The Inca Civilization existed in Western South America in the 12th until the 16th century and was the largest civilization to exist at that time and the largest to ever exist in the Americas. They were a civilization with a rich and sophisticated culture that thrived in one of the harshest environments known to man.
The Inca had a number of creation myths. One creation myth was that the first people, Manco Capac and Mama Oqllu emerged from a sacred cave known as Tampu T'oqo, translated into House of Windows. The pair had many children who became the beginnings of the civilization. In another creation myth the creator god, Viracocha, came out of the ocean and arrived at Lake Titicaca where he created the sun and all races of people. These first people were buried and later emerged from springs and sacred rocks. The Inca, however, were brought to life at Tiahuanaco by the sun god Inti and considered themselves to be the children of the sun.
The civilization began to truly thrive under the rule of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, or Reverser of the World. Against all odds Pachacuti defeated the Chanca army and expanded the Inca empire. His successors later expanded the empire from Chile to Columbia.
The Inca had no formal currency and instead relied heavily on a trade and barter system. Taxes were payed with food, exotic feathers, metals, textiles, and in many cases; labor. In order to keep statistical data the Inca used a device called a quipu, which was an assembly of string and knots which could record decimals up to 10,000.
Cuzco was the capitol of the Inca Empire and at it's peak had a population of 150,000. The most amazing structures in all of Cuzco were the temples built for the gods, Inti the sun god and Mama Kilya the moon goddess, both temples being drenched in gold and silver respectively. It has been rumored that the city was laid out in the form of a puma, however many take this to be metaphorical.
The Inca religion relied on gods and goddesses, mainly Inti and Mama Kilya. People tried to appease the gods through gifts of precious metals, food, drinks, animal sacrifices, and human sacrifices. The Inca also highly revered their ancestors and in many cases mummified them.
(Fun fact: Pachacuti brought his mummified ancestor into battle for good luck).
Inca stonemasons created beautiful works that focused on geometry and nature. Astoundingly their blocks fit together so well they didn't have to use mortar and withstood earthquakes that frequented the region.
The empire was brought to it's knees with the arrival of Francisco Pizarro. The northern territories of the Inca Empire were often unhappy with current rulers which Pizarro used to his advantage to stir up rebellions that crippled the empire. The most damaging factor of all were the diseases such as smallpox, brought to South America by the Spanish conquistadors. Without any immunity 65-90% of the Inca population died.
While the Inca Empire no longer exists, it lives on today through it's artifacts, ancient ruins, and the Quechua language that is still spoken by around eight million people.
Cartwright, Mark. "Inca Civilization." Ancient History Encyclopedia. Ancient History Encyclopedia, 15 Sep 2014. Web. 17 Mar 2019.
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