AP World 12.3

Inca Empire

A great imperial state in the Andean highlands known for its extensive control and integration of diverse cultures.

Political power

The Inca's expansion driven by a desire for economic gain and political dominance.

Pachacuti

Ruler of Inca society from 1438 to 1471; launched a series of military campaigns that gave Incas control of the region from Cuzco to the shores of Lake Titicaca. 

Chimor

A coastal kingdom that emerged as a powerful state in northern Peru before being conquered by the Incas.

Twantinsuyu

Word for Inca empire; region from present-day Colombia to Chile and eastward to northern Argentina; means ‘The Four Regions’

Royal split inheritance

Inca practice of descent; all titles and political power went to successor, but wealth and land remained in hands of male descendants for support of cult of dead Inca's mummy.

Ayllus

Households in Andean societies that recognized some form of kinship; traced descent from some common, sometimes mythical ancestor; (Simply related Quechua-speaking clans that formed the basic social structure in Inca society)

Huacas

Holy shrines, including mountains, stones, rivers, and more, recognized as spiritually significant in Inca religion.

Mita

Labor extracted for lands assigned to the state and the religion; all communities were expected to contribute; an essential aspect of Inca imperial control; (Basically a labor tax system in which communities took turns working on state and church lands)

Quipu

System of knotted strings utilized by the Incas in place of a writing system; could contain numerical and other types of information for censuses and financial records.

Road system

A vast network of roads built by the Incas to connect their empire, facilitating communication and trade.

Viracocha

A creator god in Inca mythology central to the state religion.

Temple of the Sun

Inca religious center located at Cuzco; center of state religion; held mummies of past Incas (rulers)

Andean agricultural terraces

Ingeniously built farming structures used by the Incas to cultivate crops on steep landscapes.

Comparison of Incas and Aztecs

Both empires shared similarities in imperial organization but differed in the presence of a merchant class; Aztecs had one, while the Incas did not.

Yanas

 A class of people within Inca society removed from their ayllus to serve permanently as servants, artisans, or workers for the Inca or the Inca nobility. 

Inca Socialism

 A view created by Spanish authors to describe Inca society as a type of utopia; image of the Inca empire as a carefully organized system in which every community collectively contributed to the whole. 

Tambos

Way stations used by Incas as inns and storehouses; supply centers for Inca armies on the move; relay points for system of runners used to carry messages.