promoted with the detriment of the other worships. The INCA would have made burn many temples of Viracocha and frame the first temples of the Sun. However, the worship of Viracocha remained largely in the memories and continuous to even exist still today.

Worship in Huacas

When Incas impose the sun-worship, they “relieve” the local gods but do not prohibit the exercise of the beliefs animists which as a whole consolidates and reinforces the sun-worship which is posed out of keystone of the system. Among the tolerated beliefs figure the worship in Huacas. In the language Quechua, the term Huaca can indicate all that leaves ordinary and by extension, that indicates all that is likely to be the subject of a worship in the context animist. The huacas are characters, or a place of geographical space (like a mountain, a river or even a tree), crowned or divine, associated with a particular divinity, more exactly of the places where a spirit resides, as in all the religions animists. There were some everywhere on the INCA territory. These sites are among the holy places most important for the population of the INCA empire. Many sacrifices were practiced there, daily, seasonally, and annually, to satisfy these gods. Sacrifices and intermediaries also made it possible to the spiritual leaders of the community to communicate with the huacas (spirits), in order to obtain councils or of the assistance.

Priests and “selected women”

The priests lived in all the important temples and other religious sanctuaries. They fulfilled the functions of soothsayers, wizard, and doctors. The title of priest as a chief with Cuzco was Villac umu . This one was married and its authority was in competition with that of the INCA. Villac umu had the capacity on all the temples and religious buildings, and it could name or revoke the priests.

The “women chosen”, called Aclla (“vestals” or, for the Spaniards, “virgins of the Sun”) were with the service of the God-Sun ( Intip-aclla ) or of the INCA ( Incap-aclla ). They were to follow a particular formation and only the most qualified were selected as of their more young age. They lived in the aclla-huasi (“house of the aclla”) and devoted the majority of their time to weave the clothing worn by the INCA and the priests.

The princesses of royal blood were the Nustas , and one of enter they had to become the Coya , the principal wife of the INCA.

Divination

The Divination held a dominating place in INCA civilization. Before each action, one called upon this one and nothing important could be undertaken without to have consulted the auspices before. The divination was used as well to diagnose diseases as to predict the course of the battles, to exorcize or punish a crime. The divination also made it possible to determine which sacrifices were to be made and with which gods. Incas believed that the life was controlled by invisible forces. To represent them, the priests had recourse to the divination.

There existed several methods of divination: one could observe spiders move or analyze the provision that the sheets of Coca take on a dinner plate. One could also drink Ayahuasca which has effects Hallucinogène S by affecting the central nervous system. This drink made it possible to come into contact with supernatural powers. Prophecies could be also made starting from the study of the lungs of a white LAMA sacrificed.

Offerings and sacrifice

The sacrifices and offerings daily, were dedicated to the gods or with the huacuas , they rythmaient the life of the people. Incas offered certain things which they considered honourable with the eyes of the gods, especially with the Pachamama, the Ground-Mother. These offerings could take the ear shape of corn or sheets of Coke inter alia.

Sacrifices of animals

To each important occasion, one offered a Sacrifice, the animal more used was a LAMA. Many sacrifices were daily in order to celebrate the sun-worship.

Human sacrifices

It should be noted that the human sacrifices were done only during periods of great disorders, when the INCA was sick or deceased, for example, or at the time of natural disasters. The objective was then to alleviate the gods.

The people, men, women or children offered in sacrifice were to be in physical good condition and of perfect constitution. They were sometimes taken among the demolished people, were regarded as part of the tribute, or directly among the nobility of Cuzco.

According to the legend, a ten year old little girl, Tanta Carhua, had been chosen by her father to be sacrificed to the INCA emperor. The child, supposed physically perfect, was thus sent to the emperor with Cuzco where festivals and parades were given in the honor of its courage. She was buried alive in a tomb of the Andean mountains.

The children, considered pure, met the emperor and of the celebrations were made on their behalf. According to the beliefs of the incas, the sacrificed child became a god once carried by death. Before the sacrifice, the child drank Chicha (an alcohol) apparently to attenuate the perception of his directions. To honor it, the priests led ceremonies which accompanied it while its spirit left the ground. The child then received a heavy blow behind the head, of a blunt weapon, putting an end to his days. He, sometimes, was perhaps also buried alive. Most of the time only one child was necessary for the sacrifice, but one found tombs of three or four children sacrificed simultaneously.

