Lecture Notes: The Inca Empire and Guaman Poma de Ayala

Guaman Poma de Ayala (1615)

Background: Mixed-race Christian; son of Inca aristocrat.
Role: Former translator for priests; chronicler of Inca life.
Work: Compiled a history of the Inca and catalogued abuses by colonial Spanish.
Conclusion: Advocated for reforms in Spain to protect native people and their culture.
Journey: Carried his book (1,000 loose pages) through harsh terrains to send to the King of Spain.
Fate of Manuscript: The manuscript would not be seen again for 300 years.

Altitude Experience: Noticed thin air; offered coca leaf tea to acclimatize.
Cusco's Altitude: Nearly 3,400 meters (11,200 feet).
Architecture: Spanish buildings on Incan foundations; Spanish did not build Cusco but expanded upon it.

Geographical Extent: Spanned 2,500 miles from Colombia to Chile; ruled up to 12 million people.
Environmental Challenges: Controlled diverse terrains – mountains, jungle, desert.
Inca Trail to Machu Picchu: Showcases various ecosystems; engineering marvel despite altitude challenges.
Construction: Inca built roads and structures without iron tools, wheels, or written language.
Quipu: Knotted ropes used for calculations and record-keeping.

Oral Tradition: Most history transmitted orally; lack of pre-conquest written records.
Spanish Conquest Documentation: Accounts compiled by priests and conquistadors often reflect colonial biases.
Cultural Suppression: Spanish authorities stripped Incan shrines and temples, affecting cultural memory.
Mixed-Race Chroniclers: Following the conquest, individuals like Garcilaso de la Vega wrote about Incan history but faced limitations.

Conflicting Narratives: Spanish chroniclers often misunderstood Incan culture and history due to differing worldviews.
Linear vs. Non-Linear History: The Inca viewed history in a cyclical manner, focusing on significant provinces rather than a linear timeline.
Vega vs. Poma: Vega idealized the Inca as a perfect society; Poma criticized abuses against natives.

Incan Kings: Emerged in the early 13th century around Cusco, starting with Manco Capac.
Titles of Sapa Inca: Kings held grand titles reflecting their accomplishments in warfare and construction.
Cultural Inheritance: Many achievements attributed to the Inca may have been inherited from earlier Andean societies.
Pachacuti: An intelligent and ambitious ruler known as the "Earth Shaker"; pivotal in transforming the Inca Empire.

Debates in History: Modern historians' interpretations vary widely based on available sources and cultural contexts.
Histories Interwoven: Spanish accounts, Incan oral traditions, and archaeological evidence form a complex narrative of the Inca Empire.

Special thanks to educational tier patrons: Ovid, Xia Turk, Joseph Blame, Gerald Spencer Diamond.