Message on the topic of Inca culture. Arc de Triomphe on the Champs Elysees. Tupac Amaru, the last Supreme Inca

At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. on Pacific coast and in the northern regions of the South American continent, the first empires arose. The most significant of them was the state of the Incas. During its heyday, from 8 million to 15 million people lived here.

The term "Inca" denoted the title of the ruler of several tribes in the foothills of the Andes; this name was also worn by the tribes of the Aymara, Huallacan, Keuar, and others, who lived in the Cusco Valley and spoke the Quechua language.

The Inca Empire covered an area of ​​1 million square meters. km, its length from north to south exceeded 5 thousand km. The Inca state, divided into four provinces around the city of Cusco and located in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca, included the territory of modern Bolivia, northern Chile, part of present-day Argentina, the northern part of the modern Republic of Peru and present-day Ecuador.

The supreme power in the state belonged entirely to Sapa Inca - that was the official name of the emperor. Each Sapa Inca erected own palace richly decorated according to his taste. The best artisan jewelers made for him a new golden throne, richly decorated precious stones, mostly emeralds. Gold in the Inca Empire was widely used in jewelry, but was not a means of payment. The Incas did without money, since one of the main principles of their life was the principle of self-sufficiency. The whole empire was a huge subsistence economy.

Religion of the Incas

Religion occupied an important place in the life of the Incas. Each population group, each region had its own beliefs and cults. The most common form of religious beliefs was totemism - the worship of a totem - an animal, plant, stone, water, etc., with which believers considered themselves to be related. The lands of the communities were named after deified animals. In addition, the cult of ancestors was widespread. The dead ancestors, according to the ideas of the Incas, should have contributed to the ripening of the crop, the fertility of animals and the well-being of people. Believing that the spirits of their ancestors live in caves, the Incas erected stone mounds near the caves, which, with their outlines, resembled the figures of people. The custom of mummification of the corpses of the dead is associated with the cult of ancestors. Mummies in elegant clothes, with decorations, utensils, food were buried in tombs carved into the rocks. The mummies of rulers and priests were buried especially magnificently.

Own buildings The Incas built from various types of stone - limestone, basalt, diorite and raw brick. At home ordinary people had light roofs of straw and reed bundles; there were no stoves in the houses, and the smoke of the hearth came out right through the thatched roof. Temples and palaces were built especially carefully. The stones from which the walls were built were so tightly fitted to each other that no binders were required during the construction of buildings. In addition, the Incas built fortresses on the mountain slopes with numerous watchtowers. The most famous of them rose above the city of Cuzco and consisted of three rows of walls 18 m high.

In their temples, the Incas worshiped a whole pantheon of gods who had strict subordination. The highest of the gods was considered Kon Tiksi Viracocha - the creator of the world and the creator of all other gods. Among those gods whom Viracocha created were: the god Inti (golden Sun) - the legendary ancestor of the ruling dynasty; the god Ilyapa - the god of weather, thunder and lightning, to whom people turned with requests for rain, for Ilyapa could make the waters of the Heavenly River flow to the earth; Inti's wife is the goddess of the moon - Mama Kilya. The Morning Star (Venus) and many other stars and constellations were also revered. In the religious ideas of the ancient Aztecs, a special position was occupied by the extremely ancient cults of the mother earth - Mama Pacha and the mother sea - Mama Kochi.

The Incas had many religious and ritual festivities associated with the agricultural calendar and the life of the ruling family. All holidays were held on main square Cusco - Huacapata (Sacred Terrace). Roads radiated from it, connecting the capital with the four provinces of the state. By the time the Spaniards arrived, there were three palaces in Huacapata Square. Two of them have been turned into shrines. When an Inca ruler died, his body was embalmed and the mummy left in his palace. From that time on, the palace became a sanctuary, and the new ruler built another palace for himself.

The highest achievement of Inca architecture is the ensemble of temples Koricancha (Golden Court). The main building of the ensemble was the temple of the sun god - Inti, where there was a golden image of the god, decorated with large emeralds. This image was located in the western part, and it was illuminated by the first rays rising sun. The walls of the temple were completely upholstered with sheet gold. The ceiling was covered with wood carvings, the floor was covered with carpets stitched with gold threads. Windows and doors were studded with precious stones. Several chapels adjoined the temple of the Sun - in honor of thunder and lightning, rainbows, the planet Venus, and the main one - in honor of the Moon (Mother Chilia). The image of the Moon in the Inca Empire is associated with the idea of ​​a woman, a goddess. Therefore, the chapel of Mama Chigli was intended for the koim - the wife of the Inca ruler, only she had access to this chapel. Here were the mummies of the dead wives of the rulers. In the chapel of the moon, all the decoration was made of silver.

