The Inca civilization is another famous ancient Indian civilization that developed in the western and central Andes mountains of South America. Its scope of influence stretches from the Ancasmayo River in southern Colombia in the north to the Maule River in central Chile in the south, with a total length of 4,800 kilometers and a maximum width of 500 kilometers from east to west. It has a total area of ??more than 900,000 square kilometers and a population of more than 1,000. Ten thousand. Roughly speaking, it includes the mountainous parts of present-day Ecuador, the mountainous parts of Peru, the highlands of Bolivia, half of Chile, and northwestern Argentina.
According to research by archaeologists, this vast area mentioned above is the first area where agriculture appeared in the Americas, around 8000 BC. By 3000 BC, people living along the coast were settled. By the end of 2000 BC, a series of ancient cultural centers had emerged in the central Andes. In the mid- to late 1000 BC, a developed agricultural culture developed. had formed, laid the foundations of Inca civilization, and given rise to the earliest forms of class and state. This marks the beginning of civilization. After the second half of the 10th century AD, various cultures penetrated and merged with each other in the Central Andes. It led to the decline and disappearance of some original cultures, and on this basis formed the various cultural foundations before India joined the unification of the Andes.
The Inca civilization was named after the Inca people unified the central Andes and established the Inca Empire. The Incas were originally a tribe living in Lake Titicaca. After the 10th century, they gradually moved northward, fighting all the way. In 1243, they came to present-day Cusco and set up camp on Huanakali Mountain. According to Indian legend, their leader at this time was Manco Capac. From Manco Capac to the death of Atahualpa, the last leader of the Inca people, by the Spanish conqueror Pizarro in 1532, the Inca country went through a development process of about three centuries, and its problems were passed down to 12 generations. , 13 kings.
The original name of the Inca country is "Tawantin Sulong", which means the land of the four directions, and its capital is Cusco. The country is divided into four major administrative regions according to directions, called "Sulong". They are: Chincha Sulong in the northwest, including Ecuador, northern and central Peru; Kuti Sulong in the southwest, including southern Peru and northern Chile. ; The northeastern direction is called Antisuron, including the eastern forest and the Ucayali River area; the southeastern direction is called Coyasuron, which is the largest area and includes most of today's Bolivia, the northwest mountainous areas of Argentina and half of Chile.
The original meaning of the word "Inca" is "chief" or "king", and he is the supreme ruler of Tawantin Sulong. After the arrival of the Spanish, it has been customary to refer to the country and its inhabitants simply by the word "Inca".
The Inca Empire is known as the "Rome of America" ??and is famous for its complete state machinery. The Inca State was a slave-owning country, and the slave-owning class included the Inca king, royal nobles, senior officials and priests. They do not engage in productive labor and live a luxurious life. The Inca King was known as the Son of the Sun and the incarnation of God. He had supreme power and monopolized all political, military and religious power in the country. In order to maintain his rule, the Inca king established a political system centered on centralization. With Sco as the center, he firmly controlled the country through officials at all levels. In addition to political institutions, the Inca slave owners also had a well-trained standing army of 200,000 people, which they used to expand externally and suppress rebel forces internally. The Inca Empire also established a strict judicial system to safeguard the interests of the slave-owning class. In order to consolidate their rule, the Inca kings also took some cultural and economic measures. For example, the Quechua language was forcibly promoted in newly conquered areas. Furthermore, Daxing roads and stations were built across the country, with Cusco as the center, and a transportation network connecting all roads to the capital was built to facilitate the control of remote areas.
The fact that the Incas were able to establish such a vast country in the Central Andes is inseparable from the developed local economy and culture.
In terms of agriculture, the Incas inherited the achievements of their predecessors and built canals and terraces in arid and water-deficient mountainous areas, which enabled the stable development of food production and ensured the needs of the non-agricultural population. The Incas' aqueducts and terraces were very strong, and some are still in use today. The Incas cultivated approximately 40 types of crops. They also raised llamas and alpacas, becoming the only American Indian people to raise large livestock. The raising of these animals not only provided meat and fur for the people, but also provided high-quality fertilizers for agricultural production, which in turn contributed to increased food production.
