It is considered that The Incas came to the valley of Cuzco, where they founded the capital of the empire, around 1200 American archaeologist J. X. Rowe, who conducted excavations in the Cuzco region, suggested that before the first half of the 15th century. the Inca state owned only a few mountain valleys, and the imperial period began in 1438 - the date when the ruler of the Inca state Pachacuti Yupanqui defeated the warlike Chanka Indians and annexed the "western part of the world" to his state. However, the Inca civilization was certainly expanding before the defeat of Chunk, but it was directed mainly south of Cuzco.
In 1470, the Inca armies approached the capital. After a long siege, the Chimu empire fell. The winners moved many skilled artisans to their capital - Cuzco. Soon, the Incas conquered other states, including them in their new empire: Chincha in the south of Peru, Kuismanka, which united the coastal valleys of the central part of the country, including the temple city of Pachacamac, the small states of Cajamarca and Sican in the north.
But the legacy of the Chimu empire was not lost. The Inca Hyperia did not destroy the capital of Chan-Chan and kept the roads, canals, 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 an ancient civilization.
From amazing wonders and treasures the Inca empire almost nothing has survived to this day. Having captured the Inca ruler Atahualytu, the Spaniards demanded - and received - as a ransom for his life 7 tons of gold and about 14 tons of silver items, which were immediately melted into ingots. After the conquistadors executed Ataualyta, the Incas collected and hid the gold that remained in temples and palaces.
The search for the missing gold continues to this day. If someday archaeologists are fortunate enough to find this legendary treasure, we will surely learn about civilization " children of the sun" a lot of new. Now the number of products of the Inca masters can be counted on one hand - these are gold and silver figures of people and lamas, magnificent gold vessels and breast discs, as well as traditional tumi knives in the shape of a crescent. Combining their own technology with the traditions of the Chimu jewelers, the Inca metallurgists achieved excellence in the processing of precious metals. Spanish chroniclers recorded the story of golden gardens that adorned 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 Cuzco, the Coricancha temple. The trees, shrubs and grasses in the gardens were made of solid gold. Golden shepherds grazed golden llamas on golden lawns, and golden corn ripened in the fields.
Architecture
The second highest achievement of the Incas can rightfully be considered architecture. The level of stone processing under the Incas surpasses the best examples of the craftsmanship of the masons Chavin and Tiahuanaco. Simple, "typical" buildings were built of small stones, fastened with clay-lime mortar - pirka. For palaces and temples, giant monoliths were used, not fastened to each other by any mortar. The stones in such structures are held by numerous protrusions that cling to each other. An example is the famous dodecagonal stone in the wall in Cusco, so tightly fitted to the neighboring boulders that you cannot even insert a razor blade between them.
Inca architectural style severe and ascetic; buildings suppress with their power. However, many buildings were once decorated with gold and silver plates, which gave them a completely different look.
In the cities, the Incas used planned buildings. The main element of the city was the kancha - a quarter consisting of residential buildings and warehouses located around the courtyard. Each major center had a palace, barracks for soldiers, a temple of the Sun and a "monastery" for the virgins of Aklya dedicated to the Sun.
Great roads of the Incas
All cities of the empire were connected by a network excellent roads... Two main highways, which were adjacent to smaller roads, connected the 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. The mountain road, called Kapak-kan (Tsar's Way), began in the gorges north of Quito, passing through Cuzco, turning to Lake Titicaca and ending 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 places, the roads were paved or filled with a waterproof mixture of maize leaves, pebbles and clay. On the arid coast, they tried to build roads along hard rock outcrops. Stone dams with drainage pipes were erected in the swamps. Poles were installed along the roads indicating the distance to settlements. There were inns at regular intervals - tambo. The width of the canvas on the plains reached 7 m, and in the mountain gorges it was reduced to 1 m. The roads were laid in a straight line, even if for this it was necessary to dig a tunnel or cut down part of the mountain. The Incas built wonderful bridges, the most famous of which are hanging 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 a canvas of branches. The bridges were so strong that they could withstand the Spanish conquistadors in full armor and on horseback. Local residents were obliged to change the ropes once a year, and also to repair the bridge if necessary. The largest bridge of this design across the Apurimac River was 75 meters long and hung 40 meters above the water.
