The Spanish began the conquest of the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire, was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. Its political and administrative structure is considered by most scholars to have been the most developed in the Americas before Columbus' arrival. The administ…
History of the Incas
The Incas were most notable for establishing the Inca Empire in pre-Columbian America, which was centered in what is now Peru from 1438 to 1533, and represented the height of the Inca civilization. The Inca state was known as the Kingdom of Cuzco before 1438. Over the course of the Inca Empire, the Inca used conquest and peaceful assimilation to incorporate the territory of modern-day Peru, followe…
How did the Andes mountains help the Incas?
The Andes created a natural barrier between the coastal desert on one side and the jungle on the other. The snow-capped mountains were full of deep gorges. The Inca built bridges across the gorges so that they could reach all parts of their empire quickly and easily.
What three geographic features dominated the Inca Empire?
The Inca empire was located on the western side of South America. Although the empire was huge, it can be easily divided into three geographical regions: mountains, jungle, and desert. What three geographic features dominated the Inca empire? Andes Mountains: The Andes Mountains, home of the Inca civilization, ran north to south.
How did the Spanish influence the Incas?
The Inca Empire was a patchwork of languages, cultures and peoples. Spanish rule ended or transformed many elements of the Andean civilizations, notably influencing religion and architecture. The civilization of the Andes was one of five in the world deemed by scholars to be "pristine", that is indigenous and not derived from other civilizations.
Why did the Incas build bridges?
The Incas built bridges to travel to these areas when needed. Though they never established permanent living arrangements on either side of the Andes, they would leave their home in the mountains to utilize nearby land for the purpose of collecting fruit, catching seafood, and gathering wood.
Who built their civilization in the Andes mountains?
The Inca Empire was a vast empire that flourished in the Andean region of South America from the early 15th century A.D. up until its conquest by the Spanish in the 1530s.
How did the Incas create an empire in the Andes region?
The Inca state was known as the Kingdom of Cuzco before 1438. Over the course of the Inca Empire, the Inca used conquest and peaceful assimilation to incorporate the territory of modern-day Peru, followed by a large portion of western South America, into their empire, centered on the Andean mountain range.
What did the Inca civilization built?
Five facts about the Incas are: they built the mountain city of Machu Picchu, they worshipped the Sun, they created the largest empire in the world at that time, they had no writing but used quipu (string and knots), and they had a very efficient postal system which used their excellent road system.
How did the Inca civilization develop?
Inca Empire Begins According to some versions of their origin myths, they were created by the sun god, Inti, who sent his son Manco Capac to Earth through the middle of three caves in the village of Paccari Tampu.
Why did the Incas live in the mountains?
For example, in the steep mountains, people made terraces for farming. On the coast, they developed irrigation systems so they could farm in the desert. As a result, farming could support large populations both on the coast and in the highlands, where they built cities a full two miles above sea level.
What did the Incas create to hold their empire together?
How did the Incas keep their empire together? They linked their empire with a system of roads to move goods. They gave newly conquered people gifts and allowed them to live in new places to keep them from rebelling. They made sure the newly conquered people learned Inca ways.
What techniques did the Inca use to build the Inca roads?
Inca roads were built without the benefit of sophisticated surveying equipment using only wooden, stone, and bronze tools. As they were built in different geographical zones using local populations, the roads are, consequently, not uniform in construction design or materials.
Are Incas still alive?
"Most of them still living in the towns of San Sebastian and San Jeronimo, Cusco, Peru, at present, are probably the most homogeneous group of Inca lineage," says Elward.
What technology did the Incas use?
The Inca's greatest technological skill was engineering. The best example is their amazing system of roads. The Incas built roads across the length of and width of their empire. To create routes through steep mountain ranges, they carved staircases and gouged tunnels out of rock.
What were 3 of the Incas greatest achievements?
8 Things You Didn't Know The Incas InventedAn accounting system. The Incas had an ingenious record keeping system known as Khipus which was unlike anything ever conceived by other civilizations. ... Terraces. ... Freeze drying. ... Brain surgery. ... An effective government. ... Rope bridges.
What inventions were the Incas famous for?
5: Transportation Network. The Incas, of course, didn't invent the road -- that honor would no doubt go to the Romans -- but they did invent a network of roads and highways that connected their territory on a scale never seen before in South America. ... 4: Rope Bridges. ... 3: Khipus. ... 2: Terrace Farming. ... 1: Freeze-drying.
When was the Inca civilization?
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.
How were the Inca able to conquer such a vast empire?
How were the Inca able to conquer such a vast empire? The Inca had a strong centralized government that united cultures and was loyal to the emperor. It also had an interconnected empire that was easier to control. The incas were also able to take care of an entire population during the good and bad times.
Did the Incas live in the Andes mountains?
The Inca lived in the Andes Mountains in South America. Their range stretched from southern Chile through Argentina, Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador and into southern Colombia.
When did the Andean civilization begin?
Chavín was one of the earliest civilizations in the Andes, in the north-central highlands of Peru. Origins of the great architectural complex at Chavín de Huántar date as early as 1,200 BCE. Located at an elevation of 3,150 metres (10,330 feet), the site comprises plazas, public buildings and domestic structures.
Where was the Inca Empire?
Inca, also spelled Inka, South American Indians who, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, ruled an empire that extended along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile.
