February 14, 2012 Inca At its peak, the Incan empire stretched more than 2,500 miles, almost the entire The Inca controlled a vast empire covering parts of modern length of the Andes day Peru, Ecudor, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. Mountains. The geography was varied and harsh: rainless desserts, towering mountain ranges and steamy rain forests. The climate varied from tropical to polar. Communication Ruling an empire of this size Cuzco was the capital of the Inca required good communication. Empire. Quechua was the language. The telephone didn't exist, so Any conquered or joining groups had messengers had to travel from to learn this language. town to town. Although they never invented the wheel, the Inca built over 14,000 miles of road, much of it paved. Many of these roads still You needed special permission to travel exist and are used today. on the roads since they belonged to the government. The army would use the roads to quickly stop rebellions or protect themselves from intruders. Llama trains would travel the roads delivering food or other resources. Building roads was one way farmers could pay their "service tax" The Andes mountains did not make to the government. Suspension bridges were made of woven reed travel easy. Messengers had to cross and were replaced every other year. deep gorges and rivers. So the Inca built suspension bridges, pontoon These pictures are of the Qeswechaka bridge near Cuzco, the bridges and sometimes hung a basket last surviving Inca rope bridge. It is still rebuilt annually out of on a cable to pull people across the grass. Villiagers gather for four days to continue this 700 year gorge. old tradition.
February 14, 2012 Chasquis (pronounced kas kee) The Inca set up a network of messengers by which important messages would Quipu be conveyed along these roads. These messengers were known as Chasquis and were chosen from the strongest and fittest male youngsters. They ran The Inca had no writing or many miles a day to relay messages. They lived in cabins or tambos along the number system. Instead they roads usually in groups of four or six. used the quipu to record When a chasqui was spotted, another one information. This was a series of would run to meet him. He would run beside knotted, colored strings hung the incoming messenger trying to listen and from one main cord. Each color to memorize the message, he would also relay had a meaning, such as "corn" or the quipu if he was carrying one. The tired "speeches by the king." Knots chasqui would stay and rest in the cabin while were tied in each string to the other one will run to the next relay station. indicate numbers in a decimal In this way messages could travel over 250 miles system. a day. Directions: T omorrow's Activity 1. Your team must quickly and accurately relay a question down the path to your "expert group" located at Relay station D. T o relay the message, do the following: You are going to be chasqui as you participate in an · Send one messenger from Station A to the Sapa Inca (teacher) to receive activity to share knowledge about the Inca. an important question. Each team will get a different question. · · Memorize your question. The follow your path to relay station B. 1. Read your assigned pages and complete the matching · · Whisper your question to one messenger or chasquis. This messenger must section of the notes/worksheet. take the message to station C. · · Repeat the process until the message gets delivered to station D. Once a 2. Bring your notes to class tomorrow. messenger has delivered his/her message they must return to their station. 2. Your team must relay the answer to the question back to the Sapa Inca 3. Be prepared to run! The fastest and most intelligent in the same manner, but reverse order. If there are two or more messengers, send one who was not gone yet. chasqui will be rewarded by the Sapa Inca! 3. When the messenger arrives back at Cuzco, he or she must write the answer neatly and completely on the slip of paper, enter the team's number and hand it to the Sapa Inca. Now let's review and fill in our notes! Inca Timeline · 1200 A.D. Inca developed into a distinct culture. T eam 1 T eam 2 T eam 3 T eam 4 · · 1438 A.D. Pachacuti, the ninth emperor, began to create the empire over the next 30 years by subduing neighboring tribes. Building of Machu Picchu begins. · How did it feel to become a chasqui and relay important messages? · 1493-1525 The height of the Inca empire. · · 1525-1532 Civil war broke out due to two brothers feuding over the who would be the What was difficult or challenging about this system? next emperor. · · 1532 Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro defeats the Inca army. What might have been the advantages of such a system for Inca · · 1535- 1819 Spain rules Peru. leaders? · · 1824 Peru gains independence from Spain. What were the most interesting or important pieces of information you · · 1911 Machu Picchu is found by Hiram Bigham learned about Inca class structure, family life, religion, and relations with other peoples?
February 14, 2012 Challenges of Life in the Empire Adapting to Life in the Andes enormous size - 2,500 miles in length Machu Picchu This ancient Inca city is variable landscape - coastal deserts, lofty mountain ranges, located high in the Andes Mountains in northwest Peru. It is and rain forests one of the best preserved examples of Inca ruins. Machu Picchu was discovered in 1911 by Hiram Bingham. climate varied from tropical to polar more than 6 million people to feed daily http://www.plainlocal.org/olc/folder.aspx?id=21246&c=5736&s=1119 Agricultural T echniques T erracing allowed the Inca to provide Inca grew corn, potatoes, and food for more than six million people. quinoa (a grain). Potatoes were the main food eaten daily. We can thank the Inca for introducing T erraces are typically 5 - 13 feet high with us to this food! varied length and width according to the steepness of the mountain. Usually they are wider at the bottom of the incline and get narrower as they go up the mountain. T o irrigate the fields they built channels to bring water from the glacier-fed rivers. They also straightened rivers, filled or drained marshes as needed, and channeled water into deserts. Inca Social and Political Organization 1) Sapa Inca · enormous size - 2,500 miles 2) Nobles long 3) Commoners · varied landscape, deserts, mountain ranges & rain Sapa Inca or emperor ruled by divine right and was thought to forests be a descendant of the sun god, Inti. · varied climate - tropical to polar · had to feed 6 million people Could not be looked in the eye. terraced mountain sides ancient Inca city in Andes He was carried on a litter and lived lavishly. located in northwest Peru channeled water and diverted rivers for one of best preserved irrigation The Sapa Inca had hundreds of wives selected from the examples of Inca ruins Chosen Women, but his primary wife, the empress or Coya, was grew corn, potatoes, Hiram Bingham one of his sisters. rediscovered it in 1911 quinoa
February 14, 2012 Commoners Nobles Bulk of population falls into this category. Capac Incas highest nobles Work from age 5 until no longer able to related to the emperor work. Most were farmers or herders. in charge of empire's lands and resources leaders of government, army and priesthood Pay taxes to the emperor in the form of goods and services. Curacas Men had to pay a duty tax: build roads, dig irrigation ditches, Lowest nobles repair suspension bridges, serve in the army. Local leaders of conquered lands ruled over allyu Government would provide for those unable to work or had to learn Inca laws & language supply areas from store houses when there was a shortage. Patterns of Culture Review Artistic Patterns Stonework - built structures with cut stone that Knotted strings of many · descendant of Sun god, Inti were so precise that you cannot push a razor blade between colors. · ruled by divine right · not allowed to look him in eye them. recorded numbers of · did not walk as a mortal, carried llamas, food supplies, in a golden litter. days worked for duty tax, · married to empress, Coya etc. Goldwork - Emperor and his palace Capac Incas- relatives of Sapa Inca was decorated in elaborate gold work. every 10 households governed by a head who reported to other household heads. controlled land and resources made it easier to collect taxes leaders of govt., army, & priesthood Music - played panpipes and drums for social & religious ceremonies. Later Commoners · state designated jobs (army, chasqui, etc.) Most people were commoners. · had to help with Inca projects (roads, etc.) Most were farmers or herders. banned by Spanish, none survived. · all contributed to the emperor's Had to work and contribute to emperor (taxes) storehouses Men paid mit'a or duty tax by giving service to government Fill in remainder of patterns for homework!
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