The Inca Empire, which spanned much of South America from the 12th to 16th centuries, had a complex and sophisticated government structure. At its height, the Inca Empire stretched from present-day Colombia to Chile, encompassing a wide range of cultures, languages, and climates. Despite its size and diversity, the Inca government was able to maintain a high level of control and cohesion through a system of centralization and bureaucracy.
The Inca government was headed by the Sapa Inca, who was believed to be a direct descendant of the sun god Inti. The Sapa Inca was the supreme ruler of the empire, with absolute power over all aspects of governance. He was advised by a council of nobles and priests, who helped to administer the government and carry out the Sapa Inca's orders.
Below the Sapa Inca were a series of regional and local officials, who were responsible for administering the empire's provinces and cities. These officials were chosen by the Sapa Inca and were often members of the nobility or the clergy. They were responsible for collecting taxes, enforcing the laws, and maintaining order within their jurisdictions.
The Inca government was also supported by a well-organized bureaucracy, which was responsible for managing the empire's resources and ensuring that the population was properly fed and clothed. This bureaucracy included a corps of scribes, who kept records of the empire's wealth and resources, as well as a corps of engineers, who oversaw the construction of roads, bridges, and other public works.
In addition to its central government, the Inca Empire also had a system of local governance, which allowed for some degree of autonomy within each province. Each province was governed by a local leader, who was responsible for enforcing the laws and collecting taxes. These local leaders were chosen by the Sapa Inca and were expected to be loyal to the central government.
Overall, the Inca government was a highly centralized and hierarchical system that was designed to maintain order and control within the vast and diverse empire. While it was not without its flaws, it was able to effectively govern the Inca Empire for over three centuries, until the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th century.
Inca Government Lesson for Kids
This latter group was drawn from that section of the population which had inhabited the region when the Incas had first arrived. Most of the people in the Inca Empire were workers. The sentencing of an individual to death rested only among the highest authorities: provincial governors, the apu of the four suyu, and the Sapa Inca himself. Apu, on the other hands, were typically close relatives of the Sapa Inca. IDENTIFY What were two things the central Inca government controlled? They were typically provincial nobility who maintained their social status after Inca conquest. The Sapa Inca organized his government in a pyramid.
The Coricancha went one step further where a maize field complete with life-size llamas and shepherds was constructed out of pure gold and dedicated to the Sun. Politcs and Government Structure The Incans were the strongest and largest nation of the pre-Columbian America. People abandoned the solar calendar and reverted to their time-honoured practices of worshipping their own gods, sacred sites, and ancestors. If one lived by this rule then, when one died, one went to the Land of the Sun where it was always warm and pleasant and the gods were close. When Pachacuti became emperor Cusco was only a city where Inca lived.
Next in line to the panaqa came ten more kindred groups more distantly related to the king and divided into two halves: Upper and Lower Cuzco. In turn, ten of these units were overseen by a chief called the Pachaka Karaka. What are some facts about the Inca government? Your job would be to sit by the gate to the city, or in the plaza, and tell people about your crime. The Inca Empire was connected by its vast road system running 25,000 miles , which made communication between even far away points possible within days. McGraw-Hill: New York, pp. Local official decide the the turn for individuals efficiently hence reducing the disruption in the lives of the workers and his family. Families which previously held political position were integrated into the Inca bureaucracy, and traditional tribal areas of settlement integrated as provinces, their pre-conquest boundaries typically intact.
While the panaqa were the closest nobles to the emperor and the most powerful, other Inca families had the ability to control parts of the government. Typically, these governors, be they apu or toqrikoq, were ethnic Inca, but some provincial groups did manage to ascend to the lower level. They worked every day to bring food from the earth. The Karaka positions were hereditary and they were believed to be intermediaries between the heaven and earth. Also, agricultural taxes were charged so that people would be provided with food and drink.
Common people had no freedom. Revered as a god he was also known as Intip Churin or 'Son of the Sun'. Also hit by devastating diseases brought by the Europeans and which had actually spread from Central America faster than their Old World carriers, this combination of factors would bring about the collapse of the mighty Inca civilization before it had even had chance to fully mature. The mit'a was a labor tax performed by male heads of households. Local officials had the power to make all decisions about the lives of the people they ruled. That is how the Incas were able to build so much so rapidly. Each of these quarters was ruled by a governor called an Apu.
Hackett Publishing Company, Inc. But Pachacuti reorganized the kingdom of Cuzco into an empire. Remains of Inca road, built by the government The Inca government kept lots of records on their people and land. Individuals could only be judged by those of higher rank. Forcibly resettled populations were likewise not encouraged to assimilate into neighboring, indigenous populations. Then curacas 5,000 was the in charge of five curacas of 1,000 households, who were again in charge of two curacas of 500 households.
Since the workers could not vote or voice an opinion, that was the end of it until the Inca Sapa made a new law. These more dramatic offerings were generally reserved for times of great strife such as prolonged droughts, solar eclipses, or a royal death. Probably, the most important of these were the empire accountants or quipukamaks. The Inca also practiced mummification and the placement of 3. Internment was not usually permanent as mummies were occasionally brought out of their tombs so that they might in some way participate in important community events such as marriages and harvests. Rather, it was probably somewhat akin a modern suyu and served as the preeminent center of politics and religion.
Perhaps the most important adviser, the Inca high priest willaq umu will-ak ooo-moo , helped the emperor to make decisions that they believed would be favorable to the gods. Their labor was attached to important people or institutions such as the Sapa Inca, a panaqa, the nobility, or to temple lands. The supreme chief was called the Hona Karaka or lord, and he was in charge of collecting the taxes from a unit of 10,000 people. The mit'a was a labor tax that each man between the ages of 16 and 60 had to pay by working for the government for a portion of the year. They had no use for money. However, there are basic structure can be spoken of broadly, even if the exact duties and functions of government positions cannot be told. At the bottom of the pyramid were the workers.
Military and government leaders could come from both classes of people. At the top of the chain of administration sat the Sapa Inca. Rebellions were rife, and the Incas were actively engaged in a war in Ecuador, where a second Inca capital had been established at Quito, just at the time when the empire faced its greatest ever threat. Andrew Howe CC BY-NC-SA Other Gods Besides Inti, the sacred Coricancha also had a temple to the Moon goddess Mama Kilya, one to the creator god Viracocha, and another to Illapa the god of thunder, the latter temple being called Pukamarka. The Inca and Machu Picchu. The naming of these centers was formulaic; the center of the Colla wamani was hatoñ qolla, while that of the Sora wamani was hatoñ sora, et cetera.
Service Tax: The Incas loved gold and silver. These men were powerful nobles. They could not travel on the roads. If a mallki could not attend an event, his huaoque, or royal statuette, would. The Inca road network covered over 40,000 km and as well as allowing for the easy movement of armies, administrators, and trade goods it was also a very powerful visual symbol of Inca authority over their empire. Taxation required an accurate inventory of the people and their resources. They could not own luxury goods.
