Exploration Project 2023 - The Inca Aztecs - Olivia Atkins by Olivia Atkins

Inca Social Structure Citations

21448201 — 2023-09-25 21:02:14 UTC

Inca Class Structure - Folsom Cordova Unified School District, www.fcusd.org/cms/lib/CA01001934/Centricity/Domain/1168/Inca%20Class%20Structure%20Readings.pdf. Accessed 29 Sept. 2023.

Before 1519

21448201 — 2023-09-25 21:08:23 UTC

I have found that the Inca Empire has a structured government with different social classes.

Sapa Inca - The Highest Tier

21448201 — 2023-09-25 21:12:34 UTC

The highest tier of the Inca was the Sapa Inca. They believed that the Sapa Inca was descended from Inti, the Incan sun god. Therefore the Sapa Inca ruled with complete authority.
The Sapa Inca had many wives and tons of children with said wives. There was one main wife named Coya and the Coya was the Sapa Incas sister, to ensure royal blood stayed in the family. The Sapa Inca always had full authority over the entire empire.

Nobles - The Second Tier

21448201 — 2023-09-25 21:22:21 UTC

Nobles were leaders who helped administer the empire. They received fine gifts and certain privileges lower classes didn't get. They paid no taxes and could marry more than one wife. There were 3 tiers of nobles, ordered in most to least power:
Capac Incas - these were considered relatives of the emperor
Hahua Incas - these people did not share the royal blood
Caracas - they were leaders of people conquered by the Incas

Capac Incas controlled the emperor's land, valuable resources, and the most important jobs such as government, army, and priesthood.

As the empire grew they did not have enough nobles and nominated ¨Incas by privilage¨ called the Hahua Incas.

Caracas frequently gained the jobs of collecting taxes and officers that made sure everyone followed Incan rules.

Commoners - The Third Tier

21448201 — 2023-09-25 22:11:17 UTC

Commoners who worked as farmers and herders. Commoners were required to support the government, both through the products of their labor and by working on government-sponsored projects. Inca farmers grew a variety of crops,
including beans, peanuts, squash, peppers, and over 20 types of corn and hundreds of types of potatoes. Inca farmers were required to give most of their crops to the government. The government placed the crops it collected in storehouses
throughout the empire. The food was then distributed to warriors, temple priests, and people in need.

Before 1519

21448201 — 2023-09-25 22:39:37 UTC

The Inca government was very well organized, being run by nobles.

The Emperor or The Sapa Inca

21448201 — 2023-09-25 22:45:57 UTC

The emperor was a divine, chosen by the gods. The emperor was always the highest in power and the supreme ruler over all four suyus.

The Four Suyus - Tahuantinsuyu

21448201 — 2023-09-25 22:48:04 UTC

The Incan empire was divided into 4 quarters, named the Four Suyus. The whole empire was called Tahunatinsuyu by the Incan people which means ¨the land of four corners.¨ Chinchaysuyu is the north quarter, Antisuyu is the east, Collasuyu is the south and Cuntisuyu is the west.

Governors of the four Suyus

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:08:02 UTC

Each quarter was placed under a governor who reported directly to the king. These governors were blood relatives of the king and were placed in the noble class as Capac Incas. There were local administrators who reported to over 80 regional-level administrators who reported to the governor. Then these four governors would report to the king himself in Cuzco.

Inca Political Structure

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:11:47 UTC

Cartwright, Mark. “Inca Civilization.” World History Encyclopedia, https://www.worldhistory.org#organization, 2 Sept. 2023, www.worldhistory.org/Inca_Civilization/.

Before 1519

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:15:24 UTC

The Incan empire had notably one of the best economic systems in all of the early civilizations.

Ayllus

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:23:40 UTC

Ayllus were families that lived near each other in the same village and provided social cohesion as people who were born in one Ayulla also married within the Ayulla. Certain Ayulla specialized in the production of certain things. Agricultural Ayllus were close to fertile land and produced crops. Other Ayllus made pottery, clothing or jewelry. Output from specifc Ayullas would be given to the state which and the be redistributed to other locations.

Taxes and Labor

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:34:33 UTC

There were 3 kinds of collective labor, Ayni, Minka and Mita. Ayni was helping your neighbor in need, by making a house or helping a sick person. Minka was teamwork for the benefit of the community such as building terraces. Mita was the tax paid to the Inca. Since there was no currency taxes were paid with crops, cattle, and with work. Mita laborers served for whatever needed to be done. It was a temporary service that each member of the Ayllu was required to meet. In exchange for the help and work, the government would provide food, clothing, and medication. This allowed the empire to have all the necessary items for redistribution.

Incan Economy

21448201 — 2023-09-25 23:36:48 UTC

Staff Writer. “Economy of the Inca Empire.” Discover Peru, www.discover-peru.org/inca-economy-society/. Accessed 27 Sept. 2023.

1520-1700s

21448201 — 2023-11-02 18:49:29 UTC

Francisco Pizarro along with 168 conquistadors met the Incas and their meeting was overall peaceful until Sapa Inca Atahualpa rejected Catholicism. After this rejection, Pizarro launched an attack on the Incas, killing 7000 and capturing Atahualpa.

In only a year, the Spaniards conquered the Incan empire and killed Atahualpa. The seige caused hundreds of thousands of Inca's to die and be captured while the conquistador sustained minimal losses.

Conquistadors and Inca's

21448201 — 2023-11-02 18:51:53 UTC

Inca Political Structure after 1520

21448201 — 2023-11-02 18:58:46 UTC

Pressel, Andria. “The Inca Empire: How 200 Conquistadors Brought It Down.” TheCollector, 9 Oct. 2023, www.thecollector.com/inca-empire-conquistadors/.

After 1520

21448201 — 2023-11-02 19:09:30 UTC

The Spaniards discovered a great lot of gold and silver and began to take control of the mines and steal all of the gold and silvers from the Inca's. Gold and silver was used as a decoration instead of money since the Inca economy was tax and work based with no money. This caused Spaniards to be able to pay off debts and fund "religious wars."

After 1520 Economy

21448201 — 2023-11-02 19:14:29 UTC

Pettinger, Tejvan, and Sarah Johnson. “What Happened to the Spanish Gold from the Incas?” Economics Help, 10 Jan. 2018, www.economicshelp.org/blog/7785/concepts/what-happened-to-the-spanish-gold-from-the-incas/.

After 1520

21448201 — 2023-11-07 19:35:41 UTC

The Spaniards nominated the Manco Inca to act as a puppet emperor of the Inca with the Spaniards monitoring every move. 3 of the 4 Governors were killed. After the Conquistadors came, there was practically no social structure from the Inca's and it was all based on European Social classes.