The Inca Create a Mountain Empire

1. The Inca Create a Mountain Empire Chapter 16 section 4

2. Key Terms • Pachacuti • Ayllu • Mita • Quipu

3. Inca Beginning • Lived in high plateaus in the Andes • Valley of Cuzco 1200’s • Rulers were descended from the sun god Inti • Bring prosperity and greatness • Men from one of eleven families could serve • Believed to be descendants of the sun god

4. Pachacuti Builds an Empire • 1438 Pachacuti took the throne • Inca conquered al of Peru • 1500 Inca empire stretched 2,500 miles on western coast of South America • “Land of Four Quarters” 80 provinces 16 million people

5. Pachacuti Builds an Empire • Used diplomacy and conquest • Before attacking offered an honorable surrender • Keep customs and rulers in exchange for loyalty • Many states gave up without resistance • Once defeated Inca tried to gain loylaty

6. Incan Government Creates Unity • Extensive road system • Rulers divided their territory • Quechau- official language • Founded schools to tech the Incan ways • Groups identified by certain patterns of clothing

7. Incan Cities Show Government Presence • Built many cities in conquered areas • Architecture was the same throughout the empire • All roads led to the capitol • Cuzco-stone homes, stones fit together without mortar

8. Incan Government • Total control over economic and social life • Regulated production and distribution of goods • Inca allowed little private commerce • Allyu- communinty cooperation

9. Incan Government • Ayllu-extended family, undertook tasks not too big for one family • Irrigation canals • Cutting agricultural terraces • Stored food to distribute during hard times • Families divided into groups of 10, 100, 1000, 10,000

10. Incan Government • A chief led each group • Chain of command stretched all the way to Cuzco • Inca ruler and council of state held court • If a group resisted Inca control the were relocated

11. Incan Government • Main demand was for tribute (usually labor) • Mita- was the labor tribute • Have to work for the state a certain number of days • Incan system more like socialism or modern welfare state

12. Incan Government • Aged and disabled taken care of by the state • State fed people • Freeze-dried potatoes (chunos) • Stored in warehouse for food shortages

13. Public Work Projects • 14,000 mile road program • Paved to simple paths • Built guest houses and shelters along the road • Chasquis- traveled the road as a postal service • Easy way to move troops

14. Government Record-Keeping • Inca never developed a writing system • History and literature done through oral tradition • Quipa- series of knots used as an accounting system

15. Government Record Keeping • Position of knots and colors meant different things • Res strings- warriors • Yellow strings-gold • Inca had two different calendars • Gods ruled the day and the time

16. Religion Supports the State • Worshipped fewer gods • Key nature spirits • Moon • Stars, thunder • Viracocha- the creator • Sun worship amounted to worshipping the king

17. Great Cities • Temple of the sun , Cuzco most sacred • Decorated in gold • Gardens of plants and animals made out of gold and silver • Walls of several buildings covered in gold

18. Great Cities • Hiram Bingham in 1912 found Machu Picchu • Isolated and mysterious • Religious center • Retreat for rulers of Pachacuti

19. Discord in the Empire • 1500’s Huayan Cupac ruler • Inca’s at their peak • Received a gift in Ecuador • Filled with butterflies and moths (bad omen) • Few weeks later died of small pox

20. Discord in the Empire • Empire split by his sons • Atahualpa received Ecuador • Huascar received the rest • Soon Atahulpa claimed the whole empire • Fought each other • Tore empire apart