Characteristics Of The Incan Civilization

The Inca Civilization was a large empire that was over 2,500 miles in length and ruled in South America from around 1400AD to 1533AD (Cartwright) (Ellis and Esler 197). Though it only lasted for about one hundred years, the Incan Empire was very powerful and well organized, which allowed its rulers to control such a huge area and the empire to flourish (Cartwright). This empire displayed amazing architecture, various public works, distinct social classes and all of the other necessary components to civilization. The Incan Civilization demonstrated each characteristic of civilizations sufficiently and thoroughly through its government and social systems as well as in the creations of its people. It was a truly great civilization. The Incans
had an efficient and relatively simple government system with a singular ruler and nobles to assist him with his duties.
The entire civilization was controlled by a single man who ruled over the whole land, called the Sapa Inca (Cartwright). The Sapa Inca made laws, supervised food storage and distribution, had complete control over the entire society, and was basically unchecked in his powers (Cartwright). In fact, he was even considered a god by his people (Ellis and Esler 197). Under him were nobles who were also very powerful and influential (Cartwright). These nobles could communicate with the Sapa Inca in order to change existing laws, make new laws, or alter or add new methods and procedures in the government and society (Cartwright). In this way, though they could not take part in the final making of the decision, nobles could affect the government by consulting with the Sapa Inca and influencing him in one way or another. Also, since the title of Sapa Inca was not simply handed down by family, nobles had a huge effect on who
would be appointed as the next one after one died (Cartwright). Underneath nobles were administrators who supervised the everyday life of certain areas of the empire (Cartwright). These administrators controlled judicial issues, coordinated workers, and managed the roads, censuses, and allocation of land and food in their designated areas (Cartwright). There were three levels of administrators; governors who each looked over a quarter of the civilization, regional administrators who governed smaller regions within each quarter, and local administrators who supervised small villages and towns within each region (Cartwright). The government of the Incas was structured, organized, and effective in ruling over the entire civilization. In addition to having an organized government, the Incans had a complex religion that nearly the entirety of the empire believed in.
They were polytheistic and believed in many gods that controlled almost all aspects of nature (Ellis and Esler 199). Their chief god was Inti, the sun god, and he was especially loved by farmers because it was believed that he assisted in crop development (“Pre-Columbian civilizations”). They also believed in a creator god, named Viracocha, who made the entire world and everything in it as well as teaching people how to perform many different tasks (“Pre-Columbian civilizations”). Aside from these two main gods, they also believed in Apu Illapu, the rain god and Mama Quilla, the moon mother, as well as many other gods associated with different forces in nature (“Pre-Columbian civilizations”) (Ellis and Esler 199). To worship these gods, people made offerings and sacrifices and held a festival every month that celebrated a different aspect of nature and life for each month (“Pre-Columbian civilizations). There were many temples and shrines throughout the land in which people could go to worship, but many people also worshiped at huacas, which were sacred locations that could take the form of a variety of objects from a mountain to a bridge (“Pre-Columbian civilizations”). Priests in the Incan civilization lived in temples and all reported to the chief priest who controlled the priests as well as all of the shrines and temples (“Pre-Columbian
civilizations”). This religion was the only one present in Inca because the government forced all towns and areas that they conquered to take part in their religion in an attempt to bring unity to the civilization (Ellis and Esler 197). The Incans had a very intricate religion that was shared by all of the people in the land.