Inca Civilization

Inca Civilization

Essential Question How were both European and Native American cultures changed after European contact with the Inca? SS6H1a: Describe the encounter and consequences of the conflict between the Spanish and the Incas and the roles of Pizarro and Atahualpa.

Timeline Incas 1200-1500 CE 1600 CE 0 Aztecs 1100-1521 CE Maya 300-900 CE

The Incas • Location: South America (Andes Mountains) – included parts of Peru, Ecuador, Chile, Bolivia and Argentina • Time Frame: 1200 CE to 1500 CE • Main City: Cuzco (in present day Peru) • At one time the empire spread 2,500 miles

Religion • The Sun God, Inti, was a very important god to the Incas. • They believed Inti was their parent • Referred to themselves as children of the sun.

Roads & Hanging Bridges • The Inca built 19,000 miles of roads. They belonged to the government. Permission was required to use the roads. • Messengers: Men would be told or given a message and would run to a “checkpoint” where they would pass the message along to the next messenger. This was the first version of a relay. • They also made hanging and pontoon bridges. Hanging bridges were made from weaving the fibers of the maguey plant.

Inca Agriculture • The Inca empire was located in the Andes mountains. • The Incas cut terraces into steep sides of mountains to create more farmland – this kept soil from washing away • The Incas built irrigation systems - channels designed to carry water from a mountain streams. • Important crop – potato • Used the first freeze-dried process which made it last for years and was easy to store

Language • The Inca did not have a written language • Inca government officials recorded information on knotted strings called quipus • Each quipu had a main cord with several colored strings attached to it. • Each color represented a different item

Llama, Llama The Incas never invented the wheel, so they had no wheeled vehicles. They did not have horses or cows. The llama was used for transportation. It also provided the Incas with wool and food.

Machu Picchu • Inca city located at 7,970 ft altitude on a mountain ridge in Peru • about 44 miles northwest of Cuzco • Machu Picchu is the most preserved city of the Inca Empire. • Explorers rediscovered it in 1911. It is often referred to as "The Lost City of the Incas."

Inca Empire Weakens • The Incan ruler, Huyayna Capac did not chose an heir before he died in 1525. • His sons fought to become the new ruler. • After 5 years of fighting, Atahualpa became new Inca leader. • But, the deadly conflict weakened the empire just as Pizarro arrived…

Pizarro Conquers the Incas • In 1531 Pizarro set sail with a small army of 180 Spanish soldiers for the Incan empire in search of gold. • Pizarro and the Inca leader, Atahualpa agreed to meet in a courtyard . • The Incas believed the Spanish might be gods, so they did not bring weapons. • The Spanish ambushed them and killed over 2,000 Incas.

The Ransom The Spanish captured Atahualpa and put him in prison. Atahualpa promised to give the Spaniards mounds of gold (ransom) if they freed him. The Inca paid up and but Pizarro’s men killed Atahualpa by strangulation in 1533.

The End of the Inca • By 1535 Pizarro had captured most of the Incan empire and the capital Cuzco. • How did this happen so fast? • Already weakened by civil war • Weapons (guns and cannons) • Diseases (smallpox, measles, and chicken pox) • Horses (the Native Americans were terrified of them)

The Inca under Spanish Rule The Incas suffered terribly under Spanish rule They could no longer practice their religion – were forced to become Catholics Spanish official punished Incas who rebelled Terraces and irrigation canals fell apart 8 out of 10 Incas died, killed by over-work, lack of food and disease The Spanish melted down most of the treasure from the Inca

Inca Civilization