Various crafts reached their peak among the Incas. The Incas mastered mining quite early and mined copper and tin ores in mines to make bronze, from which axes, sickles, knives and other household utensils were cast. The Incas could smelt metal, knew the technique of casting, forging, chasing, soldering and riveting, and also made products using the cloisonné enamel technique. The chroniclers reported that the Inca masters made a golden cob of corn, in which the grains were golden, and the fibers surrounding the cob were made of the finest silver threads. The pinnacle of Inca jewelry was the image of the Sun God in the Sun Temple in Cusco in the form of a huge golden solar disk with a skillfully chiseled human face.

The golden wealth of the Incas reached its apogee during the reign of Huayn Capac. He orders! line the walls and roofs of their palaces and temples with sheet gold; in the royal palace there were many golden sculptures of animals. During the ceremonies 50 thousand. warriors were armed with golden weapons. A huge portable golden throne with a cape of precious feathers was placed in front of the residence palace.

All this was plundered by conquistadors from the expedition of Francisco Pissaro. The pieces of jewelry were melted down into ingots and sent to Spain. But much remains in hiding and has not yet been discovered.

According to researchers of the Inca culture, their empire died largely because of religion. First, the rite was approved by religion, in which the ruler chose a successor from among his sons. This led to an internecine war between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, which significantly weakened the country before the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors led by Pizarro. Secondly, there was a legend among the Incas that in the future new, unfamiliar people would rule the country, who would conquer the empire and become its sole rulers. This explains the fear and indecision of the Incas before the Spanish conquistadors.

The history of the Inca civilization begins from 1200 BC. e. The most prominent culture at this stage is Chavin. The next cultures were Paracas, Mochica, Ica-Nasca until 1200, when the culture of the "golden empire" appears. It was this period of development of the Inca culture from 1200. to 1572 is considered in the thesis.

XIV-XVI centuries on west coast South America spread the power of a powerful "golden empire". Thanks to the leadership of talented architects and engineers, the social life of the Incas reached a very high level. The territory of the state covered all the lands from southern regions modern Colombia to Argentina and reached a length of 5000 km. The Incas believed that they conquered almost the whole world, and those lands that still remained outside their state did not represent, in their opinion, any value. However, in another part of the world, no one even knew about the existence of their state.

Who are these Incas? What is their origin? Legends tell about the origin of this people. The sun god Inti sadly observed the life of people on earth: after all, they lived worse than wild animals, in poverty and ignorance. Once taking pity on them, Inti sent his children to the people: son Manco Capac and daughter Mama Oklio. Having given them a staff of pure gold, the divine father ordered them to settle down where the staff would easily enter the ground. It happened not far from the village of Pakari-Tambo, lying at the foot of the Wanakauri hill. In fulfillment of the divine will of the Sun, his children stayed and founded the city, which they named Cusco. They gave religion and laws to the people who lived there, men were taught to cultivate the land, mine rare metals and process them, and women were taught to weave and run a household. Having created the state, Manco Capac became its first Inca - the ruler, and Mama Oklo - his wife.

severe natural conditions(oxygen deficiency, low atmospheric pressure, low land fertility) and rapid population growth necessitated the struggle for survival and expansion of the occupied territory. At the same time, the Incas resettled the indigenous inhabitants of the conquered territories in the internal regions of the state, and their lands were settled by people from central regions empires; as state language the Quechua language was introduced. When the ascent of the Inca culture began, all the previous outstanding civilizations of South America left the arena of history or were rapidly approaching sunset. During its heyday, 15-16 million people lived on its territory.

The Incas were the great state of pre-Columbian America, or, as the Incas themselves called their country, Tahuantinsuyu or "Land of the Four Parts". The last name is due to the fact that the country was divided into four provinces: Kuntinsuyu, Colyasuyu, Antisuyu and Chinchasuyu with the capital in the city of Cusco. indian tribe language family Quechua. Descendants of a people who settled in the Cuzco Valley, located at an altitude of more than 11,000 feet above sea level, the Incas began to develop their culture only after 1200 AD. e. Although the capital city of Cuzco grew steadily, their power remained rather limited. Then in 1438 Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui seized the throne. Calling himself "Earth Shaker", he and his troops made a campaign across all the Andes, conquering some states, negotiating with others, trying to unite several neighboring countries into a single powerful empire. Pachacuti rebuilt Cuzco, turning the capital into a city with beautiful stone palaces and temples. His provinces were governed by numerous disciplined, well-functioning bureaucrats, who stood in defense of the interests of the state. His successor, the son of Topa Inca, who came to power in 1471, dealt such a crushing blow to the Chimu that he secured complete control of this entire vast region, stretching from Ecuador to the heart of Chile. Having consolidated their power, the Incas achieved an unprecedented rise in culture. Armies marched along the extensive road network and trade took place.

