Mitma facts for kids

Mitma was a special plan used by the Incas. It was about moving large groups of people, like families or whole ethnic groups, from their homes. The Incas would move them to new lands they had just taken over.

The main goal was to help these new areas become more like the Inca Empire. This meant sharing Inca culture, language, and ways of doing things. It also helped make sure people were loyal to the Inca rulers.

The word mitma comes from the Quechua language. It means "to sprinkle, distribute, or spread." It's related to another Inca word, "mit'a," which meant working in turns. The Spanish later used "mit'a" to mean forced labor during their rule.

This policy moved entire communities very far away, sometimes hundreds of kilometers. These new settlements were called mitmaqkuna. The Incas used this plan for a long time, especially in areas near the edges of their empire. Studies today suggest that about one-fourth to one-third of all people in the Inca Empire were moved this way. It was a huge part of how the Incas controlled their vast lands.

This moving of people might also have helped with managing large herds of llamas, alpacas, and vicuñas. The new settlements depended on the Incas for protection, supplies, and leadership, which helped keep the empire stable.

Why the Incas Used Mitma

The Incas ruled over many more people than there were actual Incas. So, they had many ways to keep control of the people they conquered. The mitma policy was one of the most important methods.

It involved moving whole groups of people to areas that were not as developed or where people often rebelled. For example, loyal groups from one area might be moved to a new, difficult territory. At the same time, rebellious villages might be moved to areas that were already under strong Inca control.

By doing this, the Incas could make it harder for people to resist their rule. Outside of their capital city, Cuzco, Inca officials watched over local leaders. The mitma system worked well because instead of creating new governments, they simply rearranged existing groups of people.

The Incas kept very close track of their people. They wanted to make sure no one challenged their power. This included keeping detailed records, like a count of the population after they were moved.

Once in their new homes, the mitmaqkuna received land to grow crops and raise animals. They also got land to build houses. This allowed the moved groups to keep their original ways of life and how they produced things.

The Incas also had strict rules. If a person who was moved tried to go back home, they were tortured. If they tried a second time, they were executed. The Incas also gave important jobs to leaders from the moved groups. This made these leaders depend on the Inca system for their own power and status.

How Incas Showed Control

To show their power, the Incas made newly conquered groups adopt special customs. These customs would make them different from their neighbors. For example, people from the Huancavelicas group had six of their front teeth removed.

To keep these local differences, settlers had to keep wearing their traditional clothes and follow their old customs after they were moved. These rules helped the Inca government track its people. Officials could easily tell who belonged in a certain area and who didn't.

As mentioned, being found in the wrong place had serious consequences. Even not wearing traditional clothes was a crime against the state. Such crimes could be punished by torture or even death.

Areas Affected by Mitma

The Inca Empire started to become very powerful in the early 1400s. Before that, the Incas only sometimes fought with their neighbors in the Cuzco Valley. At that time, they were a weaker state that mainly collected tribute.

The Incas began their big conquests around the 1420s. They rebuilt Cuzco after defeating a strong rival group called the Chancas. These people lived northeast of Cuzco. The Tawantinsuyu, which was the Inca Empire centered in Cuzco, grew from this change.

After taking control of their neighbors, the Incas saw a chance to get involved with people living further south. This included the Urubamba Valley and the Titicaca Basin.

The Mitma policy is well known in the Bolivian plateau, especially around the Titicaca Basin. Under Inca rule, the coast and western slope between Peru and Chile were seen as a separate area. This region was filled with groups of settlers from the high plains.

Besides the Titicaca Basin, Inca armies also went north and captured Cajamarca. They left a small group of soldiers there. Later, the Incas returned to Cajamarca to strengthen this isolated group.

Before going back to their capital, the Incas expanded their control northward into the highlands of Ecuador. The Inca armies then pushed the southern border of their empire into Northwest Argentina and Central Chile. It is believed that some Chilean place names, like Loa, Calama, and Erqui (Elqui) in southern Bolivia, show where Inca populations were moved.

Moving people was also common in what is now Ecuador. This had a big effect on the mix of people in that region. In the area of Tumipamba, the change was almost complete.

Ethnic Groups with Mitma Origins

See also

In Spanish: Mitimaes para niños