Group items tagged

The Lost Inca Empire

"Land of the Four Quarters" or Tahuantinsuyu is the name the Inca gave to their empire. It stretched north to south some 2,500 miles along the high mountainous Andean range from Colombia to Chile and reached west to east from the dry coastal desert called Atacama to the steamy Amazonian rain forest. At the height of its existence the Inca Empire was the largest nation on Earth and remains the largest native state to have existed in the western hemisphere.

10 million subjects. Cuzco, which emerged as the richest city in the New World, was the center of Inca life, the home of its leaders

The Inca ruled an empire in the Andes and Pacific coast of South America, with a capital in Cuzco (Peru) in the 12th century, at which time their population was about 12,000,000. They left no written record of their civilization before the Spanish conquest. The Inca had an oral tradition, however, claiming the founder of the Inca dynasty to be Manco Capac. Mayta Capac was their 4th emperor under whom the Inca began to expand. To manage the new areas, the Incas employed forced resettlement of many of the conquered people and set up local governors responsible for gathering taxes. When the Spanish arrived in Peru in 1532, the leadership of the Inca was in turmoil, and so within three years, the invaders conquered the Inca.

The Inca were agricultural, using canals and irrigation, with a large network of roads and bridges, as well as a message delivery system. The Inca were tolerant of the religion of their conquered people. Their own religion had among other elements, a sun god, Inti, a creator god, Viracocha, and human sacrifice.

1.   The Inca Empire existed in Peru. It ran along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of what is today called Ecuador to the Maule River in Chile. There were over a million people who were Inca. 2.   The man who established the Inca Empire was Manco Capac in 1438. Manco Capac declared himself Sapa Inca, divine son of the Sun. He was a skilled warrior and leader who exercised absolute power. Most historians agree there were thirteen emperors during the time when the Inca Empire existed. They were sometimes called, "The Inca". 3.   The Inca originated in the village of Paqari-tampu, about 15 miles south of Cuzco. 4.   The official language of the Inca was Quecha. The Inca had no written language. They kept their history and stories alive through stories that were passed from father to son.

5.   The Ancient Inca built aquaducts, cities, temples, fortresses, tunnels, suspension bridges, and 2, 250 miles of roads. The Inca had a great understanding of mathematics and agriculture. They also knew about hydraulics, astronomy, architecture and military strategy. 6.   The Inca had skills in music, textiles, wood and stone carving, art and poetry. The Inca were also highly skilled in working with all types of metals.  Their pottery was simple, practical and beautiful. The Ancient Inca grew corn, potatoes, coffee, and other grains.  They also created woven baskets and woodwind instruments. 7.   The Inca pyramids were built with mud bricks of clay that were mixed with dry straw from the corn plant.  When the Incas found a pyramid that had been built by another culture, they would build their own Inca temple on top of it. Inca gold was not inherited by a person's decendents, so when somebody died, the gold was placed inside the grave. 

8.   The Incas worshipped many gods and goddesses. The major Incan god was the god of nature, Viracocha, the creator. Another god was Inti, the sun god. Gold was the symbol of Inti. The sun god temple is the most important structure in Cuzco, the major city of the Incas. The Incas believed Inti was the father of Incan rulers. They worshipped the ruler as a living god. Major Incan goddesses included those of the earth and the sea. The Incas also worshipped many lesser gods and goddresses. These included the gods of the moon, thunder, rain, stars and rainbows. 9.   The Ancient Inca's developed important medical practices. They preformed surgery on human skulls and used anesthesia during surgery. Inca medicine included treating physical and emotional problems. 10.   In 1532 the Spanish arrived in Peru and by 1535 the Inca Empire was gone.