6 Unit 4 Task 1
http://incas.mrdonn.org/index.html
Inca Empire for Kids
Since the Incas never developed a system of writing, archaeologists must
study myths and legends and the artifacts they left behind for clues about
the ancient Inca civilization.
Incan Tall Tales: The Incas loved stories. Special "wise men" created
stories that were told over and over. They loved tall tales. Their emperors
always did amazing things. Their battles were always bigger than life. The
Incas believed in many gods. Some of their stories were about the
wondrous feats of their gods. One Incan myth refers to an old man with
long white hair, who was really a god. This god lived in a coal sack (the
Milky Way). He created the Incan people.
Another popular myth tells a story about Manco Capac and Inti, the sun
god. In that myth, the sun god created the Incan people. The story of
Manco Capac is still told in Peru today.
A Little History: At first, the Incas were simply a small tribe that lived in
the city of Cuzco. They worshiped gods of nature. They believed in omens
and dreams. Around 1430 C.E, a neighboring tribe attacked the Incas. The
Incas won! That was the beginning of the Inca Empire.
Size of the Inca Empire: Over the next 100 years, the Inca Empire
grew into a vast empire. The Incas were able to build a vast empire by
demanding loyalty from conquered people. At the height of their power,
the Inca Empire was 2,500 miles long, 500 miles wide, and home to 12
million people. These people called themselves "the Children of the Sun".
As soon a new tribe was conquered, or voluntarily joined the Inca Empire,
three things happened quickly:
1. Engineers and workers began to build roads to connect the new
province to the rest of the Empire.
2. Government officials were sent to count the new wealth - how
many people, how much gold and silver, how many vases - the
count was very detailed.
1 3. A governor was appointed to run the new territory.
Some of the conquered people were sent to join existing ayllus units in
various parts of the Empire. If the government needed workers
somewhere, some of the conquered people were sent to help out. People
who were moved about often did not speak the language of the group they
were joining. This pretty much wiped out all chance of rebellion.
All the new people had to follow the Inca ways. They had to speak the
Inca language. They had to worship Inca gods. But, they could
additionally follow their own religious customs.
The new territory was absorbed into the Inca Empire. The Empire
continued to have a common language, a common government, and huge
storages of food and goods available for use in times of need. It was an
effective way of handling a rapidly expanding Empire.
Land of the Four Quarters: The land the Incas ruled became known as
"the land of the four quarters". It was named that because the Inca Empire
was divided into four parts for ruling purposes. Cuzco was still the capital.
Sapa Inca and his Government: The Incas had a strong central
government. The leader of the Inca people was the Inca, sometimes called
the Sapa Inca (the only Inca), the emperor. His was not an elected
position. The Inca was born to the job. The Sapa Inca was all-powerful.
Everything belonged to the Sapa Inca. He ruled his people by putting his
relatives in positions of power. Because punishment was harsh and swift,
almost no one broke the law.
The government was responsible for taking care of the people, including
the poor, the sick, and the elderly. The government built roads and bridges
and aqueducts to carry water to the people. In times of drought, the
government distributed food. In times of natural disaster, such as
earthquake, the government sent troops with food and blankets.
The Common People: In exchange, it was the people's job to work for the
government. The common people worked very hard. But no one went
hungry and no one was homeless in the Inca Empire. The state made sure
everyone had enough food to eat and warm clothing to wear. It was
important that people stay healthy. They were needed as workers.
Service Tax: The nobles who ruled the provinces conducted a census so
that all people could be taxed. A census is an official count of all the
people in an area and how they make a living. The Incas loved gold and
silver, but they had no use for money. All Incan men gave the government
some of their time each year in physical labor. This was how they paid
their tax - with their service or their labor. The government built great
palaces, public buildings, and the famous Incan roads with this labor.
Terrace Farming: To feed the millions of people in the Inca Empire, the
2 Incas invented terrace farming so they could grow crops on the steep
mountain slopes. They used systems of irrigation to catch the rainfall and
the spring run off from the snow-capped Andes mountaintops.
Religion: The Incas believed that their ruler was the direct descendant of
the sun god, Inti. Their ruler was a god. The Incas believed in many gods.
They believed in the god of nature, the moon, of weather, of rainbows, and
of planets. Every mountaintop was a god. All Incas had little statues in
their homes that were the homes of little spirits. Anything might house a
god. Just to be safe, they prayed to all their gods every day.
Every month, the Incas held a huge and public religious festival honoring
one of their major gods. At the festival, there was dancing and feasting
and sacrifice. Mostly, the Incas sacrificed animals. Sometimes, if
something really important was going on, they sacrificed people.
Crime and Punishment: There was almost no crime in the Inca Empire.
Inca laws were very harsh. Punishment was swift.
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If you insulted the Inca, cursed the gods, or committed a murder,
you were thrown off a cliff.
If you were caught stealing or cheating, you either had your hands
and feet cut off.
There were lesser punishments. You could be stoned. You could
be tied to a wall and left to freeze.
If you lived through your punishment, you were classified as a criminal,
and you became a ward of the state. The state took care of you. They
clothed and fed you. In the Inca Empire, everybody had a job. Your job as
a criminal was to tell others about your crime. That was your job for the
rest of your life.
Every day, criminals were taken to the city gates and assigned a begging
bowl. As people passed by, criminals had to announce their crimes. If their
stories were interesting, people would toss food or small trinkets into the
begging bowls. That way, each criminal could prove how many people
had stopped to listen as they confessed their crimes. And the people had
daily reminders of what would happen to them if they broke the law.
You might wonder why the criminals did not run away. Run away where?
The common people were not allowed on the roads. But even if they
were, the military guarded the gates to the cities. They kept an eye on the
criminals begging by the gate. Any criminal who tried to run away was
captured and killed.
*Modification of the article located on the website: http://incas.mrdonn.org/index.html
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