Appendix H

Earlier and Other Cultures

Notwithstanding the glittering and flourishing empire that the Inca created -- with its roads, organization and lack of hunger -- it was not the original creator of culture in its expansive area of South America. It was, rather, the inheritor of more ancient cultures, many of which it conquered and subsumed. Therefore, a study of these progenitor cultures enhances understanding of the Inca culture.

Some of these earlier cultures were astoundingly sophisticated. The Moche and Nazca flourished along the arid Pacific coastline through fishing and agriculture. The Moche built huge adobe pyramids and collected taxes in the form of labor, a practice continued by the Inca (see, mit’a). Their artisans were envied and copied by the Inca, as were the roads that the Moche built to connect their outposts. The Nazca built aqueducts and irrigation canals to bring precious Andean water to their crops. It is thought these two cultures died due to an El Niño, which caused flooding and reduced fishing hauls.

The altiplano cultures of the Wari and Tiwanako cultures extended to the Pacific coastline in order to grow crops. Tiwanako arose first and spread south along caravan routes across the desert to distant markets and resources. The Wari culture grew larger than the Tiwanako, extending along almost 1000 miles of Peru. The Inca copied many of their practices. They built administrative centers, roads and military outposts, resettling people into new areas (see, mitimaes) and apparently invented the quipu, which was later refined by the Inca. These two civilizations may have ended due to severe drought. Lake Titicaca is now a fraction of its more ancient size. [The Tiwanako and Aymara cultures are covered more fully in Appendix G (under construction).]

Source: www.cusco-peru.com/cusco/qosqo/3i6_historia.htm [link is no longer active]

The Inca and the Chimú were rivals and imperialistic. The warlike Chimú grew wealthy from tribute and trade; they also relied on irrigation and boasted expert metalworkers and other artisans. During the Chimú’s greatest period of expansion, the Inca were a minor chiefdom. However, in the 1400’s, even though the Chimú were more sophisticated, the Inca overran them and subsumed their culture, mimicking some of their ways, such as treating the rulers like god-kings who were worshipped even after death (see, mallqui), having descendants inherit estates (rather than successors), and making the small ruling class wealthy.  NGEO3

The Inca Empire Timeline

  [Source: NGEO3]

	INCA #	QOYA*	PANACA*	DATES # (A.D.)
1	Manco Capac	Mama Ocllo	Chima	unknown
2	Sinchi Roca	Mama Cuca	Raura	unknown
3	Lloque Yupanqui	Mama Cava	Avayni	unknown
4	Mayta Capac	Mama Tacucaray	Usca Mayta	unknown
5	Capac Yupanqui	Curi-hilpay	Apu Mayta	unknown
6	Inca Roca	Mama Micay	Vicaquirau	unknown
7	Tuti Cusi Hualpa (Yahuar Huacac)	Mama Chicya	Aucayli	unknown
8	Wiracocha Inca	Mama Runtucaya	Socso	unknown
9	Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui. Inca history begins. Built Machu Picchu and rebuilt Cusco.	Mama Anahuarqui	Inaca	1438-1471
10	Tupa Inca Yupanqui. The Empire expanded greatly during his reign.	Mama Chimpa Ocllo	Capac	1471-1493
11	Huayna Capac. Died in epidemic, as did chosen heir. + Succession unclear.	Cusi Rimay	Tumipampa	1493-1527
12	Wascar Inca. Executed by his brother, Atahualpa.	Chucuy Huypa	Wascar	1527-1532
13	Atahualpa. Captured, held for ransom and executed by Pizarro.			1532-1533
14	Manco Capac. Crowned by Pizarro. Later rebelled and relocated the capital to Vilcabamba.	Ataria Cusi Huarcay		1533-1545
	Tupa Huallpa. Died shortly after his reign began.			1533
	Paullu Inca. Embraced the Spanish and their customs.			1537-1549
	Carlos Inca. Married a Spaniard.			1549-1572
15	Sayri Tupac. Was named heir as a child.	Cusi Huacutay		1545-1558
16	Titu Cusi [alt. sp. Tuti Cusi]. Dictated Inca history. Only royal to do so.			1558-1571
17	Tupac Amaru. Last Inca. Executed by Spanish.			1571-72

    * Source: Sarmiento, History of the Incas                +See, Ninán Cuyúnchic

     # Source: NGEO3

Expansion of the Empire

 Empire ruled by Pachacuti, 1438-1463

 Expansion under Pachacuti and Tupa Inca, 1463-1471

 Expansion under Tupa Inca, 1471-1493

 Expansion under Huayna Capac, 1493-1527

[Source: NGEO3]

Timeline Links

http://www.timelines.ws/countries/PERU.HTML

http://www.fortunecity.com/millennium/lilac/3/inka1.htm