Landing in Lima
Trip Start
Unknown
1
60
130
Trip End
Ongoing
Lima, Peru
Saturday, March 29, 2008
A little history lesson of the Incas:
The Inca Empire, the Empire of the Sun, flourished in South America between 1438-1533. The Incan Empire picked up where numerous cultures had thrived in the past. The Chavin were the first culture to be known about and they lived in northern and central Peru between 850-200BC. They had art with images of animal-gods. Around 100BC, the Moche built a state along the coast. The Moche created objects from gold, pottery and textiles, and they were ruled by warrior priests. In 600AD, the Moche were conquered by the Huari. The Huari empire extended in to the Andean highlands and blocked expansion of Tiahuanaco. However, around 1000AD, both empires collapsed. Around 1200, the Chimu emerged and controlled over 600 miles of the Peruvian coast. It wasn't until 1470 that the Incas conquered the Chimu empire.
Inca civilization began as a tribe led by Manco Capac who settled in Cuzco. The Incan state grew as it absorbed other cultures. As the Inca conquered others, they let the people remain on their land. Craftsmen were allowed to continue their craft. As the Inca conquered other cultures they were able to absorb the skills of superior pottery, weaving and metalwork into their own culture. The Inca usually killed the men in a newly conquered village. Conquered people were forced to adopt Inca ways and speak their language.
In 1438, Sapa Inca Pachacuti led the Inca as they conquered modern day Peru, and he reorganized the area of Cuzco into the capital of the empire. It is believed that Pachacuti built Machu Picchu. The empire was led like a pyramid with the empire on top and then four provincial governments led by Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Contisuyu (SW), and Collasuyu (SE). At the very base of the pyramid of government were the farmers and craftsmen. Every village had an overseer that was responsible for the welfare of ten families. Their duties included keeping track of births, deaths and marriages. Above these overseers were the curacas. They were the lesser members of the nobility and they were responsible for 100 families. Above the curacas was a nobleman who was responsible for 500 families. They sat in court, listened to complaints and issued justice. Higher up in this system of government were noblemen that were responsible for 1000 families, then nobles responsible for 10,000 families and higher still were nobles responsible for 40,000 families. Finally, above them were the four wise men of royal blood who ruled over the four provinces of the Incan empire. The population was between eight and sixteen million people and their official language was Quechua.
Pachacuti's son continued the expansion of the Incan Empire into half of Bolivia and Ecuador and the coast of Chile between 1463-1493. The Inca had thirteen rulers during their Empire, and it was at its height in 1525 as it extended 3,000 miles as one of the three great civilizations of South America when the Spanish arrived. Spain, led by Francisco Pizarro, conquered Peru and the Incan empire. Cuzco was in Spanish hands in 1536.