It is this type of rite which for example was used to calm the gods, at the time of an volcanic eruption with Arequipa: called the Juanita was sacrificed to the top of the volcano Ampato, there is more than 500 years. It was an young girl of twelve or thirteen years belonging to the nobility of Cuzco as the richness testifies some to its ornaments. A procession ceremonial started from Cuzco to join Arequipa with an only aim of this sacrifice. Preserved by the ice, the young girl and the objects which accompanied it were found almost intact in 1995 and rest from now on with the museum Santuarios Andinos of Arequipa.

The same kind of Rite S is attested in other companies précolombiennes, but cannot be compared with the sacrifices of mass Aztèque S.

Death of the INCA

To escort the INCA in its voyage in the other world, two of his wives, a servant and a warrior were sacrificed the day of its death. Allegedly voluntary, they were selected as of their more young age.

Company

A hierarchical company

The hierarchy in the INCA empire takes again the traditional organization of the Andean communities. The INCA is at the same time chief of its clan and sovereign of all the empire. The Community organization is at the base of the structure of the empire. In many cases, the INCA conquering day before not to hustle the traditional organization of the populations to be assimilated and leaves in place the traditional authorities and entrusts instructors of the INCA clan to them to inform them of the laws of the empire and to inform them in the official religion. These local authorities were thus framed and returned accounts to hierarchically superiors who all were members of the INCA clan.

Generally, there existed three classes: on the one hand the working class made up of the peasants and craftsmen, on the other hand the class of local governorship and finally at the top, the leading class of INCA stock which held all the reins of the empire. This leading class was organized as an ordinary clan whose members were called with the high positions within the empire, that they are administrative nuns, soldiers or.

This company was thus based on a system of Caste S and one only could very with difficulty and exceptionally to change row. An individual of the working class could reach the leading class following a military exploit or thanks to some other deserves. It arrived, with a political aim, that co-operative leaders overcome people obtain stations with responsibilities, often that of Kurakas .

Social organization according to the age bracket:

  • 1 - 9 years : as from 5 years, they help with the pieces of housework.
  • 9 - 16 years : tasks according to their capacities, deal with the herds of spangled.
  • 16 - 20/20 - 25 years : messengers, shepherds of spangled, accompany the lords like pages or servants.
  • 25 - 50 years : found a hearth with two obligations:
    • to pay the taxes, to colonize the distant areas (principle of fortification of the kingdom) ( Mitimae )
    • to carry out the military service at the border posts or like reservist.

Administration of the empire

The empire is divided into four areas: Chinchasuyu, Antisuyu, Cuntisuyu and Collasuyu, as was divided the town of Cuzco into four “districts”. The great zones themselves under are divided into provinces, themselves under divided into smaller structures until one arrives at structures of some families.

To manage to control this immense empire, of many ways existed to connect between them all the cities of the empire and to allow the emperor to exert his control to the borders of the country. Representatives of authority of the INCA are present at all the levels of the administrative structure. To facilitate the communication, of the ways are reserved to the imperial messengers and to official travellers. These 7 m sometimes broad royal roads (more 25  000  km) were conceived for the pedestrians, the population not knowing the wheel, and the caravans of LAMA S, the majority were paved and of the inns were all along these roads.

The incas had installed, along these transportation routes, of the Tampo S or caravanserais, ready to accommodate the travellers constantly. Thanks to a system of “runners with relay”, the Chasqui S, they sent messages with an astonishing speed to the corners furthest away from the long empire of more than 5.000 km.

Foreign policy

The conquests were done either peacefully, then the conquered sovereigns held some to be able, or they were made with the weapons, and populates it overcome was partly moved in an unknown area of him, with without another choice to survive its new environment and without being able to dialog with the autochtones. These people were replaced by of Incas, which strengthened the empire, they were the Mitimaes .

The administration of the empire was done with large scales and one could decide to move populations with an economic or political aim. The communication system set up under Incas was of a very great effectiveness and allowed the management of this immense empire.

It is what was one of its weaknesses and at the time of the arrival of Spanish, much of these people revolted at the sides of the conquerors.