Roads became the foundation of the empirestretching 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 to world domination. This word in the Quechua language means "four interconnected countries of the world." Administrative divisions also took place in the countries of the world: in the north was the province of Chinchasuyu, in the south - Kolyasuyu, 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 Kapaca (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 population of the empire 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 conducted. In the course of the reform, all hereditary leaders were replaced by appointed governors - kurak.
The entire population of the country bore labor duties: the processing of state fields of maize and sweet potatoes (potatoes), the maintenance of state flocks of lamas, military service and work on the construction of cities, roads and mines. In addition, the subjects were obliged to pay the tax in kind - with textiles and cattle.
The practice of mass relocations in the conquered territories has become widespread. The Quechua language, spoken by the Incas, was declared the official language of the empire. The inhabitants of the provinces were not prohibited from using their own language. Mandatory knowledge of Quechua was required only from officials.
Writing
It is believed that the Incas did not create their own writing system. To transmit information, they had a nodular letter "kipu", perfectly adapted to the needs of management and economics. According to one of the legends, the Incas once had a written language, even books, but they were all destroyed by the reformer ruler Pachacuti, who "rewrote history." An exception was made for only one, which was kept in the main sanctuary of the Coricancha empire. Looting the capital ancient Inca civilization the Spaniards discovered canvases covered with incomprehensible signs in Coricancha, set in golden frames. The frames, of course, were melted down, and the canvases were burned. Thus perished the only written history of the Inca empire.
The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America and possibly the largest empire in the world, dating back to the early 16th century.
Its political structure was the most complex of all the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
The administrative, political and military center of the empire was in Cuzco (modern Peru).
The Inca civilization arose in the highlands of Peru in the early 13th century. The last fortress was conquered by the Spaniards in 1572.
From 1438 to 1533, the Incas inhabited most of western South America, centered on the Andean mountains. At its peak, the Inca empire included the territories of Ecuador, western and central Bolivia, northwestern Argentina, northern and central Chile, as well as some lands in southwestern Colombia.
The official language was Quechua. There were many forms of god worship in the empire, but the rulers encouraged the worship of Inti, the supreme god of the Incas.
The Incas considered their king, Sapa Inca, "the son of the sun."
The Inca Empire was unique in that it did not have anything that the civilizations of the Old World were famous for.
For example, the inhabitants did not have wheeled vehicles, cattle, they also lacked knowledge about the extraction and processing of iron and steel, and the Incas did not have a structured writing system.
Typical of the Inca empire were monumental architecture, a system of roads covering all corners of the empire and a special style of weaving.
Scientists believe that the Inca economy was feudal, slave and socialist at the same time. It is believed that the Incas did not have money and markets. Instead, residents exchanged goods and services on a barter basis.
Human labor for the benefit of the empire (for example, the cultivation of crops) was considered a kind of taxes. The rulers of the Incas, in turn, supported the work of the people and organized large-scale feasts for their subjects on holidays.
The name "Inca" is translated as "ruler", "lord". In Quechua, the term is used to refer to the ruling class or ruling family.
The Incas made up a small percentage of all the inhabitants of the empire (from 15,000 to 40,000 for a total population of 10 million). The Spaniards began to use the term "Inca" to refer to all the inhabitants of the empire.
History
The Inca Empire was the leading civilization in the Andes, with a history spanning thousands of years. The Andean civilization is one of the five civilizations in the world, which scientists call "primordial", that is, indigenous, and not a derivative of other civilizations.
The Inca Empire was preceded by two large empires in the Andes: Tiwanaku (c. 300-1100 CE), located around Lake Titicaca, and Huari (c. 600-1100 CE), concentrated near the modern city of Ayacucho.
Huari was located on the territory of Cuzco for about 400 years.
According to the legend of the Incas, their ancestors emerged from three caves: brothers and sisters who came to new lands eventually built a temple of stone and began to populate the lands around. They soon reached Cuzco and began to build their homes throughout the territory.
