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Ancient Inca civilization

At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. The first empires arose on the Pacific coast and in the northern regions of the South American continent. The most significant of them was the Inca state. During its heyday, between 8 million and 15 million people lived here.

The term "Inca" denoted the title of the ruler of several tribes in the foothills of the Andes; this name was also borne by the Aymara, Huallacán, Quéuar and other tribes who lived in the Cusco valley and spoke the Quechua language.

The Inca Empire occupied an area of ​​1 million square meters. km, its length from north to south exceeded 5 thousand km. The Inca state, divided into four provinces around the city of Cusco and located in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca, included the territory of modern Bolivia, northern Chile, part of modern Argentina, the northern part of the modern Republic of Peru and modern Ecuador.

The supreme power in the state belonged entirely to Sapa Inca - that was the official name of the emperor. Each Sapa Inca built his own palace, richly decorated to his taste. The best artisan jewelers made for him a new golden throne, richly decorated with precious stones, most often emeralds. Gold in the Inca Empire was widely used in jewelry, but was not a means of payment. The Incas managed without money, since one of the main principles of their life was the principle of self-sufficiency. The entire empire was a huge subsistence economy.

Religion occupied an important place in the life of the Incas. Each population group, in each region had its own beliefs and cults. The most common form of religious ideas was totemism - the worship of a totem - an animal, plant, stone, water, etc. with whom believers considered themselves related. The lands of the communities were named after the deified animals. In addition, the cult of ancestors was widespread. The deceased ancestors, according to the Incas, were supposed to contribute to the ripening of crops, the fertility of animals and the well-being of people. Believing that the spirits of ancestors lived in caves, the Incas erected stone mounds near the caves, whose outlines resembled human figures. Associated with the cult of ancestors is the custom of mummifying the corpses of the dead. Mummies in elegant clothes, with jewelry, utensils, and food were buried in tombs carved into rocks. The mummies of rulers and priests were buried especially magnificently.

The Incas erected their buildings from various types of stone - limestone, basalt, diorite and raw brick. The houses of ordinary people had light roofs made of thatch and tufts of reeds; There were no stoves in the houses, and the smoke from the hearth came out directly through the thatched roof. Temples and palaces were built especially carefully. The stones from which the walls were made were fitted so tightly to each other that binders were not required when constructing buildings. In addition, the Incas built fortresses with numerous watchtowers on the mountain slopes. The most famous of them rose above the city of Cusco and consisted of three rows of walls 18 m high.

In their temples, the Incas worshiped a whole pantheon of gods, who had a strict chain of command. The highest of the gods was considered Kon Tiksi Viracocha - the creator of the world and the creator of all other gods. Among those gods whom Viracocha created were: the god Inti (golden Sun) - the legendary ancestor of the ruling dynasty; the god Ilyapa is the god of weather, thunder and lightning, to whom people turned with requests for rain, for Ilyapa could make the waters of the Heavenly River flow to the earth; Inti's wife, the goddess of the Moon, is Mama Kilja. The Morning Star (Venus) and many other stars and constellations were also revered. In the religious ideas of the ancient Aztecs, a special position was occupied by the extremely ancient cults of the earth mother - Mama Pacha and the sea mother - Mama Cochi.

The Incas had many religious and ritual festivals associated with the agricultural calendar and the life of the ruling family. All celebrations were held in the main square of Cusco - Huacapata (Sacred Terrace). Roads diverged from it, connecting the capital with four provinces of the state. By the time the Spaniards arrived, three palaces towered in Huacapata Square. Two of them were turned into sanctuaries. When an Inca ruler died, his body was embalmed and the mummy was left in his palace. From that time on, the palace became a sanctuary, and the new ruler built himself another palace.

The ensemble of temples of Qoricancha (Golden Court) is considered the highest achievement of Inca architecture. The main building of the ensemble was the temple of the Sun God - Inti, where there was a golden image of the god, decorated with large emeralds. This image was placed in the western part, and it was illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun. The walls of the temple were entirely covered with gold sheets. The ceiling was covered with wood carvings, the floor was covered with carpets stitched with gold threads. The windows and doors were studded with precious stones. Several chapels adjoined the Temple of the Sun - in honor of thunder and lightning, the rainbow, the planet Venus, and the main one - in honor of the Moon (Mama Quilla). The image of the Moon in the Inca Empire is associated with the idea of ​​a woman, a goddess. Therefore, the chapel of Mama Killa was intended for the coyma - the wife of the Inca ruler, only she had access to this chapel. The mummies of the rulers' dead wives were also located here. In the Chapel of the Moon all the decorations were made of silver.

