Inca

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Ancient Peruvian civilization of Quechua-speaking American Indians that began in the Andean highlands about AD 1200. By the time the Spanish conquered the region in the 1530s, the Inca ruled an empire that stretched from Ecuador in the north to Chile in the south. The word Inca was used for the title of the emperor as well as the people. The empire was based on an agricultural economy, and ruled as a theocracy (a political system run by priests). Centres such as Machu Picchu testify to their advanced engineering and architectural ability. Once defeated, the Inca were enslaved by the Spanish, but many Quechua-speaking Peruvians today are their descendants.

The Inca had a well-defined class hierarchy with the emperor, who owned all the land, at the top, and the farmers, peasants, and servants at the bottom. The Inca empire dominated the Andean region by force. They relocated conquered peoples, sometimes entire kingdoms, to strategic locations, often near their capital, Cuzco. When they had been assimilated into Inca culture, they were resettled in other parts of the Inca empire. Over time, the empire grew to a population of about 13 million people, most of them workers.

Inca society was very religious and worshipped many gods, among them gods of the sun, moon, stars, earth, and sea. The most important was the sun god, from whom the Inca thought the emperor was descended. The priests of the Inca religion ruled the empire alongside the emperor. The Inca priesthood allotted labour for irrigation, farming, and mining, and for building temples and fortresses. Inventories of populations and goods were kept using knotted cords called ‘quipus’, as the Inca did not have a written language. Government officials called quipu camayocs worked throughout the empire overseeing the villages. Medicine and advanced surgery were practised and the dead were mummified (artificially preserved).

Teams of chasquis (runners) carried official messages by word of mouth throughout the empire. An extensive road system united the highland and coastal cities. The Inca ruin of Machu Picchu, a mountain settlement and stronghold built about 1500, is near Cuzco. It was rediscovered in 1911 by US archaeologist Hiram Bingham. In 1987 a book describing the Inca empire by the Spanish writer Juan de Betanzos was rediscovered after 400 years.

Red is said to stand for bloodshed. White represents peace, holiness, and eternity. Effective date: 9 December 1943. >>