The empire expanded. Ayyar Manko is considered to be its founder.
The rulers of the empire changed quite often. Many wanted to reign over large territories. However, by the time the conquistadors came to the lands of the Incas, all the tribes united in a single desire to preserve their independence.
The Spanish conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro and his brothers, reached the cherished lands of the Incas by 1525. In 1529, the king of Spain gave permission to conquer the rich lands in the Americas.
The military forces of the Europeans invaded the lands of the Incas in 1532, when the population was demoralized by another war for power over the empire.
At the same time, smallpox raged in Central America, which caused the death of a large number of the local population.
European soldiers led by Pizarro invaded the lands of the Incas and, having a technological superiority over the "semi-savage" Incas, quickly gained power over the territories (the Spaniards also found allies who were negatively disposed towards the policy of the Inca emperors).
The conquistadors planted the Christian faith in the region, plundered the houses of the inhabitants and put their governor at the head of the empire. And in 1536, the last Inca fortress was destroyed, the emperor was overthrown, and the Spaniards gained power over the entire territory of the huge empire.
Population and language
The number of people inhabiting the empire during its heyday is not known for certain. Historians cite numbers from 4 to 37 million.
The main form of communication in the empire was the Inca language, as well as the various Quechua dialects.
Phonetically, the languages \u200b\u200bdiffered greatly: the inhabitants of the Andes could not understand the population living near Colombia.
Some languages \u200b\u200bhave survived to this day (for example, the Aymara language, which is spoken by some of the inhabitants of Bolivia to this day). The influence of the Incas outlived their empire, as the Spaniards who conquered the land continued to use the Quechua language to communicate.
Culture and life
Archaeologists still find unique items related to the life and life of the Incas.
Architecture was the most sought after art in the empire. The most important structures were created of stone (using special masonry).
Also, historians find evidence that the Incas were interested in weaving, as well as the sciences: mathematics, chronology in principle, medicine, etc.
The discoveries of the Incas in some areas became the foundation for the development of scientific thought throughout the world (especially in Europe).
The Incas are a small South American tribe that managed to rise to the very top of power and create a powerful empire that conquered many peoples and changed the face of the Andes.
They managed to turn from a small, unknown tribe from the Cuzco Valley to the rulers of the Andes. And create a great empire of the Incas, built on the most accurate accounting of food and amazed newcomers from Europe with grandiose structures.
The Inca Empire became the largest state in terms of area and population in South America in the XI-XVI centuries. The territory of their empire stretched from present-day Pasto in Colombia to the Maule River in Chile, and included the territories of present-day Peru, Bolivia, Ecuador and partly Chile, Argentina and Colombia.
The Incas called their empire Tahuantinsuyu (four connected cardinal points). This name came from the fact that four roads emerged from the Cusco valley in different directions, and each, regardless of its length, bore the name of the part of the empire to which it led.
The ruler of these vast territories was the Inca, as the Indians called their ruler. Literally "Inca" means "ruler", "lord", "king". And the word “Inca” itself was an integral part of the name of the leader of the empire. Over time, not only the ruler of the empire, but also other representatives of the ruling class began to be called "Incas". And with the advent of the conquerors, the concept of "Inca" or "Inca" spread to the entire tribe of Indians who inhabited the Tahuantinsuyu empire.
Formation of the Great Inca Empire.
For a long time it was believed that the great empire of the Incas was created by a single genius. The brilliant Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui, the first ruler of the Incas, a kind of local Alexander the Great, was supposed to have turned a handful of adobe huts into a powerful empire in the early 15th century during the life of only one generation.
But University of Chicago archaeologist Brian Bauer is confident that the roots of the Inca dynasty go back to the 15th century. Arriving in 1980 in Peru, together with his colleague R. Alan Covey, now an archaeologist at the University of Dallas, and a team of Peruvian assistants, he combed the steep mountain slopes up and down for four field seasons - and eventually discovered thousands of unknown monuments Inca culture. It became obvious: the Inca state arose between 1200 and 1300 years. And they were gifted with power ... climate change. Stronger neighboring tribes, by the beginning of the XII century, gradually lost their power. This was partly due to a drought that, having raged in the Andes for over a century, led to famine and unrest.