Various crafts among the Incas reached their highest peak. The Incas mastered mining quite early and mined copper and tin ore in mines to make bronze, from which axes, sickles, knives and other household utensils were cast. The Incas could smelt metal, knew the techniques of casting, forging, chasing, soldering and riveting, and also made products using the cloisonné enamel technique. Chroniclers reported that the Inca craftsmen made a golden ear of corn, in which the grains were golden, and the fibers surrounding the cob were made of the finest silver threads. The pinnacle of Inca jewelry was the image of the Sun God in the Temple of the Sun in Cusco in the form of a huge golden solar disk with a skillfully minted human face.

The gold wealth of the Incas reached its apogee during the reign of Huayna Capac. He's giving orders! cover the walls and roofs of their palaces and temples with sheet gold; There were many golden animal sculptures in the royal palace. During the ceremonies, 50 thousand. warriors were armed with golden weapons. A huge portable golden throne with a cape of precious feathers was placed in front of the residence palace.

All this was plundered by conquistadors from the expedition of Francisco Pissaro. The works of jewelry were melted down into ingots and sent to Spain. But much remains in hiding and has not yet been discovered.

According to researchers of Inca culture, their empire died largely because of religion. Firstly, the religion approved the ritual in which the ruler chose a successor from among his sons. This led to an internecine war between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, which significantly weakened the country before the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors led by Pizarro. Secondly, there was a legend among the Incas that in the future the country would be ruled by new, unfamiliar people who would conquer the empire and become its only rulers. This explains the fear and hesitation of the Incas before the Spanish conquistadors.

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Inca civilization

INCA CIVILIZATION , formed in the 16th century. in areas adjacent to the Pacific coast of South America (Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, part of Argentina and Chile).
Initially, the word “Inca” meant the Indians who lived in the capital of Cusco and spoke the Quechua language. The Spaniards called all the peoples that were part of the Inca state this way. It was called Tauantinsuyu ("four cardinal directions") and consisted of 4 parts: Chinchasuyu (northwest), Kolyasuyu (south), Kuntisuyu (west) and Antisuyu (east). The parts were divided into provinces, and those into districts. Each unit was headed by a governor. The country was united by a network of roads.

Inca civilization. Golden mask. 13 - beginning 14th century

The history of the Incas is divided into 2 periods: legendary (12th century.

Inca Empire

1438) and the imperial period (1438-1533). Their official history is largely legendary and closely intertwined with myths. During the legendary era, 7 rulers changed: Manco Capac, Sinchi Roca, Lloque Yupanqui, Maita Capac, Capac Yupanqui, Inca Roca and Yahuar Huacac. The 8th ruler was Viracocha. His reign is a transitional period from legendary history to historical history. Pachacutec, who ruled after Viracocha (from about 1438), subjugated neighboring communities and laid the foundation of a great empire.

Traditional Inca costume

Supreme power was inherited. The supreme ruler was the Sapa Inca. Close relatives, Incas by blood, were a serious political force. Community members in Tawantinsuyu united into clan groups - the foundation of the political system of the empire. Temple and palace servants, settler colonists, and artisans (coppersmiths, tanners, jewelers, potters, and priests who interpreted the knotted quipu script) were excluded from the communal system.
The basis of the economy was agriculture. Cattle breeding was developed in the highlands: llamas, alpacas, vicuñas and guanacos were bred. These animals were used as pack animals (for transporting goods), their meat was used for food, and fabrics were made from wool. Root crops were grown a little lower. Maize (corn) was sown in the fertile valleys. Due to the lack of fertile land in the valleys, terrace farming was carried out on the mountain slopes.

Craftsmen were skilled in cold processing of meteorite iron and made products from gold, lead, copper, and tin. Jewelry, figurines of people and animals were made from precious metals. Fabrics were considered the most valuable products; the Incas reached great heights in their production. Taxes were collected in kind. A third each went to the Sapa Inca (state), the gods and the producers themselves. Education depended on social status. Children of the nobility studied theology, history, mathematics, geography, engineering, and economics in special institutions. The children of the community members learned from their parents and elders.

In the era of the empire, 3 gods of the sky were considered the main ones: the creator god of the Universe (Viracocha and others had many incarnations), the sun god Inti and the thunder god Ilyapa. The main female deity (Mama Kilja - the wife of the Sun god) was associated with the Moon. The ruling Inca was considered the embodiment of the Sun, and his wife the embodiment of the Moon. Ancestors were revered (the Incas worshiped their mummies, which were kept in special rooms).
In 1532, the Spaniards, led by F. Pizarro, invaded the territory of the Incas, occupied Cuzco in 1533 and soon, using the discontent of the Indian tribes conquered by the Incas, took possession of the entire empire. The Incas conquered by the Spaniards later joined the Quechua.

Inca civilization

Quechua, the language of the Incas, is very distantly related to the Aymara language spoken by the Indians who lived near Lake Titicaca. It is not known what language the Incas spoke in before Pachacutec elevated Quechua to the rank of the state language in 1438.

Inca culture

Thanks to a policy of conquest and resettlement, Quechua spread throughout the empire, and is still spoken by the majority of Peruvian Indians to this day.

Agriculture.