From the mists of legend and myth, the Incas emerge around 1438 when they defeat the neighboring Chaika people. The organizer of this victory, the son of the ruler of Cuzco - Viracocha Inca - took over the supreme power, and with it the name of Pachacuti. The historicity of his personality is beyond doubt. Further expansion of the Incas unfolded mainly in the southern and southeastern directions. In the middle of the 15th century, the Incas intervened in the struggle between the Aymara leaders and, as a result, relatively easily subjugated the area around Lake Titicaca. Here the Incas took possession of colossal herds of llamas and alpacas. Pachacuti declared animals royal property. From now on, the armies of Cusco did not need vehicles, clothing and food.

Together with his heir Tupac Yupanqui, Pachacuti organized a large northern campaign, during which the Inca state finally approved its status as an empire, striving to unite the entire ancient Peruvian ecumene. The Inca expansion on the plateau near Titicaca brought them close to confrontation with the kingdom of Chimor. The ruler of the latter - Minchansaman - also began to expand his possessions. However, both the highlanders and the inhabitants of the lowlands tried to delay an open clash. Both experienced difficulties when they found themselves in an unusual landscape and climatic zone. Tupac Yupanqui led an army into mountainous Ecuador, where he had to wage a grueling struggle with local tribes. The Incas tried to make forays into the coastal plain of Ecuador, but the hot marshy land turned out to be unattractive for people accustomed to mountain air. In addition, its large population actively resisted. In the late 60s - early 70s of the XV century, it was decided to attack Chimor. The victory remained with the Incas, although the peace concluded by the kingdom of Chimor was relatively honorable for the latter. Only after the uprising that soon broke out, the coastal state was finally defeated. Chimor lost all possessions outside of Moche, and Inca military posts settled in this valley itself.

After the death of Pachacuti, Tupac Yupanqui set off on a new campaign. Without much difficulty they were subordinated petty states and the tribes of the central and south coast Peru. The Incas met with stubborn resistance only in the small valley of Cañete, south of Lima. Even easier than the capture of the southern coast of Peru was the conquest of thousands of kilometers of space south of Titicaca. Small groups of herders, farmers and fishermen in the local oases were not able to put up any noticeable resistance to his army. After the southern campaign of Tupac Yupanqui, the empire reached its natural borders. The peoples living on the plateau in the mountain valleys and in the oases of the Pacific coast were united under one authority. The Inca rulers tried to push the borders of their state also to the east. Tupac Yupanqui's successor Huayna Capac defeated the Chachapoya tribes in the Eastern Cordillera. However, further east - to the Amazon - the Incas could not advance. The eastern frontier was the only one that needed permanent protection. Here the Incas erected a series of fortresses, and on the territory of modern Bolivia, these fortresses were even connected by a stone wall stretching along the ridges of the mountains, almost 200 km long.

Under Huayne Capac (1493-1525), the Inca Empire reached its apogee. After his death, an internecine war broke out between the two pretenders to the Inca throne - Atahualpa and Huascar, which ended with the victory of Atahualpa. Pissarro took advantage of this struggle, luring Atahualpa into a trap. Taking a huge ransom in gold from Atahualpa, the Spaniards then executed him and placed Huascar's younger brother Manco Capac on the throne. The latter soon raised an uprising, but was unable to recapture Cuzco and led his supporters northwest of the capital, where he created the so-called New Inca kingdom in a remote mountainous region. Its last ruler was executed by the Spaniards in 1572.