In all corners of the Peruvian Highlands, there were clashes over scarce supplies of water and food. Crowds of refugees rushed to the mountains as only on the cold, windy peaks of the Andes was it possible to hide from raids.
But the Incas in the fertile valley of Cuzco had no shortage of water sources - and the farmers of the Inca tribe did not move. While less fortunate neighbors exterminated each other, prosperous Inca villages united into a small state that could defend itself from enemy raids. And between 1150 and 1300, when the climate in the Andes warmed significantly, the Incas from Cusco were able to take advantage of this warming.
As temperatures rose, they gradually climbed the mountain slopes 250-300 meters, constructing tiered agricultural terraces to keep the soil from erosion, irrigating fields with engineering-grade canals, and harvesting record corn yields. A surplus of crops allowed the Incas to "free up large numbers of people for other activities, such as building roads or maintaining a large army." And then the day came when the Inca was able to call in more warriors and provide weapons and food for a larger army than any of the neighboring leaders.
Having created a regular army, the Inca rulers began to look at foreign lands and wealth. They began to enter into dynastic alliances with the leaders of neighboring tribes and lavish gifts on new allies. When conquering neighboring tribes, the Incas, on the one hand, used their strong and numerous army, and on the other hand, attracted the elite of the conquered regions. Before taking military action, the Incas three times offered the rulers of the conquered region to voluntarily join their empire. If the neighbors were not led to diplomacy, they were pacified by force. And gradually a powerful state was formed with the capital - the sacred city of Cuzco, founded at an altitude of 3416 meters above sea level, in a deep valley between two mountain ranges.
Inspired by the success of their conquests, the Inca rulers turned their gaze further - to the rich lands in the southeast, where at an altitude of 3840 m there was a vast plateau with Lake Titicaca. In the 15th century, one of the greatest rulers of the Incas, Pachacutec Inca Yupanqui, plotted a military campaign to the south.
The arrogant rulers of the lakeside states had nearly 400 thousand subjects. Their abundant land beckoned to itself. The mountain slopes were cut through veins of gold and silver, and herds of alpacas and llamas grazed in the lush green meadows. Military successes in the Andes largely depended on them: the llama, the only animal on the entire continent, could carry a load weighing 30 kilograms on its back. In addition, llamas, as well as alpacas, are meat, leather and wool. Military rations, uniforms, the movement of the army - everything depended on the presence of llamas. And if the ruler of the Incas did not manage to subdue the rulers to whom these flocks belonged, he would have to wait with trepidation for the day when they themselves would have to surrender to the mercy of the winner.
Pachacutec subdued one southern ruler after another, increasingly expanding the boundaries of his empire, which at the peak of its existence became one of the largest states on Earth. The number of subjects of the Inca empire reached, according to various sources, from 5-6 to 12 million people.
However, military victories were only the first step on the road to greatness. If the empire of Alexander the Great collapsed immediately after his death, then the legacy of the Inca ruler Pachacutec-Inca-Yupanqui turned out to be much more tenacious. Because here, after the soldiers, officials and builders got down to business.
The wise rule of the Incas.
When an uprising broke out in any of the provinces, the Inca rulers arranged for the resettlement of peoples: they diluted the local population with loyal subjects, and the disobedient were taken closer to the capital. Inhabitants of remote, high-walled villages were relocated to new cities, which were located along the roads built by the Incas - the roads ensured the rapid advance of troops. The governors of the Incas ordered the construction of roadside warehouses for these troops, and the subjects had to fill the warehouses with provisions and other necessary supplies. Everything was foreseen, and the chances of an uprising became negligible. The Incas were the geniuses of the organization.
The Andean civilization is flourishing. Engineers turned disparate groups of roads into a single system that connected all corners of the empire. The peasants created irrigation canals, broke up high-altitude agricultural terraces, where they cultivated about seven dozen different crops, and stored so much food in storage that they could hold out on it from three to seven years. The officials have mastered the inventory perfectly. They knew about the contents of all the vaults in the vast empire, keeping records using the Andean form of computer code - bundles of multi-colored threads with a combination of knots called kipu. Stonemasons erected masterpieces of architecture.