Initially, the population of the Inca state consisted mostly of farmers who, if necessary, took up arms. Their daily life was governed by the agricultural cycle, and under the guidance of experts, they turned the empire into an important center for plant cultivation. More than half of all foods currently consumed in the world come from the Andes. Among them are over 20 varieties of corn and 240 varieties of potatoes, camote (sweet potatoes), zucchini and pumpkin, various varieties of beans, cassava (from which flour was made), peppers, ground nuts and quinoa (wild buckwheat). The most important agricultural crop of the Incas was the potato, which could withstand extreme cold and grow at altitudes of up to 4600 m above sea level. By alternately freezing and thawing potatoes, the Incas dehydrated them to such an extent that they turned them into a dry powder called “chuño.” . Corn (sara) was grown at altitudes up to 4100 m above sea level. and was consumed in various forms: cheese on the cob (choklo), dried and lightly fried (kolo), in the form of hominy (mote) and made into an alcoholic drink (saraiyaka, or chicha). To make the latter, women chewed corn kernels and spat the pulp into a vat, where the resulting mass, under the influence of salivary enzymes, fermented and released alcohol.

At that time, all Peruvian tribes were at approximately the same technological level. The work was carried out jointly. The main tool of the farmer's labor was the taklya , a primitive digging stick - a wooden stake with a burnt tip for strength.

There was arable land, but not in abundance. Rain in the Andes usually falls from December to May, but dry years are not uncommon. Therefore, the Incas irrigated the land using canals, many of which indicate a high level of engineering. To protect soils from erosion, terrace farming was used by pre-Inca tribes, and the Incas improved this technology.

The Andean peoples practiced predominantly sedentary agriculture and extremely rarely resorted to slash-and-burn agriculture, common among the Indians of Mexico and Central America, in which areas cleared of forest were sown for 1–2 years and abandoned as soon as the soil was depleted. This is explained by the fact that the Central American Indians did not have natural fertilizers, with the exception of rotten fish and human excrement, while in Peru, coastal farmers had huge reserves of guano, and in the mountains llama (taki) dung was used for fertilizer.

These camelids are descended from wild guanacos, which were domesticated thousands of years before the Incas. Llamas tolerate high mountain cold and desert heat; they serve as pack animals, capable of carrying up to 40 kg of cargo; they provide wool for making clothes and meat - it is sometimes dried in the sun, called “charki”. Llamas, like camels, tend to defecate in one place, so their manure can be easily collected to fertilize fields. Llamas played an important role in the formation of settled agricultural cultures in Peru.

Social organization. Ilyu. At the base of the social pyramid of the Incan empire was a type of community - the aylew. It was formed from family clans that lived together on the territory allocated to them, owned land and livestock together, and divided the harvests among themselves. Almost everyone belonged to one community or another, was born and died in it. Communities were small and large - up to an entire city. The Incas did not know individual land ownership: the land could only belong to the aylyuili, and later, to the emperor and, as it were, leased to a member of the community. Every autumn there was a redistribution of land - plots increased or decreased depending on the size of the family. All agricultural work in the aylyu was carried out jointly.

At the age of 20, men were supposed to get married. If the young man himself could not find a mate, a wife was selected for him. The lower social strata maintained strict monogamy, while representatives of the ruling class practiced polygamy.

Some women had the opportunity to leave the ailya and improve their situation. We are talking about “chosen ones” who, for their beauty or special talents, could be taken to Cuzco or to the provincial center, where they were taught the art of cooking, weaving or religious rituals. Dignitaries often married the “chosen ones” they liked, and some became concubines of the Inca himself.

State of Tawantinsuyu. The name of the Inca Empire, Tawantinsuyu, literally means “four connected cardinal directions.” Four roads left Cuzco in different directions, and each, regardless of its length, bore the name of the part of the empire to which it led. Antisuya included all the lands east of Cuzco - the Eastern Cordillera and the Amazonian jungle. From here the Incas were threatened by raids from tribes they had not pacified. Continsuyu united the western lands, including the conquered cities of Costa - from Chan Chan in the north to Rimac in Central Peru (the location of present-day Lima) and Arequipa in the south. Collasuyu, the largest part of the empire, extended south from Cuzco, covering Bolivia with Lake Titicaca and parts of modern Chile and Argentina. Chinchasuyu ran north to Rumichaka. Each of these parts of the empire was ruled by an apo, related by blood to the Inca and answerable only to him.

Decimal administrative system. The social and, accordingly, economic organization of Inca society was based, with certain regional differences, on a decimal administrative-hierarchical system. The accounting unit was purik - an adult capable man who has a household and is able to pay taxes. Ten households had their own, so to speak, “foreman” (the Incas called him a pacha-kamajok), a hundred households were headed by a pacha-kuraka, a thousand were headed by a malku (usually the manager of a large village), ten thousand were headed by a provincial governor (omo-kuraka), and ten the provinces made up a “quarter” of the empire and were ruled by the apo mentioned above. Thus, for every 10,000 households there were 1,331 officials of various ranks.