In 1524, Francisco Pissarro, together with Diego de Almagro and the priest Hernando de Luque, organized an expedition to the undiscovered territories of South America. In 1527, Pissarro entered the Inca city of Tumbes. From local residents he learns of the great quantity of gold and silver decorating gardens and temples in the depths of their lands. Around the same time, Huayna Capaca (Sapa Inca) dies. And among his close associates begins a struggle for power. With the help of cunning and force, the throne is captured by one of the sons of Huayn Capac Atualpa. In 1532, Pissarro and Almagro returned to Tumbes along with 160 well-armed adventurers. Once upon a time blooming city they found only ruins. It suffered greatly from the epidemic, and then from the civil war. As a result, Pissarro goes to the court of Atahualpa. Learning about the movement of white people within his country, Atahualpa invites them to visit him. From the words of the ambassador, he understood that the Spaniards looked and were friendly. During a meeting with the ambassador, Pissarro made gifts to the monarch and talked a lot about peace. Pissarro placed his men in an open area, in the main square of the city of Cajamarck. He sent Hernando de Soto to pay his respects to Atahualpa, so that he tried to seduce him with his offer to meet in person. Atahualpa agrees to pay a visit to Pissarro in Cajamarca. Pissarro, following the example of Cortes, who conquered the mighty Aztec empire by kidnapping the emperor, began to prepare his ambush.

At dawn, Pissarro posted his men in the buildings around the square. At sunset, the imperial procession approached the square. Atahualpa was carried by 80 servants on a wooden stretcher, inlaid with gold and decorated on all sides with parrot feathers. They came without weapons. In the square they saw only one Dominican monk in a cassock with a cross in one and a Bible in the other hand. According to Spanish law, the invaders were obliged to provide the savages with the opportunity to accept the "true faith". Atualpa refuses insulting words, and Pissarro, with almost no loss, captures the ruler of the Incas. Realizing that white people were attracted by gold, he decided to pay off, offering for his freedom to fill the rooms in which he was staying with gold, and also “fill the Indian hut with silver” twice. Instead of releasing Atahualpa with such a proposal, he signed his death warrant. By ordering to break all the gold in Cuzco, and delivering it to the Spaniards, he only ignited their passion for the precious metal. The Incas did not perceive gold and silver as something valuable. For them, it was just beautiful metal. They called gold "sweat of the sun" and silver "tears of the moon". For them, fabrics were valuable, as it took a lot of time to make them.

At a meeting of the council, headed by Pissarro himself, it was decided to burn Atahualpa. Pissarro understood what benefits a local ruler under Spanish control promised him. He opted for Huayna Capac's son, Manco Inca. When the Spaniards arrived in Cuzco, they were greeted as well-wishers who restored the rightful ruling branch of the Incas, although all the mummies were safely hidden before their appearance. But the atrocities perpetrated by the Spaniards led to the fact that Manco flatly refused to cooperate and attempted to leave Cuzco. The Spaniards returned him to the capital in chains. As a result, Manco again, but successfully, escapes. As soon as he got out of Cuzco, he called on his people to revolt. The matter ended with the siege of Cuzco, which lasted almost whole year. The hopelessness of the siege became clear when reinforcements arrived from Spain. After the failure of the siege of Cuzco, Manco took 20,000 of his compatriots with him into the dense jungle. There they built in a short time new town Vilcabamba. From this city, the Incas sometimes raided the conquerors, attacking outposts. In 1572 the Spaniards decided to end it last stronghold, as evidence of the former power of the natives. When they reached Vilcabamba, they found only deserted ruins on the site of the city. The defenders, before leaving the city, burned it. The Spaniards continued the pursuit, penetrating further and further into the jungle. As a result, they captured the last leader of the Incas, Tupac Amaru. He was brought to Cusco and beheaded in the town square. Thus ended the dynasty of the Inca rulers.

Huge amounts of gold and silver were exported to Spain. Art objects, as a rule, were melted down before export. The most beautiful products were delivered to the court of Charles V, then they were put on public display in Seville. When Charles began to lack funds for military campaigns, these outstanding works of Inca art were ordered to be melted down. The result of the fifty-year stay of the Spaniards was the reduction of the indigenous population - by three quarters. Many died from diseases brought from the Old World, and many from hard labor.

Thus, great empire The Incas died at the hands of a more cunning and powerful enemy - the Spaniards. The culture of the people, who seized vast territories, built magnificent structures, and had a well-organized army, was destroyed to the ground. There is very little archaeological evidence of its existence. We mostly know about the Inca culture from the records of the Spaniards. The Inca civilization developed rapidly. Literally a few decades were enough for them to reach such a high level: a clear control apparatus, an organized army, cities with powerful structures. The Incas, like the Aztecs, came to the lands where ancient civilizations already existed before them, and also did not have much time before the invasion of the Spaniards to rally the newly defeated peoples around them. Comparing them with other civilizations, you immediately find that in the life and religion of the Incas there was much less mysticism and philosophy than the Aztecs or Mayans. But the Incas had great organizational skills aimed at creating one of the most consolidated theocratic empires in the history of mankind. If the Aztecs became famous for their rich heritage in the form of philosophical treatises and knowledge in the field of astronomy, then the Incas achieved an unsurpassed level of urbanization, including a complex transport system, which connected their highland capital of Cuzco with the entire region of the Andes.