Huayna-Kapak is the dead ruler of the Incas.
Around 1493, a new ruler of the Incas ascended the throne - Huayna Kapak. At that time, it seemed that the Inca dynasty was subject to everything in the world. During the construction of the new capital in Ecuador, workers who did not know the wheels dragged boulders from the valley of Cuzco to a distance of 1.6 thousand kilometers along a mountain road. For these works, Huayna-Kapak rounded up more than 4,500 rebellious subjects.
And a small army of men and women changed nature - in an amazing way for those times. With the establishment of the Huayna Kapaka royal residence (an area the size of seven football fields), workers moved the Urubamba River to the southern end of the valley, leveled hills and drained swamps to plant corn, cotton, peanuts and chili peppers. In the center of the "new land" of stones and bricks, the country palace of Huayna-Capaca - Quispiguanca was erected.
In spacious palaces, surrounded by parks, cultivated fields and gardens, Huayna-Capac received guests, gambled with his entourage. Sometimes he went hunting. To do this, there was no need to travel outside the estate: the ruler had at his disposal a secluded hunting lodge and a forest where deer and other wild animals were in abundance.
Around 1527, Huayna Capac died in Ecuador from some mysterious disease - but he did not lose power. Those close to him mummified his body, transported him back to Cuzco, and members of the royal family often visited the deceased monarch, asking him for advice on important issues and listening to the answers spoken by the oracle sitting next to him. And after his death, Huayna-Capac remained the owner of Quispiguanca and the estate: all the harvest from the local fields had to go to keep his mummy, servants, wives and descendants in luxury forever.
Since the traditions of inheritance were so strange that all the palaces remained in the ownership of the rulers even after their death, it is not surprising that each Inca, ascending to the throne, built for himself and his descendants a new city palace and a new country residence. To date, archaeologists and historians have uncovered the ruins of a dozen royal residences built by at least six rulers.
Conquest of the Incas to the Spaniards.
In 1532, foreign invaders, led by Francisco Pizarro, landed on the coast of modern Peru. Who arrived with 200 foot soldiers, clad in steel armor and armed with deadly firearms and only 27 horses. However, on the way, his army is replenished with dissatisfied with the rule of the Incas. The Incas fiercely fight the conquerors, but the empire is weakened by internal turmoil and internecine war, in addition, a large number of Inca warriors die from smallpox and measles introduced by the Spaniards.
The Spaniards reached Cajamarca, the northern city of the Incas, where they captured the ruler Atahualpa. Eight months later, they executed their royal prisoner, and their leader, Francisco Pizarro, put a puppet on the throne - the young prince Manco Inca Yupanqui.
The capital of the Incas, the city of Cuzco, was conquered by the Spaniards in 1536. In the next few months, the Spanish conquerors appropriated the palaces of Cuzco and vast country estates and took girls from the royal family as wives and mistresses. The enraged Manco-Inca-Yupanqui revolted and in 1536 tried to drive the strangers from their lands. When his army was defeated, he with a small number of followers hides in the mountainous region of Vilcabamba, where the rule of the Incas continues for about 30 years.
In 1572, the last Inca ruler, Tupac Amaru, was beheaded. This marked the end of the Tahuantinsuyu empire. The state was plundered, the culture of the Incas destroyed. The vast network of Inca roads, vaults, temples and palaces gradually fell into decay.
In the western half of South America, under the equator, on the vast plains between the Andes, lived a hardworking people who created a large civilized empire. Its kings, called the Incas, were descended from the sun. It was said that, taking pity on the plight of the savages of the country of Peru, the sun sent its children Manco Capaca and his sister, who was and his wife, to gather them into a comfortable society, to teach agriculture, the art of spinning and weaving, and other crafts necessary for a comfortable life.
