The Kingdom of Cusco (sometimes spelled ''Cuzco'' and in Quechua ''Qosqo'' or ''Qusqu'') was a small kingdom based in the city of Cusco, on the Andean mountain ranges that began as a small city-state founded by the Incas around the start of 13th century. In time, through warfare or peaceful assimilation, it began to grow and was succeeded by the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

(1438–1533).

History

Brief overview

The Inca people began as a tribe in the Cuzco area around the start of 13th century. Under the leadership of Manco Cápac, they formed the small city-state of Cusco ( Quechua ''Qosqo''), shown in red on the map below. In 1438 AD, under the command of the Sapa Inca (paramount leader) '' Pachacuti'' (world-shaker), the Incas began a far-reaching expansion. The land which Pachacuti conquered was about the size of the

Thirteen Colonies The Thirteen Colonies, also known as the Thirteen British Colonies, the Thirteen American Colonies, or later as the United Colonies, were a group of British colonies on the Atlantic coast of North America. Founded in the 17th and 18th centu ...

at the outbreak of the

American Revolution The American Revolution was an ideological and political revolution that occurred in British America between 1765 and 1791. The Americans in the Thirteen Colonies formed independent states that defeated the British in the American Revoluti ...

of 1776, and consisted of nearly the entire territory of the

Andes mountain The Andes, Andes Mountains or Andean Mountains (; ) are the longest continental mountain range in the world, forming a continuous highland along the western edge of South America. The range is long, wide (widest between 18°S – 20°S ...

range.

Pachacuti reorganized the kingdom of Cusco into an empire, the ''Tahuantinsuyu'', a federalist system that consisted of a central government with the Inca at its head and four provincial governments with strong leaders: Chinchasuyu (NW), Antisuyu (NE), Kuntisuyu (SW), and

Qullasuyu Qullasuyu (Quechua and Aymara spelling, ; Hispanicized spellings: ''Collasuyu, Kholla Suyu'') was the southeastern provincial region of the Inca Empire. Qullasuyu is the region of the Qulla and related specifically to the native Qulla Quechuas w ...

(SE). Pachacuti is thought to have built the citadel of Machu Picchu, either as a family home or as a vacation estate.

Sapa Incas

The Sapa Inca of the first dynasty of the Kingdom of Cusco were, in order, Manco Cápac, Sinchi Roca,

Lloque Yupanqui Lloque Yupanqui (born c. January 1, 1260 – died c. January 1, 1290, aged approximately circa 30) (Quechua ''Lluq'i Yupanki'' "the glorified lefthander") was the third Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cuzco (beginning around CE 1260) and a member of ...

, Mayta Cápac, and Cápac Yupanqui. Evidence of state organization dates from 1200 AD. Little is known of this population, but in later years the meaning of ''cápac'' meant warlord and ''sinchi'' meant leader adding to the idea they could have been rulers. Long before the Spanish found the Inca, the Inca civilization had begun as a small, centralized state that eventually grew to cover a large amount of territory along the western coast of South America from Colombia to Chile. The Inca civilization spread rapidly from their small beginnings in the Kingdom of Cuzco located in southern Peru.

Beginning of the empire

The following outlines each of the Incan rulers and a few of their accomplishments in greater detail.

Mayta Cápac: c. 1290s

Mayta Cápac (Quechua: Mayta Qhapaq Inka) was the fourth Sapa Inca of the Kingdom of Cuzco (beginning around 1290 AD) and a member of the Hurin dynasty. The chroniclers describe him as a great warrior who conquered territories as far as Lake Titicaca, Arequipa, and Potosí. While in fact, his kingdom was still limited to the valley of Cuzco.

Fall of the civilization

Túpac Amaru: 1571–1572

Túpac Amaru was the last legitimate Inca to rule (in the Vilcabamba region as the Neo-Inca State). With the death of his elder brother

Titu Cosi ''Don'' Diego de Castro Titu Cusi Yupanqui (; Quechua: ''Titu Kusi Yupanki'' ; 1529–1571) was an Inca ruler of Vilcabamba and the penultimate leader of the Neo-Inca State. He was a son of Manco Inca Yupanqui, He was crowned in 1563, after th ...

, he ordered the execution of all Spanish people living in Vilcabamba, and led an unsuccessful and poorly planned rebellion against the colonists. This resulted in his death and the end of Incan sovereignty, for Vilcabamba was occupied and the survivors enslaved in 1572.

References

Bibliography

* María Rostworowski. ''Enciclopedia Temática del Perú: Incas''. Lima: El Comercio S.A., 2004. * Editorial Sol 90. ''Historia Universal 5: América precolombina''. Barcelona, España, 2002. * Bushnell. ''Peru, Ancient people and places''. * MacQuarrie, Kim. ''The Last Days of the Incas.'' Simon & Schuster, 2007. .

External links

“The Political Force of Images,” Vistas: Visual Culture in Spanish America, 1520–1820
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cusco, Kingdom of 15th-century disestablishments in the Inca civilization States and territories established in 1197 States and territories established in 1438 Inca states Former kingdoms 12th-century establishments in the Inca civilization Former countries