Society and Culture
The society of the Inca Empire was based on two classes: the ruling class and the peasants. The emperor was referred to as ‘Inca’ or ‘Sapa Inca’. His meals were served from golden dishes. The Inca never wore one cloth twice. The noblemen hailed from the capital Cusco, and they aided the emperor in governance.
Most inhabitants were farmers (Andrushko et al. 2006: 63). They produced their food and clothes. The major crops grown were tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. The peasants also domesticated guinea pigs, dogs, llamas, and ducks. The llama provided them with wool and transportation services. In terms of communication, the Inca spoke in the Quechua language and did not know how to write. However, they were able to use …show more content…
2006: 81). The Inca had the sun, thunder, and earth to venerate. They offered both human and animal sacrifices. The ancestors were worshiped, and symbols of them were kept. The Inca further developed the calendar by observing the sun and moon’s movements, and they used to hold harvesting feasts annually.
Following the arrival of the Spanish, the Inca Empire’s way of life was largely ruined. Under Francisco Pizarro’s rule, the aliens stole about 280,000 kilograms of pure gold from the Peruvians. They destroyed and forbade any expression of native religion and other aspects of culture. However, some of the Inca traditions survived and are still expressed in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. (Andrushko et al. 2006: 81).
Presently, the Quechua language group descends from the Inca Empires. They compose about 45% of the total population in Peru. They live in communities and mix farming with herding based on simple technologies. Much of the farming is carried out cooperatively. Today, Catholicism is the official religion in Peru in most areas. Nonetheless, in practice, it is blended with the Native Andean religion and culture. …show more content…
Work and service delivery was stratified according to the sex of an individual. In the male category, the first division was called Mitimae. It comprised soldiers who guarded the empire (Andrushko et al. 2006: 86). The second group was called the Puric Macho, aged from 60-70 years. They served as stewards and door attendants since they were not to pay tribute. Young boys aged between 9-12 years were hunters. They also served their fathers.
Most females were weavers who made garments for their families. Elderly women also weaved clothes for the community and were to be noble women. The third category of women was that of 80 years of age. They were given the mandate to take care of children (Andrushko et al. 2006: 86-87). There was also the shorthaired category that had girls aged 12-18. They took care of house chores and their grandparents. They were also taught to spin.
In terms of trade, the Inca Empire had no currency (Andrushko et al. 2006: 88). Hence, they resorted to barter trade and exchanged mostly agricultural products. They were excellent farmers and engaged in terrace farming due to the sloppy nature of the land. Some of the products used in trade included sweet potato, squash, pineapples, papaya, animal skins, ceramics, llama, gold, and silver. The Inca traded with communities that boarded
The society of the Inca Empire was based on two classes: the ruling class and the peasants. The emperor was referred to as ‘Inca’ or ‘Sapa Inca’. His meals were served from golden dishes. The Inca never wore one cloth twice. The noblemen hailed from the capital Cusco, and they aided the emperor in governance.
Most inhabitants were farmers (Andrushko et al. 2006: 63). They produced their food and clothes. The major crops grown were tomatoes, sweet potatoes, and squash. The peasants also domesticated guinea pigs, dogs, llamas, and ducks. The llama provided them with wool and transportation services. In terms of communication, the Inca spoke in the Quechua language and did not know how to write. However, they were able to use …show more content…
2006: 81). The Inca had the sun, thunder, and earth to venerate. They offered both human and animal sacrifices. The ancestors were worshiped, and symbols of them were kept. The Inca further developed the calendar by observing the sun and moon’s movements, and they used to hold harvesting feasts annually.
Following the arrival of the Spanish, the Inca Empire’s way of life was largely ruined. Under Francisco Pizarro’s rule, the aliens stole about 280,000 kilograms of pure gold from the Peruvians. They destroyed and forbade any expression of native religion and other aspects of culture. However, some of the Inca traditions survived and are still expressed in Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia. (Andrushko et al. 2006: 81).
Presently, the Quechua language group descends from the Inca Empires. They compose about 45% of the total population in Peru. They live in communities and mix farming with herding based on simple technologies. Much of the farming is carried out cooperatively. Today, Catholicism is the official religion in Peru in most areas. Nonetheless, in practice, it is blended with the Native Andean religion and culture. …show more content…
Work and service delivery was stratified according to the sex of an individual. In the male category, the first division was called Mitimae. It comprised soldiers who guarded the empire (Andrushko et al. 2006: 86). The second group was called the Puric Macho, aged from 60-70 years. They served as stewards and door attendants since they were not to pay tribute. Young boys aged between 9-12 years were hunters. They also served their fathers.
Most females were weavers who made garments for their families. Elderly women also weaved clothes for the community and were to be noble women. The third category of women was that of 80 years of age. They were given the mandate to take care of children (Andrushko et al. 2006: 86-87). There was also the shorthaired category that had girls aged 12-18. They took care of house chores and their grandparents. They were also taught to spin.
In terms of trade, the Inca Empire had no currency (Andrushko et al. 2006: 88). Hence, they resorted to barter trade and exchanged mostly agricultural products. They were excellent farmers and engaged in terrace farming due to the sloppy nature of the land. Some of the products used in trade included sweet potato, squash, pineapples, papaya, animal skins, ceramics, llama, gold, and silver. The Inca traded with communities that boarded