The first parts of the country, in which Manco Capac and his sister were educated, were the surroundings of Lake Titicaki, on the islands of which there were subsequently colossal temples of the sun and moon, surrounded by sacred maize fields. The Inca people went to these temples on pilgrimage. To the north, in the beautiful valley of the Andes, stood the sacred city of Cuzco, protected by amazingly strong walls. It was the capital of the Inca king; it housed a splendid temple of the sun, where pious Peruvians from all parts of the kingdom also came for pilgrimage. Like the Aztecs, the people 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, in fact, called the Incas, were considered to belong to the same family. The head of this clan was the king, whose dignity passed by inheritance to the eldest son or, if there were no sons, then to the closest relative who had the father and mother of people of the royal family.
The rise of the Inca empire during the reigns of its various sovereigns
Inca kings
The kings of the Incas, the sons of the sun, were considered sacred. They had unlimited power, appointed all the rulers and judges, established taxes and laws, were high priests and commanders in chief. The nobles, the highest rank of whom were the Incas, members of the royal family, observed a form of special reverence in their relations with the king. The Peruvian aristocracy had a ceremony similar to being knighted: a young man of noble birth kneeled before the king; the king pierced his ear with a golden needle. On solemn occasions, the Inca king appeared to the people in splendid clothes, woven from delicate Vicuna wool, decorated with gold and precious stones. He traveled frequently across 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 Yucai, a country palace in a picturesque valley near Cusco. When the Inca king “went to his father’s dwelling,” the entire population of the empire observed the established forms of mourning. In the tomb of the king they put precious vessels, expensive clothes, and on his tomb they sacrificed his beloved servants and concubines; the number of these victims reached, as they say, several thousand people. Expensive things were also placed in the coffins of the nobles; at their funeral, wives and servants were also sacrificed.
Social structure of the Inca empire
All land of the Peruvian Empire was considered the property of the Inca. She was divided among people of all classes; the size of the plots was proportionate to the needs of the estate, but only the lower class cultivated the land. In those villages that belonged directly to the government, a third of all agricultural and industrial products belonged to the tsar and his family; the other third went to the upkeep 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. The products of agriculture and industry, including fine vicuna wool fabrics, were kept in the Tsar's stores and distributed as needed.
Taxes and services in kind were borne only by the commoners; the nobility and clergy were free from them. A commoner in the Inca empire was obliged to work like a working animal, to regularly perform the work assigned to him, without thereby improving his position, but was provided from need. The people worked diligently under the supervision of the caretakers, the land was excellently cultivated, the mines brought in much silver and gold; bridges and stone gats were erected on the big roads. Many of these structures were enormous; roads were carefully repaired; all regions of the state were connected by them with Cuzco; mail went through them.
Inca city of 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 liked to conquer neighboring tribes not with weapons, but with the influence of civilization, industry, by persuasion; in those cases when they made conquests, they dealt with the conquered mercifully. The purpose of the conquests was to spread the 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 sections, the Peruvian work order was introduced; the coarse dialects of the conquered were gradually replaced by the language of the Incas. In those areas, the population of which stubbornly resisted this influence, numerous Inca colonies were founded, and the former inhabitants moved en masse to other areas.
Scientists who were called amauta, headed schools and kept records of events by means of a special method of "nodular writing" called kippu... The tribes that lived near the originally small kingdom of the Incas were at one time hostile to him, but little by little they merged with the Peruvians into one people, having mastered the Peruvian language and submitted to the orders introduced by the Incas.
Sample "nodular letter" kipu
Service to the sun
The service of the sun in the Inca empire was splendid and almost completely pure of human sacrifice; they were produced only occasionally and in small quantities. Usually only animals, fruits, flowers, incense were brought to the sun. Cannibalism disappeared from the Peruvians. Their main food was maize, bananas and cassava; from the young stems of maize they prepared an intoxicating drink, which they loved very much. Their other favorite delight was to chew coca leaves, which have an opium-like effect.
