INCAN EMPIRE
the last Incan Emperor
HISTORY: This civilization arose from the Peruvian highlands sometime early in the early 13th century. (1438-1532) The Spanish conquered the Inca Empire from 1532 until its last stronghold in 1572.
GEOGRAPHY: When at its largest, the empire joined Peru, western Ecuador, western and south central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, and a large portion of what is today Chile, as well as the southwesternmost tip of Colombia; into a state comparable to the historical empires of Eurasia.
ECONOMY: The Inca Empire functioned mostly without money or markets. Exchange of goods and services was done between the individuals and the Inca rulers (groups). Each person owed a tax to the Empire which was an obligation of work.
ACCOMPLISHMENTS: The Incas invented a flute, a drum, panpipe(several hollow tubes stuck together), terrace farming, aqueducts, hanging bridges, beautiful stonework, dried foods, strange and scary art, a central government, strict laws, a unified language, woven colorful textiles, and much, much more.
GOVERNMENT: The Incan government was named the Tawantinsuyu; consisting of a monarchy ruled by a single leader called the Sapa Inca; meaning “sole ruler”. He was considered to be the most powerful person in the land and everyone else reported to the Sapa Inca. The Empire was a centralized beurocracy, drawing on administrative forms and practices of previous Andean civilizations such as the Wari Empire, Tiwanaku, as well as certain practices from its rivals, the Chimor.
FUN FACTS:
- The Incan Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America.
- The Empire was created primarily through conquest and peaceful assimilation of other tribes.
- the Incas constructed one of the greatest empires in history without the use of the wheel, large draft animals, knowledge of iron or steel, or even a system of writing.
- Information was recorded using ‘quipu’, a system of knots in ropes to encode numbers.
- They were the first people to grow and raise potatoes.
- They made large bridges out of ropes!
Six additional sites to visit for more information:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inca_Empire
https://www.dkfindout.com/us/history/incas/
https://www.ducksters.com/history/inca/timeline_of_the_inca_empire.php
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Inca
https://www.worldhistory.org/Inca_Civilization/