Inka. The new emperor was usually elected by a council of members of the royal family. Direct succession to the throne was not always observed. As a rule, the emperor was chosen from the sons of the legal wife (koya) of the deceased ruler. The Inca had one official wife with countless concubines. Thus, according to some estimates, Huayna Capac had about five hundred sons alone, who happened to live under Spanish rule. The Inca appointed his offspring, who made up a special royal ailya, to the most honorable positions. The Inca Empire was a true theocracy, since the emperor was not only the supreme ruler and priest, but also, in the eyes of the common people, a demigod. In this totalitarian state, the emperor had absolute power, limited only by custom and fear of rebellion.

5 Art of American Civilizations

Report: Inca Empire

Another great state of pre-Columbian America was the Inca Empire, or, as the Incas themselves called their country, Tawantinsuyu or “Land of the Four Parts.” The latter name is due to the fact that the country was divided into four provinces: Kuntinsuyu, Collasuyu, Antisuyu and Chinchasuyu with the capital in the city of Cusco. The founding of the country is attributed to the legendary Inca Manco Capac. The word “Inca” itself never referred to the name of the tribe; it only denoted the ruler of the state. Under his successors, the territory of the state constantly expanded, especially when a regular army was created under Yaruara Huacaca.

When conquering a state or city, the Incas resettled other tribes on their territory, due to which the national element, which could lead to a war of liberation, disappeared. In the conquered territories, the state language of the Incas, Quechuan, was introduced without fail, which also contributed to the unity of the huge country. The symbol of the country's power was the city of Cusco, one of the most beautiful cities in the world, on whose territory there were hundreds of palaces and temples. The main square in the city was Huacapata Square (sacred terrace), from which roads departed to the four main provinces of the country. There were also palaces there, one of which had an area of ​​30 by 160 meters. The wealth of the Inca rulers can be judged by the fact that when the old Inca emperor died, his body was embalmed and placed in the palace, which from now on became a sanctuary. His successor had to build a new palace for himself. No European ruler could afford such luxury. But the most striking thing with its magnificence was the temple complex of Cusco Coricancha (golden courtyard). Its main building was the temple of the sun god Inti, in which there were a huge number of tons of gold alone. Golden windows, doors, walls, roofs, floors, ceilings, and religious objects amazed people. The center of the temple was a multi-meter disk made of pure gold, symbolizing the Sun God. Near the temple there was a courtyard called Intipampa (golden field), on which there were trees, plants and herbs made of gold, deer, butterflies, shepherds, etc. Moreover, all this was made in life-size and everything moved (!) with the help of the most skillful mechanisms . It truly was a miracle unparalleled in the world. No less proud of the empire were its roads, which were no inferior to modern highways. One of these roads was 5,250 kilometers long - the longest highway in the world until the beginning of the 20th century. The roads were up to 7.5 meters wide, and in some places were located at an altitude of 5160 meters above sea level. Inns with warehouses were built on the roads at a certain distance from each other.

Stone statues of Easter Island. Chile

The Incas also had a state post office, which, you see, looks almost fantastic. Despite these magnificent achievements, the Incas did not know either the wheel or writing. However, they had writing, but in the form of a “knot letter”: the threads in this knot indicated either gold - a yellow rope, or a soldier - red, etc. Numbers were indicated by knitting a certain number of knots. However, this did not interfere with the development of science and poetry. The life of the Incas was unthinkable without religious rituals, which, like the Aztecs, were characterized by incredible cruelty. A “caste” of professional priests, headed by a high priest, was responsible for performing the rituals. The gods of the Incas were Inti - God of the sun, Mama Kilya - Goddess of the moon, Mama Pacha - Goddess of the earth, Mama Kochi - Goddess of the sea, etc. Each of these gods was dedicated to a special holiday, of which there were a year (for the Incas the year was also equal to 365 days) exorbitant amount.

Relief on the Gate of the Sun in Tiahuanaco.

The Incas. Reconstruction

During each of them, thousands of people were thrown onto the altar, whose blood flowed in rivers from the altars of the insatiable gods. Moral values ​​were also trampled upon, ultimately reduced to zero. Religious fanaticism and cruelty, combined with depravity, corroded the outwardly brilliant empire from within, like rust. On November 15, 1532, a detachment of Spanish conquistadors led by Pizarro, crossing the Andes, entered the land of the Incas. The history of the collapse of the Aztec state completely repeated itself. Taking advantage of the strife that began among the Incas in the struggle for the throne, Pizarro with a small handful of people defeated the greatest empire, which soon turned into a Spanish colony.