Inca culture

At the turn of the XIV-XV centuries. on the Pacific coast and in the northern regions of the South American continent, the first empires began to appear. The most famous and significant of them was the state of the Incas. The term "Inca" denoted the title of the ruler of several tribes in the Andes region, and the Aymara, Huallacan, Keuar and others who lived in the Cusco Valley and spoke the Quechua language also wore this name.

According to archaeological data, at the dawn of history, four tribes, which later formed the basis of this nation, came from the eastern highlands of the Andes to the Cuzco valley. They created a grandiose empire covering an area of ​​1 million km, its length from north to south was more than 5 thousand km. During its heyday, from 8 to 15 million people lived here.

The Inca state, divided into four provinces around the city of Cusco and located in the vicinity of Lake Titicaca, included the territory of modern Bolivia, northern Chile, part of present-day Argentina, the northern part of the modern Republic of Peru and present-day Ecuador. During its peak, the population of the Inca state was at least 5-7 million people. The supreme power in the state belonged entirely to Sapa Inca - that was the official name of the emperor. Each Sapa Inca built his own palace, richly decorated according to his taste. The best artisan jewelers made for him a new golden throne, richly decorated with precious stones, most often emeralds. Gold in the Inca Empire played an exceptional role. It was widely used in jewelry, but was not used as a means of payment. The Incas did without money, since one of the main principles of their life was the principle of self-sufficiency. The whole empire was a huge subsistence economy.

Religion occupied an important place in the life of the Incas. Each group of the population, in each area of ​​the state had their own beliefs and cults. The most common form of religious representations was totemism - the worship of a totem (animal, plant, stones, water, etc.), with which believers considered themselves to be related. The lands of the communities were named after deified animals. Another religious cult of the Incas was the cult of the ancestors. The dead ancestors, according to the ideas of the Incas, should have contributed in every possible way to the ripening of the crop, the fertility of animals and the well-being of people. The Incas believed that the spirits of their ancestors lived in caves, so the Incas erected stone mounds near the caves, which in their outlines resembled human figures. The custom of mummification of the corpses of the dead is associated with the cult of ancestors. Mummies in elegant clothes, with decorations, utensils, food were buried in tombs that were carved into the rocks. The mummies of rulers and priests were buried especially magnificently.

Few monuments of the ancient culture of the American continent have survived to this day. But from the surviving most information about the characteristics of the culture of various Indian tribes and peoples, they give us architectural buildings. This statement fully applies to the culture of the Incas. The Incas built their buildings from various types of stone: limestone, basalt, diorite and, of course, raw brick. They made light roofs from thatch and bundles of reeds. There were no stoves in the houses; the smoke from the hearth came out right through the thatched roof. Temples and palaces were built especially carefully. The stones from which the walls were built were so tightly fitted to each other that no binders were used in the construction of buildings. In addition, the Incas built fortresses, which were surrounded by numerous watchtowers. Fortresses were built on mountain slopes, and the most famous of them rose directly above the city of Cusco and consisted of three rows of walls 18 meters high with a total length of over 50 meters.

In their temples, the Incas worshiped a whole pantheon of gods who had strict subordination. The highest of the gods was considered Kon Tiksi Viracocha. It was the creator of the world and the creator of all other gods. Among those gods that Viracocha created was the god Inti (golden Sun) - the legendary ancestor of the ruling dynasty. Next in importance was the god Ilyapa - the god of weather, thunder and lightning. People turned to him with requests for rain, because Ilyapa could make the waters of the Heavenly River flow to the ground. The wife of Inti was the goddess of the moon - Mama Kilya. The Morning Star (Venus) and many other stars and constellations were also revered. In the religious ideas of the ancient Aztecs, a special position was occupied by extremely ancient cults of mother earth - Mama Pacha, mother sea - Mama Kochi.

