The Inca Create a Mountain Empire Chapter 16 section 4

Key Terms Pachacuti Ayllu Mita Quipu

Inca Beginning Lived in high plateaus in the Andes Valley of Cuzco 1200’s Rulers were descended from the sun god Inti Bring prosperity and greatness Men from one of eleven families could serve Believed to be descendants of the sun god

Pachacuti Builds an Empire 1438 Pachacuti took the throne Inca conquered all of Peru 1500 Inca empire stretched 2,500 miles on western coast of South America “Land of Four Quarters” 80 provinces 16 million people

Pachacuti Builds an Empire Used diplomacy and conquest Before attacking offered an honorable surrender Keep customs and rulers in exchange for loyalty Many states gave up without resistance Once defeated Inca tried to gain loylaty

Incan Government Creates Unity Extensive road system Rulers divided their territory Quechau- official language Founded schools to teach the Incan ways Groups identified by certain patterns of clothing

Incan Cities Show Government Presence Built many cities in conquered areas Architecture was the same throughout the empire All roads led to the capitol Cuzco-stone homes, stones fit together without mortar

Incan Government Total control over economic and social life Regulated production and distribution of goods Inca allowed little private commerce Allyu- communinty cooperation

Incan Government Ayllu-extended family, undertook tasks not too big for one family Irrigation canals Cutting agricultural terraces Stored food to distribute during hard times Families divided into groups of 10, 100, 1000, 10,000

Incan Government A chief led each group Chain of command stretched all the way to Cuzco Inca ruler and council of state held court If a group resisted Inca control the were relocated

Incan Government Main demand was for tribute (usually labor) Mita- was the labor tribute Have to work for the state a certain number of days Incan system more like socialism or modern welfare state

Incan Government Aged and disabled taken care of by the state State fed people Freeze-dried potatoes (chunos) Stored in warehouse for food shortages

Public Work Projects 14,000 mile road program Paved to simple paths Built guest houses and shelters along the road Chasquis- traveled the road as a postal service Easy way to move troops

Government Record-Keeping Inca never developed a writing system History and literature done through oral tradition Quipa- series of knots used as an accounting system

Government Record Keeping Position of knots and colors meant different things Res strings- warriors Yellow strings-gold Inca had two different calendars Gods ruled the day and the time

Religion Supports the State Worshipped fewer gods Key nature spirits Moon Stars, thunder Viracocha- the creator Sun worship amounted to worshipping the king

Great Cities Temple of the sun , Cuzco most sacred Decorated in gold Gardens of plants and animals made out of gold and silver Walls of several buildings covered in gold

Great Cities Hiram Bingham in 1912 found Machu Picchu Isolated and mysterious Religious center Retreat for rulers of Pachacuti

Discord in the Empire 1500’s Huayan Cupac ruler Inca’s at their peak Received a gift in Ecuador Filled with butterflies and moths (bad omen) Few weeks later died of small pox

Discord in the Empire Empire split by his sons Atahualpa received Ecuador (1/5 of empire) Huascar received the rest Soon Atahulpa claimed the whole empire Fought each other Tore empire apart