| The Peruvian Incas are believed to have originally | | | | whole ethnic group. When expanded, political and |
| settled in Cuzco, and were one of the many | | | | military use of the group was also expanded and |
| minority ethnic groups of the area, called the | | | | still relied on their hierarchy that required loyalty to |
| Quechuas. In the thirteenth century however, | | | | the rulers. |
| they began to move to other areas and create | | | | The Incans worked on the lands of their own |
| larger settlements. The Incan expansions began to | | | | ruler who was a 'representative' of their God of |
| slow around the middle of the fifteenth centry | | | | the Sun, who was the central god in their religion. |
| under the rule of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Under | | | | For working these lands, they got food and coca |
| his and his son Topa Inca Yupanqui's rule, their | | | | leaves used for medicine and rites. In return for all |
| people controlled almost a third of South America, | | | | the services the Incan people completed for their |
| with more than 12 million people under their rules. | | | | rulers, they were given land; part of which was |
| There were many codes of law laid down under | | | | redistributed as part of a tribute to the |
| Pachacuti that covered the entire area of rule, | | | | community as welfare. These tributes were |
| then called Tawantinsuyu, and this included giving | | | | centrally stored and used to help any who were in |
| himself the name of God of the Sun. He and his | | | | need in the community. In times of famine or |
| son ruled from a richly built Cusco. | | | | war, these tributes were equally given to all, so |
| Even though the Incas used a hierarchy with | | | | that all were taken care of. |
| despotic features, they also used much flexibility | | | | In the 1500's when Spaniards finally arrived, the |
| as well as paternalism. The units of society were | | | | Incas covered much of the Andean mountain |
| called ayllu, whose kinship was expressed through | | | | ranges from Colombia to Chile. There was a civil |
| a collective territory. Land was parceled to families | | | | war before the Spaniards' arrival as well as many |
| based on the family size, and using many niches in | | | | diseases that eliminated a large percentage of the |
| the Andes, they made many different crops for | | | | Incas. The Spaniards brought diseases the Incas |
| use at all different altitudes for use by all. Each | | | | had not encountered, and therefore when time |
| family would ask other members, friends and | | | | came to confront their invaders, they were |
| neighbors with help cultivating crops and was then | | | | weakened. Between the death of reigning leaders |
| obligated to offer those persons their choice of | | | | and dynasty struggles between siblings later, the |
| the crops. The mutual aid offered in the ayllus is | | | | 5 year civil war left them vulnerable as Pizarro |
| said to be the basis of the social organization of | | | | and his settlers marched through the Sierra. |
| the area today. The ayllus were parts of bigger | | | | Present day Incas are proud of their heritage and |
| dual organizations with divisions then called | | | | the accomplishments of their forefathers. |
| moieties with larger parts until they made up the | | | | |