Inca rulers:

1. Manco Capac (1150)

2. Sinchi Roka

3. Lloque Yupanqui

5. Capac Yupanqui

21. General characteristics of the Inca culture.

Inca Rock

7. Yaruar Huacac

8. Viracocha Inca

9. Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (1438-1471)

10. Tupac Inca Yupanqui (1471-1493)

11. Huayna Capac (1493-1527)

12. Huascar (1527-1530)

13. Atahualpa (1530-1532)

Like the idol with clay feet from the book of the prophet Daniel, the Inca Empire looked menacing and majestic, but if we take a closer look, we will see that its base, like the idol’s, was made of clay. Built on false religion, cruelty and debauchery, the Inca Empire collapsed, leaving behind pitiful, degraded tribes of unfortunate people who did not know how to sew clothes, shoot archery, or build on their own.

Truly, without God there is no future, no life itself!

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The Inca Empire existed for a relatively short time from the beginning of the 15th century. until 1532ᴦ., when the country was captured by the Spanish conquerors. The Incan writing system has not been fully deciphered. The capital was the city of Cusco, famous for its Golden Garden (perhaps the craftsmen who created it were from the Chimu people).

The architecture is simple and unadorned. Temples, dwellings, and fortresses are made of huge blocks of stone (up to 350 tons in weight) very precisely fitted to each other, but not held together with binding mortars (Sacsahuaman fortress).

The houses had strong stone walls and cramped interior spaces. Most houses have no windows and are lit through doors. According to travelers' descriptions, the buildings were originally decorated with wide belts of thick gold plates. The use of precious metals not as money, but as a decorative material, was characteristic of the Incas. For example, in the Temple of the Sun in the city of Cusco, several rooms are decorated with images of the Sun, Moon, rainbow and stars made of gold, silver and precious stones. Unlike Central America, the Incas built pyramids up to 40m high. not for temples, but for burials. Trapezoidal entrances and niches are characteristic features of Inca architecture.

Stone sculpture received almost no development among the Incas.

The art of making and painting ceramics has been developed. It is conventionally divided into several periods. In the first period, the vessels depict scenes of battle, fishing, and mythological subjects. In the second period, the paintings practically disappear, but the vessels themselves turn into real sculpture. Most often, the vessels were made in the shape of a person’s head, sometimes conveying individual features.

Later, vessels appear in the form of animals, fruits and plants.

The main food of the Incas was potatoes (including canned ones), corn, and pumpkins. The Incas grew coca, a narcotic plant. In the empire there was a clear division of the population into the elite and the bulk of the inhabitants. According to the law, the Inca (ruler of the empire) married his sister, who became his legal wife and, as a rule, the mother of the heir. In addition to his main wife, he had a harem and could live with any of the nuns of the monasteries, since he was the incarnation of the Sun God on Earth. The heir was appointed during the life of the ruler by the ritual of public hair cutting. The future heir helped his father and learned management. There were 10 age groups of the population, each of which had certain rights and responsibilities. Group 1: infants. Group 2: children under 2 years old. Group 3: children playing. Group 4: children 9-12 years old. Group 5: teenagers 12-18 years old. Group 6: 18-25 years old - serving in the army. Group 7: 25-50 years old – married and running a household.

Group 8: 50-80 years old – old people. Group 9: 80 years and older - deaf old people. Group 10: patients.

There were no uprisings in the state. This social system provided security for old age. In this regard, it is sometimes called “Indian socialism”. There was no money in the empire, only natural exchange on the market. Gold is used as decoration. The army is well trained and equipped (clubs with stone or metal ends). There were excellent roads and a post office. The messengers ran from parking lot to parking lot for about two kilometers; as a result of the relay race, 2000 km were covered in 3 days. The Incas composed poems that were later written down by the Jesuits.

Inca culture

The knotted quipu script is widespread, in which one can count up to 1,000,000. The nobility studied at universities for 4 years, where they studied the Quechua language, solar religion, knotted quipu script, history and military affairs. The Incas wove dense fabrics with a density of 80´45 threads/cm (modern parachute fabric has a density of 60´30 threads/cm). Οʜᴎ performed operations, incl. and craniotomy.

The last Inca was called Tupacu Omaru.

Additional information.

The oldest cultures of Peru date back to the 3rd millennium BC.

Close to ᴦ. Lima There was a culture at that time whose representatives did not know about the existence of metals, but erected clay and stone temples on artificial platforms.

The Temple of the Crossed Hands is famous. Later, this gesture-sign is found in Colombia.

Culture Chavin, associated with the cult of the Jaguar, was widespread at the end of the 2nd - middle of the 1st millennium. BC.

Culture Nazca(mid-2nd century BC) correlates with the valleys of the Ica, Pisco and Nazca rivers. Here the “wooden Stonehenge of Peru” was found – the Escuquería sanctuary. It consists of hundreds of dried mesquite tree trunks. The center of the composition is a square formed by 12 rows of 12 columns each. Giant images found in the Nazca Desert. Gallery of Pampa de Nazca - platforms, lines, spirals, human and animal ʼʼfigurasʼʼ (geoglyphs). The head of a giant bird (120m long) is directed towards the point of sunrise on the winter solstice. According to M. Stingle, the Indians buried the deceased using a triangular-shaped balloon. At sunset, the deceased was placed in a wicker basket, the balloon rose above the sea and disappeared beyond the horizon.

