Daily Life
The Ayllu
One of the most important aspects of the Inca daily life was the ayllu. The ayllu was a group of families that
worked a portion of land together. They shared most of their belongings with each other just like a larger
family. Everyone in the Inca Empire was a member of an ayllu. Once a person was born into an ayllu, they
remained part of that ayllu their entire life.
Daily Life of a Peasant
The daily life of a peasant in the Inca Empire was full of hard work. The only time peasants were allowed not
to work was during religious festivals. Other than that, they were expected to be working when they were
not sleeping.
Most of the peasant men worked as farmers. They didn't own their own farms, but worked land owned by
the government. They also had to pay taxes to the government.
The women worked hard at the home during the day. They cooked, made clothes, and took care of the
children. Most girls were married by the time they were twelve years old.
Daily Life of a Noble
The Inca nobles lived a much easier lifestyle. They still had to work, but had important jobs in the
government. They could own land and didn't have to pay taxes.
What type of clothes did they wear?
The men wore long sleeveless shirts or tunics. The women wore long dresses. Both men and women would
wear capes or ponchos to keep them warm during the winter. The peasants and the nobles wore similar
fashions. Of course the clothing of the rich was made from finer cloth and was more decorated.
Hairstyles were an important part of Inca fashion. The type of hairstyle you wore told people your social
status as well as what group, or ayllu, you were from.
In what kind of houses did they live?
Most of the people lived in adobe brick homes with thatched roofs. The homes were mostly single story with
one room. There was typically very little furniture in the homes, just some baskets for storing things, thin
mats to sleep on, and a stove.
What did they eat?
What people ate depended a lot on where they lived. Corn, squash, and beans were the main staples of
their diet, but they ate other things as well including tomatoes, peppers, fish, and ducks. In general, the
people ate well and were taken care of. If someone couldn't work or was too old to work on the fields, the
government took care of them and made sure they had enough food.
Did the kids go to school?
Only the wealthy children went to school. Peasant children began to work when they were still young and
only learned the craft or skill that would be their job for the rest of their lives.
Children were not watched over like they are in most societies today. They were left alone throughout the
day. Parents didn't hug or coddle their children. The mother would feed and clean the child, and then leave
it to itself.
Interesting Facts about the Daily Life of an Inca Commoner
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Many men carried a small bag around with them, almost like a purse. In this bag they kept coca
leaves for chewing as well as good luck charms.
Starting at the age of 14, men of the nobility wore large gold earplugs. They would put in bigger and
bigger plugs over time.
Many people had to pay their taxes through labor. They worked for the government as soldiers,
builders, or farmers in order to pay their taxes.
The government had inspectors that would keep an eye on the commoners. They even checked to
see if the people were keeping their house clean and tidy.
Most commoners were not allowed to travel within the empire. Only the rich and government officials
were allowed to travel.
Government
When the Spanish arrived in Peru in the 1500s the Inca Empire was huge. It stretched for over 2000 miles
from the north to the south and had a population of an estimated 10 million people. The Inca needed a
sophisticated and organized government to maintain an empire this large.
Monarchy
The Inca government was called the Tawantinsuyu. It was a monarchy ruled by a single leader called the
Sapa Inca.
Sapa Inca - The emperor or king of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa Inca, which means "sole ruler". He
was the most powerful person in the land and everyone else reported to the Sapa Inca. His principal wife,
the queen, was called the coya.
Inca Government Organization
Below the Sapa Inca were several officers who helped to rule the empire. High ranking officials were often
relatives of the emperor and were always part of the Inca class.
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Viceroy - Below the Sapa Inca was the viceroy, or Inkap Rantin. He was a close relative of the Sapa
Inca and worked as his closest advisor.
● High Priest - The high priest, called the "Willaq Umu", was also a very powerful man. He was
probably second in power to the Sapa Inca due to the importance of religion in the Inca Empire.
● Governors of a Quarter - The Inca Empire was divided up into four quarters. Each of these quarters
was ruled by a governor called an Apu.
● Council of the Realm - The Sapa Inca also kept a council of men who advised him on major matters.
These men were powerful nobles.
● Inspectors - In order to maintain control and to make sure people were paying their taxes and
following the ways of the Inca, the Sapa Inca had inspectors that watched over the people. The
inspectors were called "tokoyrikoq".
● Military Generals - There were also military generals. The head general was usually a close relative
of the Sapa Inca. These leaders were called "Apukuna".
● Other Officials - There were many other government officials and leaders throughout the Inca
Empire such as priests, military officers, judges, and tax collectors.