Why did the Incas use mountains?
They protected the Incas from invading armies, who could not move quickly or efficiently across narrow mountain passes. This gave the Incan military time to mobilize an effective defense, which often included scuttling bridges or triggering avalanches to block the path of would-be invaders.
Where did the Incas live in the 1500s?
By the early 1500s CE, the Incas controlled a huge, well-organized territory limited mostly to the Andes Mountains. They certainly chose to build their empire in what might appear to be an unlikely place.
How many miles of roads did the Incas have?
In all, about 15,000 miles of roads crisscrossed the territory of the Incas. Mountains also serve as a natural form of defense.
Why were guinea pigs kept small?
Additionally, in the mountains, livestock had to be kept small in order to deal with the lack of flat ground. The guinea pig, also native to the region, was a popular source of protein in the Andes (and still is today). This small rodent can be raised in small spaces built into the slopes of the hillsides.
Did the Incas build a civilization in the Andes Mountains?
Though some could have considered building a civilization in the midst of the Andes Mountains burdensome and fruitless, the Incas who established their homes there were able to use the difficult terrain to their advantage.
What did the Incas believe?
The Inca were polytheistic, which means that they believed in a great many gods and goddesses. The Inca also loved stories, many of which had to do with their gods. One of the legends the Incas loved to tell was about the founding of Cuzco, the capital of the Inca empire.
What were the Andes Mountains?
Andes Mountains: The Andes Mountains, home of the Inca civilization, ran north to south. The mountains dominated Inca society. The mountain peaks were worshiped as gods. The Andes created a natural barrier between the coastal desert on one side and the jungle on the other. The snow-capped mountains were full of deep gorges. The Inca built bridges across the gorges so that they could reach all parts of their empire quickly and easily. If an enemy approached, the Inca could simply burn the bridges.
What were the cultures of Peru?
Those included the Chavín (chah-VEEN) culture in the highlands, and the Nazca, Moche (MOH-chay), and Chimú (chee-MOO) cultures on the coast.
How many people lived in the Inca Empire?
At its height of development, the Inca empire was 2500 miles long, 500 miles wide, and home to 12 million people, connected by 25,000 miles of roads, many of which were paved. The Inca empire was located on the western side of South America.
How high is the Andes?
The Andes stretch north and south for 2500 miles and rise to an average elevation of about 13,000 feet. East of the mountains - that's to the right of the mountains on a map - is the Amazon jungle. Each of the cultures that settled the area, however, learned to adapt to their environment.
What is the coastal desert known for?
The coastal desert was home to many tribes that predate the Inca. The Nazca are known for the geoglyphs they carved into the petrified sand of the desert.
Where did the Incas come from?
Less than a century prior to the arrival of the Spanish conquerors, the Incas, from their homeland centered on the city of Cusco, united most of the Andean cultures into one single empire that encompassed all of what is usually called Andean civilization. The Timoto Cuica of Venezuela remained outside the Inca orbit.
What was the Inca Empire?
The Inca Empire was a patchwork of languages, cultures and peoples. Spanish rule ended or transformed many elements of the Andean civilizations, notably influencing religion and architecture.
What were the characteristics of the Andean civilization?
Andean civilization lacked several characteristics distinguishing it from the pristine civilizations in the Old World and from the Mesoamerican cultures. First, and perhaps most important, Andean civilizations did not have a written language. Instead, their societies used the quipu, a system of knotted and colored strings, to convey information. Few quipus survive and they have never been fully deciphered. Scholars differ on whether the knotted cords of the quipu were able only to record numerical data or could also be used for narrative communication, a true system of writing. The use of the quipu dates back at least to the Wari Empire (600–1000 CE) and possibly to the much earlier civilization of Caral/Norte Chico of the third millennium BCE.
What was the main occupation of the Andean civilization?
However, as in all civilizations until the late 19th century, agriculture was the principal occupation of the great majority of the people. The greatest contribution of Andean civilization to the modern world has been the plants its people domesticated. Crops grown by the Andeans were often unique to the region.
What were the Andean civilizations' axes called?
Finally, the Andean civilizations lacked money. Copper axe-monies (also called "naipes") and Spondylus shells functioned as mediums of exchange in some areas, especially coastal Ecuador, but most of the Andes area had economies organized on reciprocity and redistribution rather than money and markets. These characteristics were especially notable during the Inca Empire but originated in much earlier times.
What were the challenges faced by the Andean civilizations?
Moreover, Andean civilizations faced severe environmental challenges. The earliest civilizations were on the hyper-arid desert coast of Peru. Agriculture was possible only with irrigation in valleys crossed by rivers coming from the high Andes, plus in a few fog oases called lomas. In the Andes, agriculture was limited by thin soils, cold climate, low or seasonal precipitation, and a scarcity of flat land. Freezing temperatures may occur in every month of the year at altitudes of more than 3,000 metres (9,800 ft), the homeland of many of the highland Andean civilizations.
What were the most important things that the Andean civilizations did not have?
Andean civilizations also lacked wheeled vehicles and draft animals. People on land traveled only by foot and the transport of goods was only by humans or llama, pack animals which could carry loads of up to one-fourth of their weight, a maximum of 45 kilograms (99 lb). Llamas were not big or strong enough to be used for plowing or as riding animals for adults.
