Inca Empire

The Inca Empire was a large empire in South America that existed from about the early 1400s until the 1500s. It was built by the Inca people, who lived in the Andes Mountains. At its greatest size, the empire stretched along the western edge of South America. It included parts of present-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. The capital city of the empire was Cusco, located in modern Peru.

The ruler of the Inca Empire was called the Sapa Inca, which means "only ruler." The Sapa Inca was considered both a political leader and a religious figure. One important ruler was Pachacuti, who expanded the empire through conquest and organization. The Inca believed their rulers were chosen by the sun god Inti. Religion played a central role in daily life and government.

The Inca Empire did not use a written language. Instead, they used a system called quipu. A quipu was made of strings with knots. The knots represented numbers and records. The Inca used quipus to keep track of food, workers, and goods. Trained officials understood how to read these knot records.

Inca society was highly organized. People were grouped into communities called ayllu. Each ayllu shared land and worked together. Farming was very important. The Inca built stone terraces on mountain slopes to grow crops such as maize and potatoes. They also built irrigation systems to bring water to fields. These methods helped farming in steep and dry areas.

The Inca built an extensive road system across their empire. The roads connected cities, farms, and mountain regions. Messengers called chasqui ran along the roads to carry messages. Along the roads were rest stations called tambo, where travelers could find food and shelter. This system allowed the empire to be governed across long distances.

The Inca Empire ended in the 1500s after the arrival of Spanish explorers. In 1532, the Spanish leader Francisco Pizarro captured the Inca ruler Atahualpa. Disease, warfare, and Spanish control weakened the empire. By the late 1500s, the Inca Empire was no longer independent, but many Inca traditions continued among the local people.