Dividing up the Empire
The Empire was divided up into quarters called "suyu". The four suyu were Chinchay Suyu, Anti Suyu, Qulla
Suyu, and Kunti Suyu. At the center of the four quarters was the capital city of Cuzco.
Each suyu was then further divided into provinces called "wamani". A lot of times each wamani was made
up of a tribe that had been conquered by the Inca. There were also smaller divisions within each wamani.
The smallest, and maybe the most important, division of government was the ayllu. The ayllu was made up
of a number of families and often acted like a large family. The ayllu was responsible for paying taxes. Also,
land was assigned by the government to each ayllu based on the number of people in the group.
Inca Taxes
In order to run the government, the Inca needed food and resources which they acquired through taxes.
Each ayllu was responsible for paying taxes to the government. The Inca had tax inspectors that watched
over the people to make sure that they paid all their taxes.
There were two main taxes that the people had to pay. The first tax was a portion of the ayllu's crops. The
crops were divided up three ways with the first third going to the government, the second third to the priests,
and the final third was for the people.
The second type of tax was called the mit'a. The mit'a was a labor tax that each man between the ages of
16 and 60 had to pay by working for the government for a portion of the year. They worked various jobs
such as laborers on government buildings and roads, mining for gold, or even as warriors in the army.
Laws and Punishment
The laws were made by the Sapa Inca and passed down to the people through the tax collectors. Murder,
stealing, cheating on taxes, and cursing the gods was all against the law.
However, there wasn't a lot of crime in the Inca Empire, mostly because the punishments were very harsh.
For example, people were often executed for cursing the gods. If they were caught stealing, they would
have their hands cut off.
Interesting Facts about the Government of the Inca Empire
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Every ayllu had its own tax collector.
Although the Inca had a road system between the cities, commoners were not allowed to travel on
the roads. The roads were guarded by the army and trespassers were usually killed.
The name for the inspectors "tokoyrikoq" is translated as "he who sees all".
Most conquered tribes were allowed to remain in their homelands. However, if they were considered
rebellious, they would be moved to other areas of the empire.
The Inca roads were an important part of the Inca government as they were used for
communication.
Mythology and Religion
The religion of the Inca was closely tied into the everyday life of the Inca as well as with their government.
They believed that their ruler, the Inca Sapa, was part god himself.
The Inca believed that their gods occupied three different realms: 1) the sky or Hanan Pacha, 2) the inner
earth or Uku Pacha, and 3) the outer earth or Cay pacha.
Inca Gods and Goddesses
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Inti - Inti was the most important of the gods to the Inca. He was the god of the sun. The emperor, or
Inca Sapa, was said to be a descendent of Inti. Inti was married to the Goddess of the Moon, Mama
Quilla.
Mama Quilla - Mama Quilla was the goddess of the Moon. She was also the goddess of marriage
and the defender of women. Mama Quilla was married to Inti the god of the Sun. The Inca believed
that lunar eclipses occurred when Mama Quilla was being attacked by an animal.
Pachamama - Pachamama was the goddess of Earth or "Mother Earth". She was responsible for
farming and the harvest.
Viracocha - Viracocha was the first god who created the Earth, the sky, the other gods, and humans.
Supay - Supay was the god of death and ruler of the Inca underworld called the Uca Pacha.
Inca god Viracocha
Inca Temples
The Inca built many beautiful temples to their gods. The most important temple was the Coricancha built in
the heart of the city of Cuzco to the sun god, Inti. The walls and floors were covered with sheets of gold.
There were also gold statues and a huge gold disc that represented Inti. Corichancha means "Golden
Temple".
The Inca Afterlife
The Inca believed strongly in an afterlife. They took great care in embalming and mummifying the bodies of
the dead before burial. They brought gifts to the dead that they thought the dead could use in the afterlife.
The Inca felt so strongly in the afterlife that when an emperor died, their body was mummified and left in
their palace. They even kept some servants to watch over the dead emperor. For certain festivals, such as
the Festival of the Dead, the dead emperors were paraded through the streets.
Symbol for Inti the Sun god
Inca Heavens
The Inca believed that the heavens were divided into four quarters. If a person lived a good life they lived in
the part of heaven with the sun where there was plenty of food and drink. If they lived a bad life they had to
live in the underworld where it was cold and they only had rocks to eat.
What were Huacas?
Huacas were sacred places or objects to the Inca. A huaca could be manmade or natural such as a rock, a
statue, a cave, waterfall, mountain, or even a dead body. The Inca prayed and offered sacrifices to their
huacas believing that they were inhabited by spirits that could help them. The most sacred huacas in the
Inca Empire were the mummies of the dead emperors.