Throughout the calendar year, the Incas had many religious and ritual festivities associated with the agricultural calendar and the life of the ruling family. All holidays took place on the main square of Cusco - Huakapata (Sacred Terrace). Roads radiated from it, connecting the capital with the four provinces of the state. At the time of the arrival of the Spaniards, three palaces towered in Huacapata Square. Two of them have been turned into shrines. When an Inca ruler died, his body was embalmed and the mummy left in his palace. From that time on, the palace turned into a sanctuary, and the new ruler built another palace for himself.

The highest achievement of Inca architecture is considered to be an ensemble of temples, called Coricancha(Golden Court). The main building of the ensemble was the temple of the sun god - Inti. It contained a golden image of the god, adorned with large emeralds. This image was placed in the western part of the temple in such a way that it was illuminated by the first rays of the rising sun. Windows and doors were also studded with precious stones. The walls of the temple were completely upholstered with sheet gold. The ceiling of the sanctuary was covered with wood carvings, and the floor was covered with carpets stitched with gold threads. Several chapels adjoined the Temple of the Sun - in honor of thunder and lightning, rainbows, the planet Venus, and the main one - in honor of Mama Kilya - the Moon. The image of the Moon in the Inca Empire is associated with the idea of ​​a woman, a goddess. Therefore, the chapel of Mama Chigli was intended for the koim - the wife of the Inca ruler. No woman but her had access to this chapel. Here were also the mummies of the dead wives of the rulers. Unlike the temple of the Sun, where everything was made of gold, in the chapel of the Moon, all the decoration was made of silver.

However, the art of the Incas reached its peak in various crafts. They mastered mining quite early and extracted copper and tin ore in mines to make bronze. The Incas could smelt metal, they knew the technique of casting, forging, chasing, soldering and riveting, and they also made products using the cloisonné enamel technique. They cast axes, sickles, knives and other household utensils from bronze. But the artistic creativity of the Inca artisans manifested itself in the art of jewelry. The chroniclers reported that the Inca craftsmen could make a golden cob of corn, in which the grains were golden, and the fibers surrounding the cob were forged from the finest threads of silver. The pinnacle of Inca jewelry was the image of the sun god in the form of a huge golden solar disk with a skillfully chiselled human face. This image adorned the Temple of the Sun in Cusco.

The golden wealth of the Incas reached its apogee during the reign of the ruler Huayn Capac. He lined with gold the walls and roofs of his palaces and temples, royal palace was filled with golden sculptures of animals. During solemn ceremonies, 50 thousand soldiers were armed with golden weapons. A huge golden throne with a cape of precious feathers was placed in front of the residence palace. However, all this was plundered by the conquistadors from the Pissarro expedition. All works of jewelry art were melted down into ingots and sent to Spain. But much remains in hiding and has not yet been discovered.

According to the researchers of the Inca culture, their empire was destroyed by religion. First, the rite was approved by religion, in which the ruler chose a successor from among his sons. This led to an internecine war between the brothers Huascar and Atahualpa, which significantly weakened the country before the invasion of the Spanish conquistadors led by Francisco Pizarro. Secondly, there was a legend among the Incas that in the future new, unfamiliar people would rule the country, who would come here, conquer the empire and become its sole rulers. This explains the fear and indecision of the Incas before the Spanish conquistadors.

Control questions

• 1. What architectural and sculptural monuments did the Olmec civilization leave behind?
• 2. What periods are distinguished in the history of the Maya?
• 3. What sculptural genres did the Maya use in architecture?
• 4. What city was the capital of the Aztec state?
• 5. What, according to the Aztecs, was the main purpose of poetry?
• 6. Which monument is considered the greatest architectural achievement of the Incas?

Literature

• 1. Baglay V.E. Aztecs: history, economy, socio-political system (Pre-colonial period). M., 1998.
• 2. Galic M. History of pre-Columbian civilizations. M., 1990.
• 3. Daggers R. Art ancient America. M., 1962.
• 4. Daggers R. Eagle, quetzal and cross. M., 1991.
• 5. Lamberg-Karlovsky C., Sablov J. ancient civilizations. Near East and Mesoamerica. M., 1992.
• 6. Sodi D. Great cultures of Mesoamerica. M., 1985.
• 7. Stingl M. Secrets of the Indian pyramids. M., 1982.