The transportation network extending in all directions not only facilitated the Inca kings' rule over the country, but also promoted connections and cultural exchanges among various regions. The roads built by the Incas are world-famous. There are two main roads running through the country from north to south: one runs along the Andes, starting from southern Colombia, passing through Ecuador and Peru, entering Bolivia and leading to Argentina, with a total length of 3,200 kilometers. ; The other runs along the Pacific coast, starting from Tumbes in northwest Peru, with a total length of 2.300 kilometers and a road surface width of 3.5-4.5 meters. In the Andes, a mountainous area with undulating mountains and crisscrossed ravines, it is not easy to build such a road. Depending on the terrain, the roads sometimes twist and turn, sometimes require digging stairs and tunnels, and sometimes building bridges. The Indians did not yet know about vaults, and their bridges were mainly suspension bridges.
Stone pillars are erected at both ends of the bridge, connected by five rattan rods up to 40 cm thick, and three of them almost form the bridge deck. There is one railing on each side. Some suspension bridges are more than 60 meters long.
The Inca's metal processing industry was relatively developed. They not only knew how to smelt gold, silver, copper, lead, tin, and mercury, but also smelted various alloys, and knew how to use mercury to purify gold. Gold and silver are mainly used to make decorations and works of art. Among them, there is a kind of golden butterfly whose wings are only 1/10 mm thick. Its center of gravity is found very accurately, and it can hover in the air after being thrown. Copper and its alloys are mainly used to make weapons, daily utensils and sharp tools. But like other Indians in America, the Injuns had never known iron. The Incas mastered many metal processing techniques, such as casting, forging, molding, stamping, inlay, riveting, welding, etc. Some studies believe that the skills of the Incas' gold and silver decorations are comparable to those of the European Renaissance.
The textile technology added by India has also reached a high level. As early as 2000 BC, they were spinning and weaving. Their woolen and cotton fabrics come in a variety of designs, with harmonious colors and fine workmanship. For example, a carpet left over 1,000 years ago contains 500 velvet yarns per inch, while similar fabrics in Europe in the Middle Ages only had 100 velvet yarns. The mummy suit unearthed near Pisco on the southern coast has been called "one of the textile wonders of the world".
The pottery industry also developed during the Inca Empire. The main characteristics of the pottery are its striking polishing technique, elegant decoration, graceful geometric patterns and brilliant colors. They not only absorbed the experience of their predecessors and other regions at the same time in terms of pottery production techniques and decorative patterns, but also made further developments.
In terms of medicine, the Inca's achievements are also amazing. Their surgical procedures, especially craniotomy, were among the most advanced in the world at that time. The scalpel is basically a "T" shaped copper knife that is very sharp. The Incas were also experts in the anesthesia that accompanies surgery. The Incas knew many kinds of herbs, such as quinine, cocoa, etc.
In the fields of astronomy, calendar and mathematics, Yin Jian also reached a very high level. In the capital Cusco, the Incas built four astronomical observatories in the east and west of the city, and another in the central square. Based on long-term observations, the Incas measured that the Earth's orbital period is 365 days and 6 hours, and based on this they developed a solar calendar. The Incas also had a lunar calendar, which included 354 days and was based on observations of the moon. Unlike the Aztecs and Mayans, the Incas used base 10 for mathematics. However, the Incas had not yet created writing. Their method of counting was to tie ropes, called "kipu" in Quechua. That is, many small ropes were tied on a main rope, and the knots were used to indicate the numbers, with different colors and lengths. Indicate different categories.
The Incas also had high attainments in music and literature. Some people believe that Inca music is comparable to or even superior to ancient European folk songs; others believe that Inca music has the level of ancient Asian music and similar expression techniques. Since the Incas did not have a complete writing system, their literature consisted mostly of oral legends and dramas. The most famous among them is "Oyante", which had been widely circulated in the Central Andes before the arrival of the Spanish. At the beginning of the colonial era, it was written in Quechua script (created by Spanish missionaries). It is among the world's classic literary masterpieces. occupies an important position.