Social Hierarchy
When visiting the Inca Civilization, you will see, learn, and experience many different things. Included in these things is the Inca society. The people of the Inca society are split into two sections: the nobles and the commoners.
The nobles are at the top of the social pyramid and government administrators, political advisors, and public administrators are all considered nobles. There are three different noble rankings including nobles by birth, appointed nobles, and curacas. If you see nobles that were close family to the dominant governing family, or nobles by birth, they will be wearing the most exceptional clothing since they have the top position in Inca society and government. Also, if you see intricate housing, it probably belongs to the nobles by birth, and the nobles by birth also eat the finest food. After the nobles by birth come the appointed nobles who share the same advantages as the nobles by birth except they have been chosen to be nobles due to their assistance to the Inca Civilization. The lowest rank of nobles is curacas, local chiefs that had their land taken over by the Inca but still hold their advantages of ruling as well as a few perks of having the noble status. The commoners are at the bottom of the social pyramid of the Inca Civilization although they make up most of the Inca population. Commoners cultivate the land all day and their work was considered as the government’s tribute. They have to cultivate the land of the government and of religious places before they can work their own in order to grow food to maintain their community. Commoners are split into groups that each have their own jobs to do based on gender and age. If you see a girl between the ages nine to twelve, she most likely has the job of finding wild plants in order to create medicines and dyes. Girls that are sixteen or above are either married, doing state service training, or “Chosen Women” who completed special jobs like weaving cloth for the Inca nobles to use. Some of these girls were then chosen to work in the temples if they became “Virgins of the Sun.” If you see a boy that is from the ages of nine and sixteen, he has to gather the alpacas and llamas. Any man between the ages of twenty-five and fifty tend crop and fight in war, and men are required to perform labor for an amount of days every year. Men must work for state projects, and this is also known as mita, or labor tax. Older gentlemen still complete tasks such as weaving ropes. |
A Chart Showing the Inca Class System |
Daily Life
The commoners reside in tight, adobe huts in ayllus, or communities of connected families who reside in the same area and split their food, lands, agriculture, jobs, and resources. The commoners’ houses are created of mud brick or stone and consist of one room. While the nobles are eating lavish foods and wearing extravagant clothing, the commoners dine on corn, potato, or vegetables stews and soups and wear cotton or alpaca wool plain clothes. In addition, commoners don’t own private property and they also have limited rights and freedoms. Commoners cannot travel without having the consent of the government or choose whom they marry nor when they marry them. The only reason marriage is supported is because spouses are appointed land where they can raise crop and pay tribute.
Aside from the average day in Inca society, you might be in the Inca Empire when they are having a festival or ceremony. A little less than one-third of the year is dedicated to ceremonies and festivals, and leisure is very common in the Inca Empire. During ceremonies and festivals, there are feasts, dances, and plays! Acheivements The Incas are great architects and master builders. They have many huge buildings made of stone blocks, which are cut with great precision, so each fits into its place perfectly. The stone blocks fit together so well, that there is no cement or mortar to blind the blocks together. Their buildings are even earthquake resistant. The Inca capital, Cuzco is filled with these beautifully constructed structures. A famous one of these architectural sites is Machu Picchu.
The Inca also built irrigation canals and farming terraces. They also drained swamps to allow more space for farming and settlement. Their greatest achievement is their road system which spreads over 15,000 miles long, and crosses deserts, jungles, and mountains. They also go over rivers on cable-suspended bridges. These roads were very durable, because they are paved with stone. It ties the empire together, and allows safe and easy travel. Houses and other buildings are built along these roads, which provide supplies and shelter for travelers. Other achievements by the Inca include gold and silver statues, jewelry, wall decorations, and dishes, beautiful and highly valued textiles, lavishly designed and colored cotton, vicuña, and alpaca cloth. Another achievement of the Inca is the quipu, or knot. The quipu is a rope that has other threads coming off of it that is used as a recording instrument. There are different factors of the threads that allow you to understand what was recorded including length, color, and the knots’ positions. Although the quipu cannot be used in the place of writing, it is still helpful to record things such as days, months, and the duration of the king’s reign. A Quipu |
An Inca AylluA Photograph of Machu PicchuAn Inca Mountain Road |