The Inca society was a vertical hierarchical organization divided in four social classes. At the top of the stratum was the Sapa Inca, the most powerful person in the empire. Below was the royalty, comprised by the sons of the Sapa Inca and his close relatives. The third social class was the nobility which included royal relatives and those who attained distinction through their services such as priests and chiefs. At the bottom of the pyramidal social structure was the ayllu which included the majority of the population.

 

Ayllu workers gathering potatoes as part of their mita work

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Society in the Andes was built around the ayllu. All its members had some kind of family ties, like an extended family. They all believed they were descendants of a common ancestor. The head of the ayllu was the curaca. The ayllu was also the base of economic activity. Ayllu members worked the land and took care of the cattle for food and clothing, and they worked in the mines or as weavers. They were all obliged to work and contribute to the mita or tax. In exchange the Inca would secure food throughout the year, provide agricultural products not produced in the area, education and health care.

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More about the Inca Civilization

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The Inca Empire and its origin

According to Inca tradition there are two myths explaining the origin of the Incas, the myth of Lake Titicaca and the myth of the Ayar brothers.

Inca expansion and its government

The government was highly organized without the benefits of a writing system. In order to control the population of such a vast territory they created laws that were rigidly enforced.

The Inca and its family

The Sapa Inca was polygamous and he usually married his sister who was his most important wife, she was known as the Coya.

Inca religion – A religion of many Gods

Inca religion was a large melting pot of beliefs. Since the Sapa Inca was a god, religion and government were in many ways intertwined.

Cusco, the City of the Puma

The inner city of Cusco was laid out in the shape of a puma whose head was the fortress of Sacsahuaman. His body was shaped by the rivers Tulumayo and Huatanay and his tail was where both rivers meet in a place known as Pumaq Chupan.

Economy of the Inca Empire

Collective labor was the base for economic productivity and for the creation of social wealth in the Inca society.

Roads and Chasquis

Because the Inca Empire controlled such a vast territory they needed a way to communicate with all the corners of the empire. They set up a network of messengers known as Chasquis.

Inti Raymi, the celebration of the Sun

The Inti Raymi was prohibited by the Spanish during the conquest and colony claiming that it was a pagan ceremony and not in compliance with the Catholic religion.

The fall of the Inca Empire

A long civil war between brothers Huascar and Atahualpa and disease brought by the Spaniards from Europe contributed to the rapid decline of the empire.

Travel Peru – Cusco

It is estimated that around 1.5 million tourists visit Cusco every year, Machu Picchu and the city of Cusco have become the main tourist attractions in Peru and one of the most visited in South America.

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