Culture Mochika(I-VII centuries BC) left behind the pyramids of the Sun and Moon. In Pampa Grande. The Pyramid of the Sun has a base of 342´159 m. Gold products are unique. We have reached the legend of the existence of a golden garden and eyewitness accounts of a room with five thousand golden butterflies, each of which weighed less than a gram and hovered in the air with slight fluctuations in the air. The butterflies were melted by the conquerors. As a result, they received 4 kg 700 ᴦ. pure gold. Around Lake Titicaca, many chulpas have been found - funeral towers of rectangular and cylindrical shape, extended upward.

According to legend, the founder of the Chimu culture sailed to Peru from the north with his detachment on rafts. His name was Naimlan. ʼʼNaiʼʼ means ʼʼbirdʼʼ or ʼʼflightʼʼ. Chimu built the city of Chan-Chan with an area of ​​18 square meters. km. The city is surrounded by two rows of defensive walls and divided into 10 quarters 450´300 m. In many respects, the customs that reigned in the Chimu state differed little from the customs of the 25th century. Inc. In the 1460s. Two cultures collided - the coastal Chimu culture, which worshiped the Moon, and the mountainous Inca culture, which worshiped the Sun. The victory remained for the second. Clay reliefs depicting birds, fish, lizards, foxes, and ornaments have been preserved from the Chimu culture. Since ancient times, the supreme deity in Peru has been depicted framed by a snake arch, surrounded by predators. The arch symbolized the rainbow, the Milky Way, thunder, and the sky.

Culture Olmec- one of the cultures of ancient Mexico. San Lorenzo, the capital of the Olmecs, was abandoned for unknown reasons in 900ᴦ. The second capital of the “jaguar” Indians was La Venta. Huge stone heads have been found at La Venta.

Tribes Chol and Tzeltal They left in Palenque (Mexico) a famous ensemble in which the palace tower, a 4-story building, was also an observatory.

The Toltec culture is interesting. The Pyramid of the Morning Star in Tula (Tollan) has been preserved.

There are very few sources of information regarding the history of the Incas, an ancient Indian civilization. Most of the information comes from Spanish conquistadors and missionaries. Filippo Huaman Poma De Ayaalo, an Inca artist of the 16th century, left one original and priceless document - these are drawings and chronicles that give a detailed description of Inca society. Realizing that his world could disappear, Huaman Poma described all its splendor. This was his life's work. He intended to give it to King Philip II, in the hope that the monarch would see his colony in a different light and change his attitude towards it.

In his work, he also described the way of life of the Andean peoples before the arrival of the Incas - the Indians led a harsh and difficult lifestyle, they were practically savages. But everything changed with the appearance of a creature who was half-man, half-god - the son of Inti, the son of God. His name is Manco Capac. He called himself “Inca” and brought civilization to his world.

He taught people to build cities and cultivate the land. Under his leadership, the Inca world began to flourish. His wife Manco Capacá Ocllo taught the women how to weave.

This was the world of the Incas, where one name belonged to both the ruler and his people.

100 years after the formation of the Inca Empire, in the 15th century, this state, located on the territory of Peru, Bolivia and Ecuador, ceased to exist. However, more on this a little later... The article will talk about who the Incas were.

The Birth of Civilization

According to legend, the sun god Inti created the ancestors of the Inca rulers. These were 4 brothers and 4 sisters who came out of the Tampa Tokko cave. Their leader was Aiyar Manko, who carried a golden staff in his hands. He had to find a place where the staff would enter the ground, which would be a sign of fertile soil.

After long wanderings, Aiyar Manco and his brothers and sisters came to the valley of Cuzco, where the staff finally entered the ground.

After defeating the warlike locals, the brothers and sisters founded the capital of the Inca Empire. Ayar Manco began to call himself Manco Capac, which means “ruler of the Incas.” He became the first Sappa Inka (paramount chief).

Was everything exactly like that?

Ethnologists at the National Center for Scientific Research are not entirely sure of the historical existence of the first eight Incas. Rather, they were mythical characters. Due to the fact that all currently available information about the Incas is closely related to their epic.

Each family of Inca rulers had its own traditions, similar to African ones. Each generation of rulers told history in their own way.

A significant period in the history of the Incas is associated with the ruler Pachacuti. Among other things, he was the greatest religious reformer. During his reign, the Inca people became much less dependent on the high priests of the solar religion.

Pachacuti time

In the 12th century, the Andes were inhabited by a huge number of different peoples and tribes constantly warring with each other. Pachacuti wanted to create an empire that would unite all the Andean peoples. His name, which means “world changer,” perfectly describes his aspirations.

He united the tribes around the city of Cusco and his goals became a reality.