Interesting Facts about the Mythology and Religion of the Inca Empire
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They allowed the tribes they conquered to worship their own gods as long as the tribes agreed to
worship the Inca gods as supreme.
The Inca held religious festivals every month. Sometimes human sacrifice would be included as part
of the ceremony.
The Inca worshiped mountains and considered them sacred. This was because they believed the
mountains were the source of water.
The Spanish tore down the temple of Coricancha and built the Church of Santo Domingo at the
same location.
Priests were very important and powerful in Inca society. The High Priest lived in Cuzco and was
often the brother of the emperor.
Science and Technology
The Inca Empire was a complex society with an estimated population of 10 million people. They had large
stone cities, beautiful temples, an advanced government, a detailed tax system, and an intricate road
system.
The Inca, however, didn't have a lot of basic technologies we often consider important to advanced
societies. They didn't use the wheel for transport, they didn't have a writing system for records, and they
didn't even have iron for making tools. How did they create such an advanced Empire?
Below are some of the important scientific innovations and technologies used by the Inca Empire.
Roads and Communication
The Incas built a large system of roads that went throughout their empire. The roads were usually paved
with stone. Stone steps were often built into steep areas in the mountains. They also built bridges where the
roads needed to cross rivers.
The main purpose for the roads was for communication, moving army troops, and to transport goods.
Commoners were not allowed to travel on the roads.
Communication was accomplished by runners on the roads. Fast young men called "chaskis" would run
from one relay station to the next. At each station they would pass the message on to the next runner.
Messages were either passed verbally or by using a quipu (see below). Messages traveled quickly this way
at the rate of around 250 miles per day.
Quipus
A quipu was a series of strings with knots. The number of knots, the size of the knots, and the distance
between knots conveyed meaning to the Inca, sort of like writing. Only specially trained officials knew how
to use quipus.
A drawing of a quipu
General Info
Stone Buildings
The Inca were able to create sturdy stone buildings. Without the use of iron tools they were able to shape
large stones and have them fit together without the use of mortar. By fitting the stones closely as well as
other architectural techniques, the Inca were able to create large stone buildings that survived for hundreds
of years despite the many earthquakes that occur in Peru.
Farming
The Inca were expert farmers. They used irrigation and water storage techniques to grow crops in all sorts
of terrain from the deserts to the high mountains. Despite not having beasts of burden or iron tools, the Inca
farmers were very efficient.
Calendar and Astronomy
The Inca used their calendar to mark religious festivals as well as the seasons so they could plant their
crops at the correct time of the year. They studied the sun and the stars to calculate their calendar.
The Inca calendar was made up of 12 months. Each month had three weeks of ten days each. When the
calendar and the sun got off track, the Inca would add a day or two to bring them back into alignment.
Government and Taxes
The Inca had a complex system of government and taxes. Numerous officials kept watch over the people
and made sure that the taxes were paid. The people were required to work hard, but their basic needs were
provided.
Interesting Facts about Inca Science and Technology
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The messengers who ran on the roads were punished harshly if the message was not accurately
delivered. This rarely happened.
● The Inca built a variety of bridges including suspension bridges and pontoon bridges.
● One of the main forms of medicine used by the Inca was the coca leaf.
● The Inca developed aqueducts to bring fresh water into town.
● The basic unit of distance used by the Inca was one pace or a "thatki".
Society
The Inca society was based around strict social classes. Few people had the opportunity to improve their
social status. Once a person was born into a social class, that was where they would remain for the rest of
their life.
Noble Classes (Inca)
The Inca Empire was ruled by the ancestors of the original Inca people. These were the people who
originally established the city of Cuzco.
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Sapa Inca - The emperor or king was called the Sapa Inca. He was at the top of the Inca social class
and was considered a god in many ways.
Villac Umu - The high priest was just behind the Sapa Inca in social status. The gods were very
important to the Inca and the high priest spoke directly to their most powerful god, the Sun god Inti.
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Royal Family - The direct relatives of Sapa Inca were next in line. They received high positions in the
government. The primary wife of the emperor was the queen called the coya.
● Inca - The noble class, or Inca class, was made up of the people directly descended from the people
who first established the city of Cuzco. They were called the Inca. They lived lives of luxury and held
the best positions in the Inca government.
● Inca-by-privilege - As the empire grew, the emperor needed more people he could trust in high
positions in the government. There weren't enough of the original Inca to rule. So a new class was
created called Inca-by-privilege. These people were considered nobles, but not as high in class as
the true Inca.
Public Administrators
Below the Inca or noble class was the class of public administrators. These people ran the government at
the low level.
