INCA EMPIRE

In 1476, the Inca civilization began to climb while under Viracocha Inka’s leadership.  Before this, the people consisted primarily of low-level chiefdoms.  When Inka came into power, his vast capital was built in Cuzco, becoming the first living god through a number of religious changes.  With these changes, Inka was able to control the people with a tight fist.  This civilization was an ancestor of the celestial divine, who came under the sky god.  With this, once a ruler died, his remains were mummified and taken to major ceremonies since they were considered an embodied part of the Inca state, along with nature’s fertility, not actually dead.

The language of the Inca people was called Tawantinsuyu, which when translated means “land of the four quarters.”  As the name suggests, the community was separated into four parts, which together became known as Cuzco.  For example, Condesuyu was to the southwest, Collasuyu to the southeast, Chinchasuyu to the northwest, and Antisuyu to the northeast.  Within these four regions, the Incas ruled over people who were actually independent societies, which represented many different ethnic groups, which also included different languages.

For the Andean people under Inka's control, small farming villages were home.  These people were then formed into Ayllus, which are social groups structured in kinship, which means all living things under Ayllu, which in addition to people meant animals, plants, and even the sun and stars.  Both men and women under Inka’s rules had to provide some of their work to the state, known as the Mita System.  As a part of this system, the people worked on roads, bridges, took care of llamas and alpaca herd, and cultivated the land.

Unfortunately, the Inca Empire started to fall in 1532 after small pox spread throughout the Andean population.  Seven years earlier, Wayna Capac even died of the disease.  However, the entire Inca Empire was also damaged greatly by the civil war that took place between Huascar and Atahualpa, Inka’s half brothers.  Then in 1532, the one brother Atahuallpa took over leadership during the time the Spanish army led by Pizarro came to Peru.

However, by 1534, Pizarro captured Atahualpa, brutally killing him.  Even worse, Pizarro then took control of the Empire, along with all its priceless treasures.  For instance, the Inca people worked with gold and their artisanship was impeccable.  Therefore, Pizarro took all the gold, and figurines, statues, and other items made from gold.  With this, the gold was melted down.