At the beginning of the 15th century, the Inca Empire was subjected to an armed attack by the Chanca tribe. The city of Cusco is under threat. Pachacuti took command of the army and managed to repel the attack and, inspired by the victory, began military expansion.

Pachacuti captured territory in the area of ​​Lake Titicaca and expanded the possessions of the Inca Empire of Tahuantinsuyu in the North up to the Cojamarca region.

A few words about the way of life

Briefly, the culture of the Incas reflects their life. When the Incas enslaved peoples, they presented local rulers with special gifts - women and various wonders. Thus, they made him somewhat grateful, left him in debt. In exchange for these gifts, the leaders had to pay tribute to the Incas or perform various types of work for them. From that moment on, they entered into a relationship that is historically called vassalage. This could be forced labor, called "mita", or unequal exchange, called "aine".

This system of relationships with the captured tribes became one of the main aspects of the power of the Incas.

Creating an orderly system on such a large scale in one of the largest mountain ranges on the planet was no easy task. The Incas needed to create collective labor, trade, a management system and ensure security. All this would have been impossible without the construction of roads.

There is no doubt that the Incas already knew what a wheel was. However, mountainous landscapes were not suitable for the use of wheeled vehicles. Even today, most travel in the Andes is done on foot. But the Incas conquered the mountain peaks, creating a developed network of communication routes. They built bridges in a world that literally hung between heaven and earth.

A few words about the reign of Sappa Inca

The power of the Incas, like any other power, required influence on the consciousness of people. And the majestic city of Machu Picchu, according to ethnologists, is only part of the image of power. For example, the ruler could not be looked at in the face. His image has always been associated with sacred rituals. He was revered as the son of the Sun and was a real shrine for the people.

The power of the ruler was perpetuated after his death, when he joined all the gods and himself became a God. The Huamana Poma Chronicles describe the Incas' understanding of life after death. They believed that human life force does not disappear after death. In their minds, the ancestors could protect those living on earth.

Capital of the Empire

In the heart of the Andes, at an altitude of more than 3 thousand meters, was the city of Cusco - the capital of the Inca Empire. In 1534 it was practically wiped off the face of the earth by Spanish invaders. The city of Cusco is the political and spiritual center of the Inca Empire.

In addition to Cusco, there were several administrative centers; there were not many cities in the Inca Empire. Most of the territory is small villages where the Incas lived and worked on plantations. Agriculture was the centerpiece of their economy.

Rituals

To understand who the Incas were, it is worth turning to their epic.

In the chronicles of Mana Poma, one of the chapters is devoted to a rather strange ritual - capacocha. During certain events, such as solar eclipses, volcanic eruptions, or epidemics, children were sacrificed to earn the favor of the spirits. It also happened that these were the children of tribal leaders.

The capacocha was an important part of the political and religious cult in Cusco.

Counting system

Although the Incas did not have a written language, they used a system of knots and cords called a quipu to record numbers and possibly other information. Thanks to the decimal system, taxation of subjects was orderly and efficient.

Taxes in the form of food were collected throughout the empire and collected in kolpos. This system provided the population with acceptable living conditions and was an important aspect in controlling the economy of the empire.

They lived at high altitudes, where every 5-6 years there might not be a harvest, so they simply needed to stock up.

In return, the empire provided security, maintained infrastructure, and provided residents with a means of subsistence. For this purpose, large warehouses with essential goods were built everywhere. Such kolpos existed in every region.

Now let's get back to the division of land

Pochacuti's son, Tupac Inca, continued to conquer new territories and became ruler in 1471. By the end of his reign, the empire extended throughout Western South America. He showed the inhabitants of neighboring tribes who the Incas were.

In 1493, the ruler was replaced by his son Huayna Capac. The wars of the new ruler on distant frontiers increased the level of discontent in the empire.

In 1502, having won the civil war, Atahualpa's army faced invaders from Europe. And although the Incas outnumbered the Europeans, Francisco Pizarro, with a small contingent of conquistadors, completely defeated their huge army. With the help of guns and horses, which the Incas had never seen before, the Spaniards were victorious. Atahualpa was captured and killed a year later.

However, according to historians, this is not the only reason for the fall of the empire. At that time, it was in the process of fragmentation and war, which was the main reason for the collapse.

The great rise of the Inca Empire was almost as fleeting as its fall. And now, unfortunately, we can find out who the Incas were from the few sources that have survived to this day.

The Incas(Inca) - a tribe from the Cuzco Valley, whose powerful civilization existed in the “pre-Columbian” era on the South American continent. The Incas managed to create a powerful empire that changed its appearance and conquered many peoples.

The Incas themselves called their empire Tawantinsuyu(Four cardinal directions) because there were 4 roads leading out of Cusco in different directions.

The Indians called their ruler Inka, which means “lord”, “king”. Then “Inca” began to be called all representatives of the ruling class, and with the invasion of the conquerors - the entire Indian population of the Tawantinsuyu empire.

