The Inca Empire

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The Inca Empire

• Basic terms, concepts

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Tawantinsuyu the Incas name for their
empire tawa four suyu part (quarter) ntin
cannot be taken apart Therefore Tawantinsuyu
4 inextricably linked quarters Cuzco capital
of empire, navel of world
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The four quarters

• Chinchaysuyu north up Andean mtn chain
• Named for Chinchas on south coast of Peru
• Collasuyu south down Andean mtn chain
• Named for Collas, near Lake Titicaca
• Antisuyu eastern slopes of Andes near Cuzco
• Named for Anti tribe
• Gives name to Andes mountains
• Condesuyu western slopes of Andes from Cuzco to
  Pacific coast
• Named for Condes, in western slopes of Andes

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Inca refers to members of the royal family
ONLY, or even just to the emperor Sapa Inca
emperor (sapa unique)
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Ayllu

• Andean term for group or community
• Sometimes lineages, patrilineal
• Corporate land-holding group (no private property)

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Panaca

• Royal ayllu
• 10 panacas in Cuzco
• each included the descendants of the first 10
  Incas, respectively
• divided into two moieties
• 5 in Urin (lower) Cuzco
• 5 in Hanan (upper) Cuzco

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WRITTEN SOURCES OF INFORMATION ON THE INCAS
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Eyewitness accounts Pizarro, men at Cajamarca in
1532

• Hernando Pizarro
• Francisco Pizarros secretary
• Various others who could write
• Pedro (cousin)- wrote long document in 1751,
  almost 40 years later

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Major Spanish Chroniclers

• Pedro de Cieza de León arrived 1547, age 29,
  traveled 3 years
• Juan de Betanzos married Inca princess 1541
  when FP died fluent in Quechua
• Juan Polo de Ondegardo magistrate of Cuzco,
  Potosí
• Pedro de Sarmiento commissioned by Viceroy
  Toledo to write Inca history
• Various others, e.g., Albornoz

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Native Chroniclers

• Garcilaso de la Vega
• Spanish father, Inca princess mother
• Lived in Cuzco until 1560, 15 yrs old, moved to
  Spain
• Royal Commentaries, published 1609

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Native Chroniclers

• Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala (Guaman Poma)
• Mestizo? (surnames all Quechua except de Ayala,
  added by father)
• 1100 page letter to King of Spain ca. 1615
• political propaganda
• phrased in terms King would understand

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Later Documents

• Visitas (administrative visits)
• Court records
• Bernabé Cobo 1653