|
Since the Incas never developed a system of writing,
archaeologists must study myths and legends and the artifacts they left
behind for clues about the ancient Inca civilization.
Incan Tall Tales: The
Incas loved stories. Special "wise men" created stories that
were told over and over. They
loved tall tales. Their emperors always did amazing things.
Their battles were always bigger than life. The Incas believed in many
gods. Some of their stories were about the wondrous feats of their gods.
One Incan myth refers to an old man with long white hair, who was really a
god. This god lived in a coal sack (the Milky Way). He created the Incan
people.
Another popular myth tells a story about Manco Capac
and Inti, the sun god. In that myth, the sun god created the Incan people.
The story of Manco Capac is still told in Peru today. Click
here to read this myth.
A Little History:
At first, the Incas were simply a small
tribe that lived in the city of Cuzco.
They worshiped gods of nature. They believed in omens and dreams. Around
1430 C.E, a neighboring tribe attacked the Incas. The Incas won! That was
the beginning of the Inca Empire.
Size of the Inca Empire:
Over the next 100 years, the
Inca Empire grew into a vast empire. The Incas were able to
build a vast empire by demanding loyalty from conquered people. At the
height of their power, the Inca Empire was 2,500 miles long, 500 miles
wide, and home to 12 million people. These people called themselves
"the Children of the Sun".
Land of the Four Quarters:
The land the Incas ruled became known as "the land
of the four quarters". It was named that because the Inca Empire was
divided into four parts for ruling purposes. Cuzco
was still the capital.
Sapa Inca and his
Government: The Incas had a strong
central government. The leader of the Inca people was the
Inca, sometimes called the Sapa
Inca (the only Inca), the emperor. His was not an elected
position. The Inca was born to the job. The Sapa Inca was all-powerful.
Everything belonged to the Sapa Inca. He ruled his people by putting his
relatives in positions of power. Because punishment was harsh and swift,
almost no one broke the law. The government was responsible for taking
care of the people, including the poor, the sick, and the elderly. The
government built roads and bridges and aqueducts to carry water to the
people. In times of drought, the government distributed food. In times of
natural disaster, such as earthquake, the government sent troops
with food and blankets.
The Common People: In
exchange, it was the people's job to work for the government. The common
people worked very hard. But no one went hungry and no one was
homeless in the Inca Empire. The state made sure everyone had enough food
to eat and warm clothing to wear. It was important that people stay
healthy. They were needed as workers.
Service Tax:
The nobles who ruled the provinces conducted
a census so that all people could be taxed. A census is an official count
of all the people in an area and how they make a living. The Incas loved
gold and silver, but they had no use for money. All Incan men gave the
government some of their time each year in physical labor. This was how
they paid their tax - with their service or their labor. The government
built great palaces, public buildings, and the famous
Incan roads with this labor.
Terrace Farming:
To feed the millions of people in the
Inca Empire, the Incas invented terrace
farming so they could grow crops on the steep mountain slopes. They
used systems of irrigation to catch the rainfall and the spring run off
from the snow-capped Andes mountaintops.
Religion: The
Incas believed that their ruler was the direct descendant of the sun
god, Inti. Their ruler was a god. The Incas believed in
many gods. They believed in the god of nature, the moon, of weather, of
rainbows, and of planets. Every mountaintop was a god. All Incas had
little statues in their homes that were the homes of little spirits.
Anything might house a god. Just to be safe, they prayed to all their gods
every day. Every month, the Incas held a huge and public religious
festival honoring one of their major gods. At the festival, there was
dancing and feasting and sacrifice. Mostly, the Incas sacrificed animals.
Sometimes, if something really important was going on, they sacrificed
people.
Crime and Punishment: There
was almost no crime in the Inca Empire. Inca laws were very harsh.
Punishment was swift.
-
If you insulted the Inca, cursed the gods, or
committed a murder, you were thrown off a cliff.
-
If you were caught stealing or cheating, you
either had your hands and feet cut off.
-
There were lesser punishments. You could be
stoned. You could be tied to a wall and left to freeze.
If you lived through your punishment, you were
classified as a criminal, and you became a ward of the state. The state
took care of you. They clothed and fed you. In the Inca Empire, everybody
had a job. Your job as a criminal was to tell others about your crime.
Every day, criminals were taken to the city gates and assigned a
begging bowl. As people passed by, criminals had to announce their crimes.
If their stories were interesting, people would toss food or small
trinkets into the begging bowls. That way, each criminal could prove how
many people had stopped to listen as they confessed their crimes. And the
people had daily reminders of what would happen to them if they broke the
law.
Fall of the Inca Empire: The
Spanish
conquered the Incan civilization. Francisco Pizarro led the Spanish
invaders. After a series of fierce battles, the Incas were defeated in
1531. The ancestors of the Incas still live in the modern day country of
Peru today.
Descendants
of the Incas
Return to The
Incredible Incas for Kids
|