No the writing but of the qipus … and a word in quechua which means the writing: qelqa

Whereas the INCA empire was very structured and bureaucratisé, the writing would not have existed there. From where the interpretation which affirms that a system of qipus was set up. The qipus are messages coded in the form of nodes of various kinds on wire of wool, cotton or another material and various colors. These qipus was used for the statistics of the State: very precise census (many inhabitants per age and sex), many animals, inventory position, paid and which had tributes of the various people, recording of the whole of the entries and exits of goods of the warehouses of the State, etc… Only the administrators knew the key of the qipus: they was the Qipucamayocs .

It would seem that the qipus were also used to notify the great dates of the Histoire and to consign certain accounts or religious secrecies but those contrary to some qipus statistics remain indecipherable nowadays.

In fact the incas invented the qipus known by civilization précolombienne of Caral 4500 years ago.

The word “writing” exists in quechua, the spoken language by the incas. It is about the qelqa. The chroniclers speak besides about “the lost writing”.

Importance of agriculture

The INCA empire was a Théocratie: the emperor, the INCA, was regarded as a god living and the sun-worship, of the Inti of which the INCA was the representation on ground, was one of the pillars of the empire. Another pillar was consisted the Agriculture.

Terraces and hydrology

In the agricultural field and hydraulic, Incas had set up a rather complex system of drains, which one can see today an excellent demonstration with Ollantaytambo. They also inherited very good systems of irrigation, bequeathed by former cultures such as the Nazca or the Moches in the desert littoral parts of the territory. But out of agricultural matter, it is in the way of exploiting the grounds and of controlling an apparently inhospitable territory that Incas were illustrated: almost everywhere in the Andean parts, i.e. the majority of their territory, Incas developed aqueducts, channels on long floors of tens of km and terrace cultivation (the andenes ), thus facilitating the agricultural harvests and all tasks. Most of these cultures exists still today and is always used by the peasants and farmers, most famous being in the Vallée crowned of Incas or close to Arequipa. One even supposes that Incas had a true agronomic laboratory, on the terraces of Moray: they are terraces located close to Cuzco, laid out in circle concentric, the center of the circle being the level low of the terraces. The modern scientists realized that each level had a different temperature. This would have made it possible Incas studied the acclimatization of cereals, tubers and other plants being used for their food. They could make crossings and improvements of certain families.

The organization of agriculture

In fact, the basic structure of the empire was consisted the ayllu . It is about a village community whose origins would be the same gathered family. A territory belonged to him that it managed as good seemed to him. A kuraka was with the head of the Ayllu .
Kuraka was in charge of the distribution of the grounds, which was done on a model of shares, between each member of the village ready to work.

The agricultural work was divided into three times:

  • - the share of the INCA and the royal family;
  • - that of each holder of small holding, to provide for the needs for its family;
  • - that which belonged to the village, in order to provide for the most stripped needs for. A system of mutual aid between the families was very developed. In addition to the collective grounds, there were reserves which made it possible to mitigate the lack in the event of famine, or when a delegation came from the INCA.

Another duty of each member of the community consisted in dealing with collective work (like the maintenance of the irrigation canals).

This system knew weaknesses however: the kurakas misused the system sometimes, grew rich and constituted a new class whose privileges were transmitted by heritage.

Types of culture

At that time, agriculture was primarily a farming mountain and hill. The Potato “invented” in Peru and of many other tubers were the basic food. These plants are sensitive and, harvests not being able to be guaranteed, of the techniques of conservation were developed to face possible difficult years. The Quinoa, a seed (and not a cereal), is easier to cultivate, it pushes until 4  000  m of altitude. Another culture was widespread: that of the Corn. Although very appreciated, the particular conditions for its culture limited its production and the corn was often reserved with the offerings or reserved for the festivals. To develop this culture, of many terraces (famous the andenes ) were built of which certain perdurent until our days. Incas installed networks of irrigation including/understanding channels and aqueducts.

Other crop plants according to the areas: Tomato S, Groundnut S, Bean S, Pepper S, Pineapple, the Cocoa, etc as well as the Coke, very important for the INCA people since it was used in all the ceremonies.

Lastly, with regard to the breeding, meat and wool came primarily from the spangled and Alpaga S.

INCA economy

The economy is founded on the management of labor, the exchange of human energy, a kind of community of work and by no means on exchanges of goods or a collective possession of the goods. The richness was not related on the possession of the goods but to the access to labor for the production of the community. The poor one being that which has few family ties.

