Ayllus: The common people were organized into groups. Each group was like a family unit. There were 10-20 people in each unit. Each unit was called an ayllu. Within each ayllu, each person had a specific job to do. Common people had no freedom: They could not own or run a business. They could not own luxury goods. The only items common people could have in their homes were things they needed to do their job. They could not travel on the roads. Life was not all work. They had lots of religious holidays. But they could not be idle. That was the law. Either they were celebrating a state approved holiday, working in the fields, or sleeping. Only a small amount of time was allotted for bathing and eating. There were many laws that kept a family (an ayllu) in its place. Laws dictated who should work, when, where, and at what time. Inspectors stopped by frequently to check on things. Breaking a law usually meant the death penalty. Very few people broke the law. Most commoners were farmers: The emperor owned all the land. He controlled the use of the land through administrators. Administrators divided the land into plots large enough for a family to manage. Each ayllu planted enough food to feed themselves and others. Family groups helped each other when they could. Each fall, the administrators gave a family unit a little more or a little less land to farm based on how many people they had in their family unit. Farmers could only keep about one-third of their harvest. The rest went to support other people. Service Tax: Farmers had to pay taxes on the land they worked. The Incas loved gold and silver. But they had no use for money. Tax was paid in labor - in billions of man-hours. That is how the Incas were able to build so much so rapidly. Education: The Incan people were very smart. The children of the common people were not generally educated. When they were old enough, each child would be assigned a job to do. That was their job for life. The only training they received would be related to their job. Food: People did not go hungry. The common people ate two or three meals a day. Their breakfast was typically a food called chicha, which was a kind of thick beer made from fermented corn. Their main meal was eaten at night. It was hearty. They ate corn with chili peppers seasoned with herbs, thick vegetable soups, and hot bread made from cornmeal and water. Marriage: Everyone was required to marry. If an Incan man had not married by the time he was twenty, a wife would be chosen for him. Although the Inca royals had many wives, commoners could only have one wife. Babies: When a baby was born, his or her arms were tightly bound to their body for three months. The Incas believed this binding made the baby stronger. Babies were rarely held. The Incas believed that if you held a baby, it would cry more. Crying exhausted the family. That interfered with farming. So, babies were not held. They were touched only to clean or feed them. They were left in cradles all day, alone. Children, including babies, were left alone most of the day: Children were fed three times a day, but they also were not hugged. Again, they were only touched to clean or feed them. Many Incan children died young from neglect. Homes: Common homes were made of sun-baked brick with thatched roofs. There were no doors and no windows. The doorway was covered with a strip of hanging leather or woven cloth. Goods were stored in baskets. On cold nights, people slept on mats, near the stone stove. In the morning, the family left to work the fields.   Family and Social Life  Peruvian Family Food, Clothing, and Shelter  Return to The Incredible Incas for Kids