Impact of the Spanish Colonisation on the Incas Essay Example
SECTION 1
Before the Incas were colonised by the Spanish, they lived a simple life and followed their own structure of society.
• Pyramid of Power
• Religious beliefs
• Housing
• Food
The Sapa Inca was at the top of the Incan Society. Sapa Inca meant ‘unique Lord’. The Incas believed the Sapa Inca descended from the sun god Inti. He was also treated with high respect. The ten royal family groups were below the Sapa Inca. They were one of the highest rankings in the Incan Society. The Sapa Inca would appoint his advisers and officials from that group. 95 percent of the Inca Society was peasants. They were organised in groups which were according to their clan. This was called ‘allyu’. Each of these groups would pool anything that they produced and gave it out to families that had the same size and status as them. The nobles were below the Sapa Inca, followed by the curacas which were a class of men. The craftsmen and famers were at the bottom of the Incan Society.
Many gods were worshipped by the Incas. These gods were mostly related to the earth. The Incas had named themselves as the children of the sun god, Inti. For that reason, the sun god was considered as one of their most important gods. The Sun god was displayed as a boy sitting down. He was wearing a royal headband and had serpents and lions surrounding his body. Solar rays were also coming out from his body. Pachamama or the ‘Earth Mother’ was also one of the gods that the Incas worshipped. They worshipped Pachamama with the purpose of achieving good harvests. Small stone altars were made by famers for Pachamama in their fields.
Human Sacrifice was a part of the Inca’s religion but they did not sacrifice as much people as the Aztecs did. These sacrifices were done on occasions like the coronation of a new king or a victory made by the military. It was also done to honour the sun god Inti. The people that were sacrificed were from defeated tribes. They were also children that were born to a
Before the Incas were colonised by the Spanish, they lived a simple life and followed their own structure of society.
• Pyramid of Power
• Religious beliefs
• Housing
• Food
The Sapa Inca was at the top of the Incan Society. Sapa Inca meant ‘unique Lord’. The Incas believed the Sapa Inca descended from the sun god Inti. He was also treated with high respect. The ten royal family groups were below the Sapa Inca. They were one of the highest rankings in the Incan Society. The Sapa Inca would appoint his advisers and officials from that group. 95 percent of the Inca Society was peasants. They were organised in groups which were according to their clan. This was called ‘allyu’. Each of these groups would pool anything that they produced and gave it out to families that had the same size and status as them. The nobles were below the Sapa Inca, followed by the curacas which were a class of men. The craftsmen and famers were at the bottom of the Incan Society.
Many gods were worshipped by the Incas. These gods were mostly related to the earth. The Incas had named themselves as the children of the sun god, Inti. For that reason, the sun god was considered as one of their most important gods. The Sun god was displayed as a boy sitting down. He was wearing a royal headband and had serpents and lions surrounding his body. Solar rays were also coming out from his body. Pachamama or the ‘Earth Mother’ was also one of the gods that the Incas worshipped. They worshipped Pachamama with the purpose of achieving good harvests. Small stone altars were made by famers for Pachamama in their fields.
Human Sacrifice was a part of the Inca’s religion but they did not sacrifice as much people as the Aztecs did. These sacrifices were done on occasions like the coronation of a new king or a victory made by the military. It was also done to honour the sun god Inti. The people that were sacrificed were from defeated tribes. They were also children that were born to a