Origin and history of the Inca tribe

During the Late Intermediate Period (1000-1483), small tribes - the forerunners of the Incas - lived in the Cuzco region. The Incas were just one of many local population groups. Although information about the chronology and development of the Cusco region is incomplete, some of the main stages of Peruvian archeology can be recognized in the styles of local ceramics. Evidence of Huari influence is found in the very south of the valley, at Piquilacta, about 30 kilometers south of Cuzco. However, there are no traces of Huari architecture or ceramics in the area of ​​Cusco itself. It is assumed that in the middle horizon it was not permanently inhabited. The basic style of pottery prevalent in the pre-Inca period is generally referred to as sprat, and variations of this style are found everywhere between San Pedro de Cacha and Machu Picchu. The local origin of the Incas is proved by the fact that the sprat style is akin to the characteristic style of the Inca period of their empire.

Partially preserved structures have been found on the hills - settlements of the Late Intermediate Period, in which one can see some attempt to adhere to general plan. This period is characterized by round and square buildings, which bear little resemblance to the houses of Pikilakta. The Spanish conquerors heard from the Incas that before they came to dominate, the peoples of the Sierras (mountains) were very diverse and disorganized and settled in hard-to-reach places because they were constantly at war with each other.

Written reports about the early period of Inca rule - approximately between 1200 and 1438. - are very unreliable historical evidence. This period covers the time from the founding of the Inca dynasty until 1438, when the Inca Empire was already the most significant state in the Andes.

Origin myths say that the Incas originally consisted of three original tribal groups united under the leadership of Manco Capac, the legendary founder of the dynasty. These myths tell how the Incas were looking for fertile land and found it in the Cusco Valley and how they settled on this land.

On their arrival in Cusco, the Incas encountered resistance and were forced to settle nearby until they reclaimed the site where they later built the famed Sun Temple, Coricancha. The power of Manco Capac extended only to the natives of the Cusco area. The second and third Inca leaders after him, Sinchi Roca and Lloque Yupanqui, had a reputation for peace, while the fourth, Maita Capac, aroused enmity, and as a result an uprising arose among the inhabitants of Cuzco itself.

The fifth, sixth, and seventh Inca chiefs captured small territories in the surrounding areas. During this early period, neither the Incas nor their neighbors made organized conquests, but periodically raided neighboring villages when there was a danger that their inhabitants would begin to assert their rights, or when they apparently had something to plunder.

Inca Viracocha, eighth ruler of the Inca dynasty, was the first to take the title Sapa Inca(The only, or Supreme Inca). He put an end to local conquests by forming a relatively small but powerful state. At the end of his reign, a situation was created that was critical for the Incas, since the Cuzco region was threatened from three sides. In the south, strong opponents were tribes stakes And lupaka, but they were at enmity with each other, and the Incas could focus their attention on the west and northwest, where the tribes lived Quechua And chunk. The Incas were on friendly terms with the Quechua, a powerful people, a kind of buffer between the Incas and the formidable tribe of the Chanca. It was growing stronger and had already captured the province of Andahuaillas, which was formerly occupied by the Quechua, settling in its territory. Anticipating the inevitable clash in the future with the powerful Chunks, Inca Viracocha strengthened the position of his people by taking the daughter of a tribal leader as his wife. anta, nearest neighbors to the northwest, and by making an alliance with the Quechua.

When the Chunk reached the Incas, Viracocha was already an old man, and among the people there was a strong belief in the invincibility of the Chunk. Viracocha and his heir, Inca Urcon, apparently simply fled Cuzco with their retinue. However, the situation was saved by another group of Inca nobles and military leaders, led by Yupanqui, another son of Inca Viracocha, who called as many warriors under his banner as he could and successfully defended Cuzco. Then the Chanca were defeated in a series of battles, and it turned out that the Incas won the struggle for power and began to reign supreme in the mountains. After these events, Viracocha was out of work, and Yupanqui was proclaimed Pachacuti. He retained power and was crowned as the ruler of the Incas.

The late Inca period, or period of empire, began with the reign of Inca Pachacuti Yupanqui in 1438 and ended with the Spanish conquest in 1532. The history of the Incas of this period is much more reliable than the previous one. There is quite reliable information about the reign of the Inca rulers and about the military expansion of the empire, which spread over the entire territory of the Andes (see Fig. 3).

Rice. 3. The territory of the Inca Empire, indicating the areas annexed as a result of the wars of the late Inca period (according to J. Rove)

Inca Pachacuti consolidated previous conquests and new alliances, allocating new subjects to lands near Cuzco and giving them the opportunity to participate in the newly created administrative structure of Cuzco with the right to call themselves Incas. He then proceeded to develop reforms that would integrate the new provinces into the growing state.

