The rich belonged to an ayllus of noble family members. Members of the royals and nobility led a life of luxury. They were exempt from taxation. They could own land. They could own llamas. They had fine clothing. They were carried around on litters. The boys went to school. Some were given jobs of importance in the government. They had to be careful not to upset the Inca or they could rapidly lose status and even their lives. But compared to the common people who had to work very hard, their lives were ones of ease and interest.

Clothing: Everyone dressed in the same fashion in the Inca Empire - rich and poor. The quality of the cloth varied. The rich had soft clothes, heavily embroidered. The poor had coarse wool clothes. But the style was the same. Men wore sleeveless knee-length tunics, with ponchos or cloaks. Women wore long dresses and capes fastened with a pin of cheap metal or heavy gold, depending upon their status. All clothes were made of woven cotton or wool cloth.

Coming of Age Ceremony: When rich and poor boys turned 14, there was a coming of age ceremony that allowed the boys to demonstrate their physical and military skill. In a special ceremony, the boys had their ears pierced. Then, they were presented to the sun god, then took their place as adults. Boys from noble families worn special clothes made for this ceremony, woven from feathers.

Hairstyles: Hairstyles for the men were very important. Each noble ayllu had a distinctive hairstyle. Your hairstyle announced your social position. Since the Incas were very class conscious, hairstyles for the men were most important.

Earplugs: Men wore decorative earplugs of shell or metal. At their coming of age ceremony (at age 14), a golden disk would be inserted in their newly pierced earlobes. Bigger disks were continually added. These were called earplugs. Earplugs for the rich were so heavy that their earlobes stretched over time until they actually rested on their shoulders. This was considered quite stylish.

Sapa Inca

Incas for Kids