Government of the Inca Empire facts for kids

The Tawantinsuyu (meaning "four parts together") was a huge empire, also known as the Inca Empire. It was like a very organized government with many different levels.

How the Inca Empire Was Run

Leaders and Important People

At the very top of the Inca Empire was the Sapa Inca. He was the supreme ruler. Right next to him in power was the Willaq Umu, who was the High Priest of the Sun. Think of him as a very important religious leader.

The Inkap rantin was like a trusted assistant or prime minister to the Sapa Inca. They helped the Sapa Inca with important decisions. Most of these top leaders were part of the Inca noble class. Many were even related to the Sapa Inca.

When a Sapa Inca passed away, his family formed a group called a panaqa. This group took care of the deceased king's belongings and lands. The Incas believed the dead king, or his mummy (called mallki), could still talk to the living. So, they were still involved in important state matters!

Below the main government were the four big sections of the empire, called suyu. Each suyu had a governor known as an apu. This title was also given to army generals and even to important mountains.

Under each suyu were smaller areas called wamani, or provinces. Each province had its own governor, called a toqrikoq. These governors managed their provinces with help from other officers. These included michoq officers, khipu kamayuq record keepers, kuraka officials, and yanakuna helpers.

The main jobs of a toqrikoq were to keep roads and buildings in good shape, count the people, and gather workers or soldiers when needed. Usually, these governors were from the Inca people. But sometimes, people from other groups could become lower-level governors. The apu were almost always close relatives of the Sapa Inca.

The yanakuna were a special group of people. They worked for the nobles or important places like temples. By becoming a yana, they left their old family ties behind. For many, this was a way to move up in society. Their children also got a better position.

The kurakakuna were local leaders in the provinces. They were often nobles from the areas the Incas had conquered. They kept their social status after the Incas took over. Like the yanakuna, they did not have to pay taxes. Their positions were passed down through their families. Unlike the yanakuna, they had jobs in government, the army, and the courts.

List of Sapa Inca

Hurin Qosqo: The "Dynasty" of Lower Cuzco

• Manqo Qhapaq, r. c. 1200 CE – c. 1230
• Zinchi Roq'a, r. c. 1230 – c. 1260
• Lloq'e Yupanki, r. c. 1260 – c. 1290
• Mayta Qhapaq, r. c. 1290 – c. 1320
• Qhapaq Yupanki, r. c. 1320 – c. 1350

Hanan Qosqo: The "Dynasty" of Upper Cuzco

• Inka Roq'a, r. c. 1350 – c. 1380
• Yawar Waqaq, r. c. 1380 – c. 1410
• Wiraqocha Inka, r. c. 1410–1438
• Pachakuti Inka Yupanki, r. 1438–1471
• Thupa Inka Yupanki, r. 1471–1493
• Wayna Qhapaq, r. 1493–1527
• Waskhar, r. 1527–1532
• Atawallpa, r. 1532–1533

Post-Conquest Dynasty: Ruling from Cuzco or Vilcabamba

• Tupaq Wallpa, r. 1533
• Manqo Inka Yupanki, r. 1533 – 1544 initially in Cuzco, then in Vilcabamba (the capital of the Neo-Inca State)
  • Pawllu Inka Tupaq, r. 1536 – 1549 in Cuzco under Spanish
• Sayri Tupaq, r. 1544 – 1560 in Vilcabamba
• Titu Kusi Yupanki, r. 1560 – 1571
• Tupaq Amaru, r. 1571 – 1572, captured and executed

Organizing People by Tens

The Inca government often organized people in groups of ten. This system helped them manage things like taxes and labor. Taxpayers were usually male heads of households. They were grouped into units for public work or military service.

Each group of one hundred taxpayers or more was led by a kuraka. Smaller groups were led by a kamayuq. A kuraka's position was usually passed down in their family. But their exact role could change based on the leaders above them.

For example, a pachaka kuraka (leader of 100) could be chosen by a waranqa kuraka (leader of 1,000). It's also thought that one kuraka in each group of ten also led one of the nine smaller groups. This meant they were directly in charge of 100 taxpayers and also helped oversee nine other groups of 100.

Work for the State: Mit'a and Mitmaq

The Inca government collected taxes in goods like textiles and food. But they also relied a lot on a labor tax called mit'a. This was work done for the state by male heads of households.

These workers built huge public projects. This included water channels, bridges, and roads. They also built tampu warehouses to store goods. A mit'ayuq was someone who did mit'a duties. They also worked in farming, mining, and making crafts like pottery.

