Chapter 12, Section 2
The Incas: People of the Sun
 The
Incas used
relay runners
to spread news
from one place
in their empire
to another.
◦ They carried
news at a rate of
250 miles a day.
The Incan Runner

In about 1200, the Incas settled in
Cuzco, a village in the Andes that
became the Incan capital city.
◦ It is now a city in the country of Peru.
Through wars
and conquest,
the Incas won
control of the
entire Cuzco
Valley.
Cuzco
(KOOS koh)

In 1438, Pachacuti became a ruler of the
Incas.
◦ The name Pachacuti means “he who shakes
the earth”

Pachacuti conquered the people of the
Andes and the Pacific coast.
◦ He demanded loyalty from these people
◦ If they were not loyal he would kick
them off the land and replace
them with people loyal to the Incas.
Pachacuti
(pahch ah KOO tee)
Topa Inca

Topa Inca was Pachacuti’s
son who became emperor of
the Incas in 1471
◦ He expanded the empire to
some 2,500 miles (covering
areas from Ecuador
through Peru, Bolivia,
Chile, and Argentina) and
ruled over 12 million
people.

The Incas worshiped many gods and
practiced human sacrifice.
◦ The sun god, Inti, was one of their most
important gods.
 They believed that Inti was their parent, and they
referred to themselves as “children of the sun.”
◦ Another important God was
Viracocha, the creator of all
the people of the Andes
Inti and Viracocha




Government was
carefully organized to
keep track of the
millions of people.
The emperor chose
nobles to govern over
each province
Each noble conducted
a census so people
could be taxed.
Census: official
count of people in
an area


Incas did not have a
written language
Government officials
and traders used
quipus, knotted
strings on which they
recorded information
◦ Each quipu had a main
cord with several
colored strings attached
◦ Colors represented
different items, and
knots of different sizes
at certain distances
stood for numbers
Government and Records

Most Incas were farmers
◦ They grew maize and other crops

Farmers and workers lived in mud-brick
huts outside of Cuzco.

The Incas built terraces into the sides of steep
slopes to increase their farmland and to keep soil
from washing down the mountains.
farmers

An aqueduct is a pipe or channel that
carries water from a distant source.
◦ This system allowed the Incas to irrigate land
that was otherwise too dry to grow crops.
aqueduct

Gorges are narrow passes or valleys
between steep cliffs.
◦ The Incas built bridges to span the deep gorges
of the Andes Mountains. Throughout the
Andes, swift-moving waters often flow through
gorges.
 These rope bridges were made of braided vines
and reeds.
gorges

The most famous Incan ruin is Machu
Picchu, a city that includes buildings,
stairs carved into the side of the
mountain, and roads cut into bare rock.
◦ The Incas constructed cities,
palaces, temples, and
fortresses without the
use of modern tools.
 They used only hammers and chisels to cut stone so
precisely that they fit together without mortar or cement!
Machu Picchu
(MAH choo PEEK choo)

The Quechua are descendants of the Incas.
◦ They live in present-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia,
Chile, and Colombia.
◦ They speak Quechua, the Incan language.

Although modern technology has influenced
the Quechua people they continue to keep
many traditions.
◦ Farming methods
◦ Weaving traditions
◦ Clothing style:
ponchos made of
bright woven colors
The Quechua