Inca Essay

Great civilizations rise and fall throughout the course of history. From the Romans and Greeks to the Aztecs and Maya, every society has its own great achievements and miserable failures. The discovery of the Americas in the late fifteenth century leads to the creation of many great empires and the demise of others. In particular, the Spanish expand their empire into the Americas and conquer any people that stand in their way. The Inca are one of these people. To the Spanish, the Inca are mere barbarians lacking a written language, iron forging abilities, and other European customs and practices. Despite the absence of qualities the Europeans consider to be necessary for an advanced society, the Inca are able to achieve immense accomplishments within their empire. One of the greatest accomplishments can be seen in the ancient city of Machu Picchu. The drainage engineering and hydraulic engineering techniques at this site prove that the Inca are no less primitive in their abilities than the Spanish during the time of the American conquest.

The Incan empire begins to form in the late thirteenth century, when the city of Cuzco is founded. The legend of the origins of the Incan people says that four brothers emerged from a cave and are considered the leaders of the people because they are the Son of the Sun, or Godlike in nature. They find the city of Cuzco and begin to gain more geographical and political power in the fifteenth century. The ruler, or Sapa Inca, that creates the overwhelming complex and enormous Incan Empire is Pachacuti. He is the absolute ruler of the empire and is said to be the Son of the Sun. He begins to attack neighboring civilizations and conquers the territory, stretching the empire from present day Ecu...

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...orant assumption. Although they were unable to defend themselves from a more militarily advanced Spanish army; the Inca were a capable people that created an enormous empire with great success.

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