Inca Empire

The Inca were a pre-Columbian country and empire in the Andes of South America. The word 'Inca' can also mean the emperor or king of the Inca people. The Inca Empire was called Tawantinsuyo in Quechua, which means "four regions".

Inca Empire Tawantinsuyu  (Quechua)
1438–1533/1572
Inca imperial banner
The Inca Empire at its largest size c. 1525
Capital	Cusco
Official languages	Quechua
Religion	Inca religion
Government	Divine, absolute monarchy semi-diarchy
Historical era	Pre-Columbian era
• Pachacuti created the Tawantinsuyu	1438
• Civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa	1529–1532
• Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire by Francisco Pizarro	1533/1572
• End of the last Inca resistance	1572
Area
1527	2,000,000[1][2] km2 (770,000 sq mi)

"Inca" redirects here. For the rulers of the empire, see Sapa Inca.

Location of the Inca Empire

A view of Machu Picchu, "the Lost City of the Incas," now an archaeological site

It was the largest empire in the Americas, and was large even by world standards. It existed shortly before Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas. It lasted for 100 years, until it was conquered by Spanish soldiers in 1532 AD.

Overview

The Inca were ruled by an Emperor known as the Sapa Inca. Their main language was Quechua, but since there were many different groups in the Empire, there were probably many different languages as well.

The Empire was supported by an economy based on the collective ownership of the land.

Location

The Inca ruled along the western coast of South America for a little over 100 years, until the Spanish invasion in the 16th century.

The empire was centered around the city of Cuzco, or Qosqo, in what is now southern Peru. This was the administrative, political and military center of the empire. In later years, it became centered around Quito.

History

Growth

The Inca Empire began around Lake Titicaca in about 1197. From 1438 to 1533, the Incas used conquest and non-violent assimilation to gain a large portion of western South America. Their empire centered on the Andean mountain ranges. It included large parts of what is now Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Argentina and Chile.

Road network

Throughout their empire, they built a network of roads and rope bridges to make travel between their communities easy.

Beginning of Spanish rule

In 1533, Atahualpa, the last sovereign emperor, was executed by the conquistador Francisco Pizarro. That marked the beginning of Spanish rule in South America.

Also see

• Inca road system
• Inca rope bridge
• Inca Civil War