The ruler of the Incas began a military campaign to annex the lands of the tribe urubamba, located west of the territories Quechua and Chunk, and the southern lands as far as Lake Titicaca. Having achieved military success, but realizing the urgent need to create a new effective system of government, Inca Pachacuti considered it good to stay permanently in the capital, transferring command of the troops to his brother Capac Yupanqui, who was ordered to move north and conquer territories within clearly defined and limited limits - apparently up to Huanuco himself. Complications arose after a successful campaign, when the Chunk Indians, whom Inca Pachacuti had taken into his army, deserted near Huanuco. Chasing the Chunk, Capac Yupanqui went beyond the strictly defined borders, lost the fugitives, and then - probably hoping to return the favor of the Inca Pachacuti - attacked and captured Cajamarca, the most powerful possession in northern mountains. Leaving a small garrison there, Capac Yupanqui returned to Cuzco and was executed here - for exceeding his authority and for allowing the chanca to leave.

The cruel punishment that befell Capac Yupanqui will become clearer if you look at the situation from the point of view of Inca Pachacuti. Cajamarca was an important province and allied with the coastal state of Chimu, growing, powerful and extremely well organized - it represented the only obstacle to the expansion of the Incas to the north. At that time, Pachacuti was not ready to fight the entire Chimu army and therefore feared their possible attack on the insignificant garrison left in the prematurely captured Cajamarca. In addition, Capac Yupanqui, due to his apparent success, could arouse the jealousy of Inca Pachacuti.

Inca Pachacuti had to first march personally to put down the rebellion in the south, in the basin of Lake Titicaca, before he could again turn his attention to the north. By his will, Inca Topa, his son and heir, led an army and led it on a campaign through the highlands as far as Quito. Then, having reached the coast of what is now Ecuador, the Inca Topa turned his army southward, approaching the country of the Chimu from where they least expected him. He successfully conquered the entire northern and central coast to the very valley of Lurin. Shortly after this great campaign, the Inca Topa undertook another to subdue the valleys of the south coast from Nazca to Mala. While the Inca Topa expanded the empire, the Inca Pachacuti remained in Cuzco, establishing an administrative structure and rebuilding Cuzco into a capital appropriate to the imperial scale.

Inca Topa became ruler around 1471. He had just started his campaign in the eastern forests when stakes And lupaka raised an uprising in the south - a serious threat that had to be dealt with as quickly as possible. After the successful suppression of the rebellion, the Inca occupied the territory of Bolivia and Chile, penetrating as far south as the Maule River, which since then has remained the southern border of the empire.

After the completion of the eastern expedition, Inca Topa, like his father, settled in Cuzco in earnest, busily engaged in the formation of an empire, reshaping and making more flexible administrative policies to suit the many new tribes and provinces now united under one rule. Perhaps it was this Inca who expanded the Inca conceptual system with some Chimu representations, since it was he who convinced many noble people and Chimu artisans to move to live in Cuzco.

Inca Topa died in 1493 and was succeeded by his son Huayna Capac. This Inca crushed several uprisings and annexed new lands to the empire chachapoyas And moyobamba, and the area north of Quito, where he set up boundary markers along the Ancamayo River (today's border between Ecuador and Colombia). His merit was also the full integration of the territory of Ecuador into the empire and the construction of new cities like Tomebamba, where he himself lived for a long time. Before his death in this city - he died suddenly of the plague - Huayna Capac learned that some strange bearded people were seen on the coast (this was Pizarro's first expedition).

During the five years left of the Inca Empire, Huayna Capac's two sons, Atahualpa and Huáscar, led civil war for power. The war was won by Atahualpa, and he was just preparing for his official coronation when the Spaniards reappeared in 1532 (see chapter 10).

SECTION ONE The Origin and History of the Liturgy.

Inca dynasty 1. Manco Capac2. Sinchi Roca 3. Ljoque Yupanqui4. Maita Capac5. Capac Yupanqui6. Inca Roca7. Yauar Huakak8. Viracocha Inca - Inca Urcon9. Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (1438–1471)10. Topa Inca Yupanqui (1471–1493)11. Huayna Capac (1493-1525)12. Huascar (1525–1532); Atahualpa (1532–1533); Topa Hualpa (1532)13. Manco

The divine origin of the Incas But the Incas themselves had to come from somewhere. It is impossible to completely ignore places that were in fact the cradle of a civilization that preceded their own, such as the Aymara. According to the legends of the Indians, on an island in the lake

The real history of the Incas The official history begins with the first Manco Capac, who is said to have settled in the Cuzco Valley. In fact, he drove out the inhabitants there, but the names of their totems found their way into various parts of the growing city,