Creation of the Great Inca Empire

Thanks to archaeological finds, it is obvious that the Inca civilization arose in 1200-1300. At the end of the 11th century, due to the drought that had been raging in the Andes for more than 100 years, neighboring, stronger tribes lost their power in fights for water and food.

Inspired by success, the Inca rulers turned their gaze to the abundant land - a spacious plateau with. And Pachacutec-Inca-Yupanqui, one of the great rulers of the Incas, undertook a military campaign to the south in the 15th century.

The population of the lakeside states was about 400 thousand people. The mountain slopes are riddled with gold and silver veins, and fat herds of llamas and alpacas grazed in the flowering meadows. Llamas and alpacas are meat, wool and leather, that is, military rations and uniforms.

Pachacutec conquered the southern rulers one after another, expanding the boundaries of his possessions, which became one of the largest empires on the planet. The number of subjects of the empire reached about 10 million people.

Victories in the military field were only the first stage on the path to power; after the warriors, officials, builders and artisans got down to business.

Incas: Wise Rule

If an uprising broke out in some Inca province, the rulers undertook the resettlement of people: they resettled residents of remote villages to new cities located near the built roads. They were ordered to build warehouses along the roads for regular troops, which were filled by their subjects with the necessary provisions. The Inca rulers were brilliant organizers.

The Inca civilization reached an unprecedented peak. Stonemasons erected architectural masterpieces, engineers turned isolated roads into a single system connecting all parts of the empire. Irrigation canals were created, agricultural terraces were laid out on the mountain slopes, about 70 types of crops were grown there and significant reserves of provisions were stored in storage facilities. The governors were excellent at taking inventory: they were aware of the contents of each repository of the vast empire, keeping records using a kippah - an analogue of the Incas' computer code - bundles of multi-colored threads with special combinations of knots.

The Inca rulers were quite harsh, but fair: they allowed the conquered peoples to preserve their traditions. The main social unit was the family. Each group of 20 families had a leader who was subordinate to a superior, who already headed 50 families, and so on - until the Inca Ruler.

Social structure of civilization

The Inca Empire had such a social structure: everyone worked here, with the exception of the youngest and very old people. Each family had its own cultivated plot of land. People weaved, sewed clothes, shoes or sandals, made dishes and jewelry from gold and silver.

The inhabitants of the empire had no personal freedom; the rulers decided everything for them: what to eat, what clothes to wear and where to work. The Incas were remarkable farmers; they built grandiose aqueducts to irrigate fields with water from mountain rivers, growing many valuable crops.

Many buildings erected by the Incas still stand today. The Incas created many original bridges from willow twigs and vines twisted into thick ropes. The Incas were natural potters and weavers:
They wove the finest fabrics from cotton, such that the Spaniards considered them silk. The Incas also knew how to spin wool, making beautiful and warm woolen clothes.

Mummy - ruler of the Incas

In the middle of the 15th century, Huayna Capac, the new ruler of the Incas, ascended the throne. Then it seemed that the Inca dynasty was all-powerful. People could even change nature in incredible ways: during the construction of Huayna Capac's residence, workers leveled hills, drained swamps, and moved the riverbed (Spanish: Rio Urubamba) to the southern part of the valley to plant cotton, corn, chili peppers and peanuts, and In the center of the “new” territory, a palace - Quispiguanca - will be built from brick and stone.

Around 1527, Huayna Capac died of an unknown illness. Those close to him, mummifying the body, transported it to Cuzco, and members of the royal family visited the deceased, asking for advice and listening to the answers spoken by the oracle sitting next to him. Even after his death, Huayna Capac remained the owner of the Quispiguanca estate. The entire harvest from the fields was used to maintain the mummy of the ruler, his wives, descendants and servants in luxury.

The traditions of inheritance among the Incas were such that even after the death of the rulers, all the palaces remained their property. Therefore, each Inca, as soon as he ascended the throne, began the construction of a new city palace and country residence. Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of up to a dozen royal residences, built for at least six rulers.

Inca - Spanish Conquest

In 1532, a detachment of 200 foreign conquerors under the leadership landed on the coast of what is now Peru. They were wearing steel armor and armed with firearms. Along the way, those dissatisfied with the dominance of the Incas joined the army. The Incas stubbornly resisted the conquerors, but the empire was weakened by internecine war and the fact that a large number of Incas warriors died from smallpox and measles brought by the Spaniards.

The Spaniards reached the northern city of Cajamarca, executed the ruler, placing their puppet on the throne.

Cusco, the capital of the Incas, was conquered by the Spanish in 1536. The invaders appropriated palaces, flourishing country estates, women and girls from the royal family. When the last Inca ruler was beheaded in 1572, it marked the end of the Tahuantinsuyu Empire. The Inca culture was destroyed, the state was plundered. The extensive network of roads, temples and palaces gradually fell into disrepair.