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The
Inca
About six hundred years ago, the Inca people
built an empire that stretched twenty-five hundred miles down
the coast of South America. At its height, the empire included
most of Peru, much of Chile, and parts of Ecuador, Bolivia, and
Argentina. The Inca Empire was made up of coasts, desert areas,
rain forests, and parts of the Andes, the second highest
mountain range in the world. Over 12 million people lived in
this kingdom ruled by an emperor believed to be the son of the
sun. How did the Inca built this great empire without having
horses, the wheel, or a written language?
The Rulers
The first of the great Inca rulers was Pachacuti
(Pah-chah-KOO-tee). In the early 1400’s, he conquered the area
around Cuzco, and then continued to take over the land to the
north. Pachacuti was a great ruler. In addition to expanding the
empire, he required that all the conquered people speak a single
language, Quechua. This language is still spoken by natives of
the Andes. Pachacuti’s son, Tupa Inca, continued to expand the
area of the empire into present-day Chile and Argentina. Tupa
Inca’s son, Huayna (WHY-nah) Capac, added millions more subjects
to the empire from Ecuador and Colombia. One of his sons,
Atahualpa, was the last Inca Emperor, defeated by the Spanish
conquistadores (conquerors) in 1534.
Children of the Sun
Living high in the Andes Mountains, the Inca
depended on the sun for their survival. Without it, their crops
would not grow. The giver of light and heat was Inti, the Sun
God. He was the father of the Emperor and protector of the
people. There were other Inca gods that ruled over the moon and
thunder, but Inti was the most important. Every year in Cuzco,
capital of the Inca Empire, a great festival honoring Inti was
celebrated. It was presided over by the Emperor, and featured
songs, feasting, and offerings to the great sun god. The
festival, called “Inti Raymi,” is still celebrated in Cuzco, and
attended by thousands of people. (Cesar’s picture of Inti Raymi)
Silent Brothers
The Inca called the llama their silent brother,
because this animal was not only a great companion, but helped
them in every way. It could carry loads of up to 80 pounds, and
it like the camel, its distant cousin, could survive for days
with no food or water. The llama also gave the Inca warm wool
for cloth, and at special feasts it was sacrificed to the gods.
This animal continues to be a valued friend and helper to
modern-day Andean people.
Symbol of the Inca Empire
These are the majestic remains of Machu Picchu
(Old Mountain, in Quechua), the best-preserved Inca site.
Located about 44 miles northwest of Cuzco and rising 7,710 feet
above sea level, Machu Picchu was probably a royal estate built
by the Emperor Pachacuti. We can only imagine the original
appearance of this site, composed of 140 buildings, including
temples, sanctuaries, parks and residences. How the Inca moved
the enormous stones making up the structures into place, not
having knowledge of the wheel, is a mystery. The stones
themselves are a marvel. They fit together so perfectly that not
even a knife fits between them. It is said that the silhouette,
or outline of the mountain range behind Machu Picchu represents
the face of the Inca looking upwards to the sky.
Daily Life in the Inca Empire
The Inca were master builders, and people can
still travel along the many roads and bridges they built. Their
society was organized like a pyramid. At the top was the emperor
and family. Below them came the royal family, then two classes
of nobles. At the bottom were the peasants or farmers who grew
crops and provided labor for the empire’s beautiful monuments
and buildings. Whether of humble or noble birth, all Inca people
had to spend part of the year working for the state. Hard work
was a virtue, and laziness was a crime, equal to treason!
Although the Spanish may have conquered the Inca, reminders of
the Inca way of life are everywhere. Many villagers still speak
Quechua, the Inca language. They prepare and eat many of the
same foods eaten by the Inca, such as potatoes and chicha,
or corn beer. And they wear beautiful woven ponchos, such as
those worn by the musicians of Inca Son, while making music on
the same type of siku, or panflutes used by their
ancestors.
End of the Empire
The Inca Empire fell to the armies of the Spanish
treasure hunter Francisco Pizarro in 1532. The Spanish had heard
of a wonderfully rich Indian empire in the Andes, with an
abundance of what they most craved – GOLD! The Spanish easily
defeated the Inca, who were no match for soldiers on horseback
firing guns. They took the emperor Atahualpa as a prisoner, and
demanded a ransom of gold or silver for his release. Although
enough silver and gold poured in to fill two rooms of the
palace, Pizarro had Atahualpa killed, and seized the ransom. The
Empire fell to these conquerors, who sought to rob the Inca of
their religion and way of life. During the first century of
Spanish rule, the Indian population of Peru fell by 80 percent.
Eight out of every 10 died, killed by overwork, lack of food,
and disease brought by the Europeans.
Find out more about the Inca civilization. Here
are some good links of kids where you can:
Discover the secrets of the Inca Universe:
http://www.ancientperu.com/content/universe/index.html
Unwrap an Inca mummy!
http://www.nationalgeographic.com/inca/
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