As is true with the Aztecs, the historical and mythical beginnings of the Inca Empire can be difficult for historians to separate. Archaeological evidence suggests that the Cuzco Valley, where the Inca civilization started, was first visited by hunters and gatherers around 4500 BCE, but the area did not become an important center of power until between 1000-1400 CE. The Inca became the dominant group in the region when the empire’s first powerful leader, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, led the Inca to defeat their rivals, the Chanca in 1438. 

Led by Pachacuti and his descendants, the empire expanded quickly. The Inca used their military to gain control of new territories, and consolidated and maintained their power with the use of large building projects to construct bridges and roads, create a tax system that fueled the government, and establish a system of administration that kept the empire running despite its large size. 

At its height, the Inca Empire stretched 3,400 miles from north to south and included 10 million subjects who spoke 30 different languages and were ruled by a relatively small 40,000 Inca.