Inca Empire
Ecuador, 1438–1533. Draft, not yet reviewed
The Inca Empire was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. From 1438 to 1533, the Incas incorporated a large portion of western South America, centered on the Andean Mountains, using conquest and peaceful assimilation, among other methods. At its largest, the empire joined modern-day Peru with what are now western Ecuador, western and south-central Bolivia, northwest Argentina, the southwesternmost tip of Colombia and a large portion of modern-day Chile. Later, in 1532, the Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire, and by 1572 the last Inca state was fully conquered.
Seat of power: Cusco
Rulers
Pachacútec
Sapa Inca, 1438–1471
He began an era of conquest that, within three generations, expanded the Inca dominion from the valley of Cusco to a sizeable part of western South America. During his reign, Cusco grew from a small town into an empire that could compete with, and eventually overtake, the Chimú empire on the northern coast.
Portrait of Pachacútec: Unknown author, Public domain, file
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Túpac Inca Yupanqui
Sapa Inca, 1471–1493
He extended the realm along the Andes through modern Ecuador, and developed a special fondness for the city of Quito, which he rebuilt with architects from Cusco. He conquered Chimor, which occupied the northern coast of what is now Peru, the largest remaining rival to the Incas.
Portrait of Túpac Inca Yupanqui: Felipe Huaman Puma de Ayala, Public domain, file
Huayna Capac
Sapa Inca, 1493–1527
Tawantinsuyu reached its greatest extent under Huayna Capac, as he expanded the empire's borders south along the Chilean coast, and north through what is now Ecuador and southern Colombia. The Sapa Inca greatly expanded the Inca road system and had many qullqa (storehouses) built.
Portrait of Huayna Capac: Felipe Huaman Puma de Ayala, Public domain, file
Huascar
Sapa Inca, 1527–1532
From 1529 to 1532, Huáscar fought the Inca civil war against his half-brother Atahualpa, who prevailed and captured Huáscar. Shortly thereafter, Atahualpa was captured by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and had Huáscar killed.
Portrait of Huascar: Unknown author, Public domain, file
Atahualpa
Sapa Inca, 1532–1533
Atahualpa initially accepted his half-brother Huáscar as the new emperor, who in turn appointed him as governor of Quito in the north of the empire. In November 1532, Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro captured Atahualpa during an ambush at Cajamarca.
Portrait of Atahualpa: anonymous, Public domain, file
Culture
- The Inca Empire functioned largely without money and without markets.
- The Incas considered their king, the Sapa Inca, to be the "son of the Sun".
- Notable features of the Inca Empire included its monumental architecture, especially stonework, extensive road network (Qhapaq Ñan) reaching all corners of the empire, finely-woven textiles, use of knotted strings (quipu or khipu) for record keeping and communication, agricultural innovations and production in a difficult environment, and the organization and management fostered or imposed on its people and their labor.
Picture
Ingapirca, in Cañar Province, has the largest known Inca ruins in Ecuador, and its most significant building is the Temple of the Sun.
Image: Delphine Ménard, CC BY-SA 2.0 fr, file
Sources
Text adapted from the Wikipedia articles listed as sources, CC BY-SA 4.0.