Inca Unit Assesment Terms to Know

Andenes

Inca mountain terraces built with stone walls to prevent soil erosion and maximize crop growth.

Huacas

Sacred objects or places (like mountains, springs, or stones) believed to hold spirits.

Curacas

Local governors who managed communities (ayllus), collected taxes, and reported to higher nobles.

Guano

Seabird droppings used as a highly effective fertilizer to boost crop growth.

Taxes

Paid not in money, but through labor service (mit'a) and agricultural goods given to the state.

Ayllu

An extended family clan or community that shared land, resources, and worked together.

Quechua

The official spoken language used to unify and communicate across the entire empire.

Communal

Lands or resources shared by all members of a community for collective benefit.

Chasquis

Relay runners who carried messages and records quickly across the vast empire road network.

Diplomacy

Forming alliances to conquer land peacefully before starting a war.

Quipu

A knotted string tool used for counting, tracking inventory, and keeping imperial records.

Sapa Inca

The absolute emperor of the Incas, worshiped as a living god descended from the sun.

Mit’a

The mandatory labor tax requiring commoners to work periodically on public projects like roads and fortresses.

Coya

The empress or principal wife of the Sapa Inca, who held major religious and political power.

Tribute

Payment or goods given by conquered peoples to show submission to the Inca rulers.

Hahua Inca

obles by privilege; commoners promoted to nobility to help administer the expanding empire.

Capac Inca

Nobles by blood; direct relatives of the Sapa Inca who held the highest government offices.

Manco Capac

Capac: The legendary founder and very first emperor (Sapa Inca) of the Inca.

Inti

The supreme sun god and main deity (God) worshiped by the empire.