The Incas Essay Example For Students

The Incas Essay The Inca were South American Indian people who ruled one of the largest and richest empires in the Americas. The Inca Empire began to expand about 1438 and occupied a vast region that centered on the capital, Cusco, in southern Peru. The Empire extended more than 2,500 miles (4,020 kilometers) along the western coast of South America. It included parts of Present Day Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The Inca Empire was conquered by Spanish Forces soon after their arrival in 1532. Inca emperors ruled their far reaching territory through a complex political system. The Inca took over many areas by military force. Their political system kept a balance between the central authority of the emperor and local rulers. The name Inca was originally the title of the emperor. The peoples he governed had many names. But after the Spanish conquest, all people under the emperors rule were called the Inca. Inca is a group name which covers a large numbers of tribes. The original Incas were Quechua speakers who lived in South Eastern Peruvian highlands. Tribes later conquered by the Incas tended to assimulate Inca culture, to the exclusion of their own. In the 15century, led by Pachacuti Inca Yupaqui and his son Topa Inca, the Inca Empire exploded over the Andes. Both leaders claimed to be descendents of the sun, the most important symbol in Inca religious life. When Topa Inca died in 1493 Pachacutis Andean domain ran nearly 2,500 miles from North Ecuador into Chile and covered some 350,000 square miles. The Incas are famous for their intricate gold work and elaborate weaving. For subsistence they relied on terraced and irrigated cultivation, and very little on hunting and fishing. In the mountain areas the main crop was quinoa, and in lower areas maize, beans, peanuts, and squash. They kept llamas, alpacas, dogs, guinea pigs, and dogs. Men worked copper and gold and women made fabrics and pots. Inca towns had massive public buildings. Most of their technological achievements were grand scale copies of ideas from earlier civilizations. The skilful farmers who preceded the Inca, harnessing the melting snows of the Andes, dug irrigation ditches across the desert; they also deflected rivers for the same purpose. Nothing which the Minoans, Egyptians, and Sumerians did, agriculturally, equalled this achievement. They also demesticated animals. From the Native American camal the guanaco, they bred the llama and the alpaca for their wool, and guinea pigs for food. Most people lived in square stone houses with thatched roofs. The Inca political system was headed by an absolute divine king and was subdivided into a territorial organization with hierarchy of bureaucrats. There were no written records, despite the advanced technology, and history was preserved through narrative poems and genealogies. The empire began to crumble with the Spanish conquest of Cuzco in 1533. Archaeological remains are a major source of information about the Inca civilization. The Inca did not develop a writing system, and so there are no sources about them written before the spanish conquest. But the scientists and historians have reconstructed a picture of Inca life and history from well preserved archaeological remains in Peru. Written materials from the period of and after the spanish conquest provide another important source of information about the Inca civilization. The Inca used several methods to make their farms more productive, even though they did not use wheels or plows pulled by animals. They build irrigation networks in the coastal desert. In the highlands, they cut terraces into the hillsides to reduce erosion and make irrigation easier. The Crucible Essay QuestionsHis duties included expanding the empire and making sure that the people followed the proper religious observances. The Sapa Inca also had the duty of preventing the nobles from taking advantage of the commoners. The Inca tried to keep existing local rulers in power after conquering their territory. These rulers were allowed to govern independently as long as they did not rebel, paid taxes, and kept storehouses full of supplies. In this way, the Inca maintained strong ties within the empire. All commoners paid taxes by doing work for the government and giving the government a portion of their crops, livestock, or fish. The government required women to weave a certain amount of cloth. Men had to work on government construction projects, labor in the mines, or serve in the army. A group of inspectors made sure people paid their taxes. Communication and Learning:The Inca spoke a language called Quechua. Different peoples within the empire spoke several other Indian languages. People communicated only by talking because they had no writing. Messages were relayed by messengers stationed on the roads and by fires and smoke signals. The Inca studied stars and planets and used their observations to predict the seasons of the year. They knew how to perform certain mathematical calculations, which they used in designing buildings, roads, and terraced fields. Inca children learned by watching their parents work and imitating them. They also learned by listening to stories told by their elders. Chosen women and sons of nobles received some education. The chosen women learned to weave and make articles for religious ceremonies. The sons of the nobility went to school in Cusco for four years. They studied the Inca language, history, and religion. They also learned to use the quipu to keep records and practiced how to fight. The boys were taught by teachers called amautas. These men also recorded history in legends and poems that they recited from memory. Arts and Crafts:The Inca produced beautiful craft-work that ranged from images of the gods to items for everyday use by the nobles. The chosen women would make fine cloth woven with elaborate geometric designs. Inca builders became known for sturdy temples and dwellings made of stone. The large blocks of stone used for these structures were cut so finely that they fit together exactly without cement. The pottery of the Inca was beautiful and well made. Craftworkers painted it with geometric designs in black, brown, red, white, and yellow. Inca played haunting melodies on woodwinds and drums. The woodwinds included flutes and panpipes, and trumpets made of shell and ceramics. History : There is only a little known about the early history of the Inca. Their legends tell of brothers and sisters sent to earth by their father, the sun, to teach and rule the people. The Inca were originally a tribe or a group of tribes that lived in Cusco area. About 1200, they began to expand their rule over neighboring groups. The Inca heritage is still evident today. The Spaniards tried to wipe out all the customs of the Inca,but could not do so.