Mit'a was also how the army got its soldiers. Military groups followed the same system as the work units. The time people spent working varied. Harder jobs, like mining, were kept short so people wouldn't get too tired.

Mitmaq was a different practice. It involved moving certain groups of people to new areas for special reasons. Sometimes, loyal groups were moved to new provinces. They would act as a colony to help keep order. Other times, groups that might not be loyal were moved to live among more loyal people. In some cases, mitmaq groups were moved to use land that wasn't being used well by local people.

Even if they moved far away, mitmaqkuna were still counted as part of their original home for taxes and mit'a. The mitmaqkuna were not the only people moved by the Inca Empire. The state often moved whole communities to places that were easier to defend or better for farming. This helped both with farming and to prevent rebellions.

How the Inca Government Was Structured

Inca Laws and Justice

Inti, the Sun god, as shown by José Bernardo de Tagle.

The Inca Empire did not have a separate court system or a written book of laws like we do today. People followed customs and local rules. But the state also had its own rules and ways to enforce them.

One way was through tokoyrikoq, which means "he who sees all." These were inspectors. The highest inspector was usually a relative of the Sapa Inca. They worked independently, giving the Sapa Inca a clear view of things without being influenced by other officials.

People could only be judged by someone of a higher rank than them. Also, the higher a person's rank, the more freedom they had in their actions. Punishments for common people who wronged nobles were much stricter than for nobles who wronged commoners.

However, common people also had some protections. Soldiers who stole food could face serious consequences, as could their captains. Officials who were unfair or didn't do their jobs well also faced punishment. Only the highest authorities could decide on the most serious punishments. These included provincial governors, the apu of the four suyu, and the Sapa Inca himself. The Incas did not have prisons. For serious crimes like murder or rebellion, the punishment could be death. For less serious crimes, there were other severe punishments.

How the Empire Was Divided

The four main parts (suyus) of the Inca Empire.

The Inca Empire was like a federal system. It had a main government led by the Sapa Inca. Then it had four large sections, or suyu:

• Chinchay Suyu (northwest)
• Antisuyu (northeast)
• Kuntisuyu (southwest)
• Qullasuyu (southeast)

The center of these four sections was the capital city, Cusco. These suyu were probably created around 1460, during the time of Pachacuti. At first, they were likely similar in size. But they changed as the empire grew bigger to the north and south.

Each suyu was then divided into smaller areas called wamani, or provinces. These wamani often matched the areas where different tribes lived before the Inca conquest. A tokrikoq, or governor, led each wamani. If a tribe was too small to have its own wamani, it was grouped with other small tribes. After a wamani was created, the Incas would build an administrative center there.

Wamani were further divided into saya. This reflected how Andean society was often split into two main parts. A wamani usually had two or three saya. One saya was considered higher (the hanan saya) and one lower (the hurin saya). Ideally, each saya would have about 10,000 taxpayers. So, three saya were usually only found in wamani with around 30,000 taxpayers.

Below the saya, the empire was divided into ayllu family groups. These were also often split into upper (hanan) and lower (hurin) parts. Then, finally, came individual family units.

Administrative Divisions

The capital area, Cusco, was probably not organized like a regular wamani. It was more like a special federal district, similar to Washington, D.C. today. Cusco was the main center for politics and religion. The Sapa Inca, his family, and the royal panaqa families mostly governed it.

Each suyu was governed by an Apu. This was a very respected title for high-ranking men and sacred mountains. Just like much of Inca society, both Cusco and the four suyu were grouped into upper (hanan) and lower (hurin) divisions.

Since the Incas didn't have written records, we can't list every single wamani. But records from the Spanish colonial period help us know some of them. There were likely more than 86 wamani in total.

Hanan Suyukuna, or the Upper Quarters

Chinchaysuyu was the most populated suyu. It included the lands of the Chimú Empire and much of the northern Andes. At its largest, it reached into modern Ecuador and Colombia.

Antisuyu was the second smallest suyu. It was located northeast of Cuzco in the high Andes mountains. In fact, the word "Andes" comes from "Antisuyu."

Hurin Suyukuna, or the Lower Quarters

Collasuyu or Qollasuyu was named after the Aymara-speaking Qolla people. It was the largest suyu in terms of land area. This section covered the Bolivian Altiplano and much of the southern Andes. It stretched down into Argentina and as far south as the Maule River in Chile.

Cuntisuyu or Kuntisuyu was the smallest suyu. It was located along the southern coast of modern Peru, reaching into the highlands near Cuzco.

See also

In Spanish: Gobierno del Imperio incaico para niños