An eternal sacred fire burned in the temples of the sun, which was supported by the sun maidens, who lived like nuns. There were a lot of them. Some of them were honored to be among the wives of the Inca king. The king and the 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 sailed, led by Pizarro, to enslave him. They marveled at the carefully cultivated fields of the Peruvians, the fine products of their industry, the well-built houses, which were usually only one story to prevent harm from earthquakes, but vast and comfortable; marveled at the huge magnificent temples, the solid walls of fortresses; saw the people hardworking, temperate, 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; each Peruvian was assigned his place in one caste or another, and he remained in it with resignation to fate. Commoners lived according to the rules imposed on them by the higher castes, but for the lack of freedom they were rewarded with security from want.
The Incas (Inca) - a tribe from the valley of Cuzco, whose mighty 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 Tahuantinsuyu (Four cardinal points), because 4 roads left Cusco in different directions.
The Indians called their ruler Inca, which means "lord", "king". Then "Incas" began to call all representatives of the ruling class, and with the invasion of the conquerors - and the entire Indian population of the Tahuantinsuyu empire.
Creation of the Great Inca Empire
Thanks to the finds of archaeologists, it is obvious that the Inca civilization arose in the 1200-1300 years. At the end of the 11th century, due to the drought that raged in the Andes for more than 100 years, neighboring, stronger tribes lost their power in the struggle for water and food.
Inspired by success, the rulers of the Incas turned their eyes to the abundant land - a spacious plateau with. And Pachacutec-Inca-Yupanqui, one of the great rulers of the Incas, undertook a military campaign south in the 15th century.
The population of the lakeside states was about 400 thousand people. The slopes of the mountains are laced with gold and silver veins, fat flocks of llamas and alpacas grazed on 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, pushing 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 soldiers, 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 the inhabitants 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 with the necessary provisions by the subjects. Inca rulers were brilliant organizers.
The Inca civilization reached an unprecedented heyday. Stonemasons erected architectural masterpieces, engineers transformed disparate roads into a single system connecting all parts of the empire. Irrigation canals were created, agricultural terraces were broken on the slopes of the mountains, about 70 types of crops were grown there and significant reserves of provisions were laid in storage facilities. The governors perfectly mastered the inventory: they were aware of the contents of each storehouse of the huge empire, keeping records using a kipa - an analogue of the Inca computer code - bundles of multi-colored threads with special combinations of knots.
The rulers of the Incas were rather 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 Ruler of the Inca.
Social structure of civilization
The Inca empire had such a social structure: everyone worked here, except for the youngest and deepest old people. Each family had its own arable land plot. People weaved, sewed clothes, shoes or sandals, made dishes and jewelry from gold and silver.
The inhabitants of the empire did not have 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 for irrigating fields with water from mountain rivers, growing many valuable crops.
Many buildings erected by the Incas stand to this day. The Incas created many original bridges from willow twigs and vines twisted into thick ropes. The Incas were born potters and weavers:
they wove the finest fabrics of 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 is omnipotent. People could even change nature in incredible ways: during the construction of Huayna Kapaca's residence, workers leveled the hills, drained the swamps, and the center of the "new" territory of brick and stone to build a palace - Quispiguanca.
Wayna Capac died of an unknown illness around 1527. The close ones, having mummified the body, transported it to Cusco, 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 Quispiguanki estate. All the harvest from the fields was used to maintain in luxury the mummy of the ruler, his wives, descendants and servants.
The traditions of inheritance among the Incas were such that even after the death of the rulers, all the palaces remained in 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 unearthed the ruins of up to a dozen royal residences, built for at least six rulers.
Incas - Conquest by the Spaniards
In 1532, a detachment of 200 foreign conquerors under the leadership landed on the coast of present-day Peru. They wore steel armor and were armed with firearms. On the way to advance, the army was joined by those dissatisfied with the rule of the Incas. The Incas stubbornly resisted the conquerors, but the empire was weakened by civil war and the fact that a large number of Inca warriors died from smallpox and measles introduced by the Spaniards.
The Spaniards reached the northern city of Cajamarca, executed the ruler, placing their puppet on the throne.
Cuzco, 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 culture of the Incas was destroyed, the state was plundered. An extensive network of roads, temples and palaces gradually fell into decay.