At the top of the economic organization the INCA is which rests on the ethnic organizations and their economy of redistribution but by managing a system of redistribution on a higher level. There was thus a redistribution at the local level around the ethnicity but also, a redistribution much vaster, on the level of the empire. The INCA took care some starting from the reserves. To operate this work, one called upon mitas (conveying). The empire thus organized also the mita.

The distribution of the ethnic grounds seemed related to the redistribution, since each year, it was the subject of a pact or a negotiation. Thanks to the principles of the redistribution and exchange of human energy, Incas could undertake many constructions, create additional attics, a network of roads, administrative centers…

Arts and sciences

See the detailed article: Art INCA

In sciences, Incas acquired many knowledge in certain fields such as the Mathématiques, based on a system quadridécimal (bases 40) and nondecimal, or the Astronomie. Able to see the Solstice S or equinox S, their at the same time lunar and solar calendar enabled them to manage the agricultural cycles.

Knowledge incas was also remarkable in Médecine, being in certain fields in advance compared to European knowledge. The use of many plants enabled them to cure many diseases and to relieve various sufferings, such as for example the Quinine to treat the malaria. They had a very good knowledge of the plants and their benefit. Incas also practiced the surgery, in particular cranial trepanations (one found in necropoles of the incas, one or more trepanned craniums); they used the coke as anesthetic.

Incas were excellent architects. Their constructions imposing and clever, are often directed with fine utilities. The number of buildings and other constructions realized are really high. The trapezoidal form often given to the doors and windows of the temples makes it possible the building to much better resist the earthquakes, very frequent in these areas. While settling with Cuzco, Spanish took again besides like foundation of their buildings the remainders of the temples incas. At the time of the many seisms, constructions or foundations incas held generally better than Spanish constructions. Incas used various architectural styles, but most known is without question that used for example for the temple of the Sun of Cuzco like much of other buildings of importance: the principal material was the stone but they did not use mortar to join them between them. Large polygonal stones were then used, encasing perfectly the ones in the others without leaving least empty space. One can still nowadays see many examples of this architectural art, among which Sacsayhuamán the fortress of Cuzco, or impressive ruins of Ollantaytambo.

As for the roads, Qhapaq Ñan - Andean Principal Way - then constituted the main axis of the economic project and policy of the INCA Empire. It was a gigantic long spinal column of more than 6000 kilometers that one can compare with the mythical Silk route in the East or the network of the Roman roads paved in Europe. Its layout principal joint towns of Pasto in Colombia, Quito and Cuenca in Ecuador, Cajamarca and Cusco in Peru, Aconcagua in Argentina and Santiago of Chile. It made it possible the INCA to control its Empire, to move its troops since the capital, Cusco. Along these sometimes paved roads, inns, guardrooms, bridges…

District distributers of transverse roads, length of more than 45.000 km, then connected Qhapaq Ñan to the coast and the Amazonian basin. The chasquis, the dispach riders with feet, then could, thanks to a system of extremely effective relay, to convey information at an incredible speed!

Incas improved the network left by the civilization Huari, which enabled them to quickly furrow the whole of the empire in spite of the rough ground. The most famous example of these roads is the Chemin of the INCA. One did not need for the Chasqui S , the dispach riders of the empire, that one week to reach Quito, current capital of the Ecuador, on the basis of Cuzco. Among all their constructions appear of the bridges of cord suspended using stems of Cabuya going up to hundred meters, of the relays of station, the aqueducts, the silos, the fortresses, the temples, the palates, the andenes , etc

See too

Internal bonds

  • the mongrel writer who tells the history of his ancestors and the conquest of Peru : the INCA Garcilaso of Vega

External bonds

  • the most complete site on Qhapaq Ñan, the INCA Main road, candidate with the list of the world heritage of UNESCO * Texts on Incas and the Spanish conquest
  • the blog on Peru and the incas
  • current events of INCA civilizations and précolombiennes
  • the site of the explorers and the researchers of Gran Païtiti
  • INCA civilization on ABC latina, the Latin America on Internet
  • mythology INCA
  • Dictionary of Incas… and the ages of old Peru
  • Tahuantinsuyo, Empire of Incas
  • the calendar and notion of time at Incas
  • Site on Incas and the history of Peru
  • history of Incas
  • Qhapac nan
  • Images of the ways incas
  • Photographs of Qhapac Nan
  • " The revolt inca" Documentary Arte

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