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Incas: Lord of the mountains. Mrs. Allred’s 5 th Grade History. Here Comes the Sun. It is the year 1500. You are standing in a crowd of people. You look down the road and see a golden litter carried on the shoulders of four men. People start to bow and touch their foreheads to the ground.
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Incas: Lord of the mountains Mrs. Allred’s 5th Grade History
Here Comes the Sun • It is the year 1500. • You are standing in a crowd of people. • You look down the road and see a golden litter carried on the shoulders of four men. • People start to bow and touch their foreheads to the ground. • Several people start to yell at you and soldiers begin to chase you with clubs. • Suddenly, you wake up…
The Sapa Inca • The people in the dream were bowing to the Sapa Inca (King of the Inca people). • No one was allowed to look at this powerful king. • If you had not woken up in time, you would probably have been killed by the soldiers for disrespecting the Son of the Sun.
Who Were the Incas? • Built a great civilization on the western coast of South America. • First people lived around Cuzco in modern-day Peru. • Began conquering neighboring lands and extending their empire in 1400s. • By 1530’s, the Inca Empire was the largest in the Americas – even larger than the Aztec Empire had been (12 mil people).
A Diverse Geographical Region • Inca territory stretched for more than 2,000 miles. • Arid plains along the western coastline. • Some of the driest deserts in the world. • Snow-capped Andes Mountains. • Thick jungles where heavy rains feed the mighty Amazon River.
Name 4 types of lands that made up the Inca Empire. Four types of lands that made up the Inca Empire were… • desert, mountains, plains, and jungles.
The Sapa Inca • The Sapa Inca ruled with absolute power. • Many government officials traveled throughout the empire to make sure his laws were obeyed.
Who was the Sapa Inca and how did he rule? • The Sapa Inca was… • king of the Inca people and he ruled with absolute power.
He-Who-Sees-Everything • One official was known as He-Who-Sees-Everything. • He was responsible for visiting Inca villages and making them pay taxes. • He also served as a matchmaker. • He lined up the villagers and asked all of the unmarried girls of marriageable age to step forward. • He interviewed each of them, chose those who were especially worthy for the Sapa Inca, and paired the rest off with all the unmarried young men.
Inca Life • Organized in tribal groups or clans • Each clan farmed a piece of land. • Families lived in windowless one-room stone huts. • Burned dried animal waste as fuel. • Families slept together on animal skins spread on the bare floor.
Farmers • Boys followed their fathers’ trade. • Girls copied their mothers’. • Farming was how most Incas supported themselves. • Corn, squash, tomatoes, peanuts, cotton, and more than 100 varieties of potatoes.
Farmers also raised livestock • Farmers raised guinea pigs for eating and alpacas for wool.
LLamas • Llamas were used for all sorts of things, but especially as pack animals. • Cousin of the camel • About 4 feet high and 250 pounds. • Greater strength and endurance than most other animals. • Can carry a load of 100-150 pounds for 15-20 miles. • Wool, transporting goods, food (charqui- jerky)
For the Good of the Empire • Families worked for themselves, but part of their time was spent raising crops for the empire. • Inca men also had to donate time by working on construction projects building roads, or serving in the military.
What did the Sapa Inca do with the donated goods? • The Sapa Inca and priests only used a small part of the goods produced. • The rest was stored in warehouses and distributed to those who were too old or too sick to work. • Given to people in times of need.
What happened to crops & goods the Inca workers produced? • They were allowed to keep some and the rest was given to the Sapa Inca to share with the Empire.
Expanding the Empire • Like the Aztecs, the Incas built their empire by conquering other people. • Boys were taught that being a man meant being a warrior. • They were trained to be soldiers. • Some human sacrifices, but less than the Maya and Aztec people. • Tried to have conquered people become loyal subjects rather than sacrificed offerings to the gods.
How was the Inca attitude toward warfare similar to that of the Aztecs. • Both of them valued the military, trained men to be soldiers, and used warfare to build their empires.