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Curacas - The Curacas were the leaders from the tribes that were conquered. They were often left
as leaders of their tribes. They still had to report to the Inca, but if they remained loyal, they often
kept their position.
● Tax collectors - Each group of families, or ayllu, had a tax collector who kept watch over them. He
made sure that they paid all of their taxes. There was also a strict hierarchy of tax collectors. The
higher levels kept an eye on the people below them.
● Record keepers - In order to track who had paid their taxes and where the supplies were stored,
there were many record keepers in the government.
Commoners
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Artisans - Artisans were commoners, but were also considered a higher social class than the
farmers. They worked on crafts such as pottery or gold jewelry for the nobles.
● Farmers - At the bottom of the social class were the farmers. The farmers were also the largest and
the most important class within the Inca Empire. Farmers worked long hard days and sent two-thirds
of their crops to the government and the priests. The Inca Empire relied on the production of the
farmers for its wealth and success.
The Ayllu
The basic unit of Inca society was the ayllu. The ayllu was made up of a number of families that worked
together almost like one large family. Everyone in the empire was part of an ayllu.
Interesting Facts about the Society of the Inca Empire
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Craftspeople were paid by the government with food that the government received from the tax on
farmers. Craftspeople also did not have to pay the labor tax called the mit'a.
● Architects and engineers were part of the public administration class. They were considered higher
in class than artisans or craftsmen.
● Certain clothing and jewelry was reserved for the noble and Inca classes.
● Nobles and high level leaders, such as curacas, did not have to pay taxes.
● Nobles were allowed to have many wives, but commoners could only have one wife.
● Women married as young as twelve and were generally married by the age of 16. Men were married
by the age of 20.
Cuzco City
Cuzco was the capital and birthplace of the Inca Empire. The emperor, or Sapa Inca, lived in a palace in
Cuzco. His top leaders and closest advisors also lived there.
Where is Cuzco located?
Cuzco is located in the Andes Mountains of what is today southern Peru. It sits high in the mountains at an
elevation of 11,100 feet (3,399 meters) above sea level.
When was Cuzco founded?
Cuzco was founded by Manco Capac around 1200 AD. He established the Kingdom of Cuzco as a
city-state that ruled the surrounding lands.
Center of the Inca Empire
In 1438 Pachacuti became the Sapa Inca of the Inca people. He greatly expanded the lands that Cuzco
controlled. Soon Cuzco was the center of the vast Inca Empire.
Who lived in the city of Cuzco?
The city of Cuzco was a place for nobles to live during the Inca Empire. Commoners did not live in the city.
The only exceptions were the servants of the nobles as well as artisans and builders who were working on
buildings or other items for the nobles.
Many of the high ranking nobles were required to live in Cuzco. Even the governors of the four major
regions of the empire were required to have a home in Cuzco and to live one fourth of the year in the city.
The most important person that lived in Cuzco was the emperor, or Sapa Inca. He lived in a huge palace
with his family and queen, the coya.
The Buildings of Cuzco
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Emperor's Palace - Perhaps the most important building in Cuzco was the emperor's palace. There
were actually a number of palaces in Cuzco because each new emperor built his own palace. The
palace of the previous emperor was occupied by his mummy. The Inca believed that the spirit of the
old emperor inhabited the mummy and they often went to consult the mummies of previous
emperors.
Coricancha - The most important temple in Cuzco was the temple of the Sun god Inti. It was called
the Coricancha which means "Golden Temple". During the time of the Inca Empire the walls and
floors of the temple were covered in sheets of gold.
Sacsayhuaman - Located on a steep hill on the outskirts of the city was the fortress of
Sacsayhuaman. This fortress was guarded with a series of huge stone walls. There are individual
stones in the walls so big they are estimated to weigh nearly 200 tons!
The walls of Sacsayhuaman at Cuzco
Interesting Facts about the Inca city of Cuzco
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A common greeting used in the city was "Ama Sua, Ama Quella, Ama Lulla" which meant "Don't lie,
don't steal, don't be lazy". This was also the cornerstone of the Inca law.
The Killke people lived in the area before the Inca and may have built some of the structures that the
Inca used.
The city of Cuzco is still a large city today with a population of around 350,000.
Many of the stones in the walls of Sacsayhuaman fit so closely together that you cannot even slide a
piece of paper between them.
The city of Cuzco is often spelled with an "s" as in Cusco.
The Constitution of Peru officially designates the modern city of Cuzco as the Historical Capital of
Peru.
Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro said of Cuzco "it is so beautiful and has such fine buildings
that it would be remarkable even in Spain".