Primitive America, Aymaran Civilization – Tiahuanacu – The Inca Empire, Incan Legends, Religion, Customs, Monuments, etc. Division and Decline of the Empire
The territory now known as Bolivia, situated in the heart of South America, was, in the earliest times for which we have records, inhabited by indigenous peoples who, in this part of the continent, reached a high level of civilization compared to the development of other American nations at the same time.
Evidence of this civilization can be found in the ruins of Tiahuanacu, discovered near the modern town of the same name, located not far from the shores of Lake Titicaca, along the railway line that connects the city of La Paz with the port of Guaqui.
The Tiahuanacu ruins demonstrate that the indigenous nation that inhabited the current Bolivian highlands in ancient times had achieved a high degree of progress in the arts and industry. The architecture, as can be seen in the Gateway of the Sun and the remains of the so-called Palace of Kalasasaya, was quite advanced, with the use of granite in large blocks for construction.
To this day, it has not been possible to fully reconstruct the true characteristics of the people who built and inhabited Tiahuanacu, which was undoubtedly the center or capital of a nation that extended over a significant portion of the territory currently occupied by Peru and Bolivia. Studies conducted on the ruins and other remnants of this primitive civilization suggest that the population of Tiahuanacu was the Aymara people. The extent of the discovered remains indicates that the capital was much larger and more populous than any of Bolivia’s current cities.
Notable features of Tiahuanacu include monoliths, which are statues carved from a single stone, sometimes of considerable size, adorned with engravings depicting religious symbols or hieroglyphic characters that scholars have attempted to decipher. Textiles, ornaments made of precious metals, weapons, amulets, and more all give a high impression of the culture achieved by the early inhabitants of Tiahuanacu. Ceramic objects, decorated with characteristic arabesques in harmonious and varied colors, reveal an artistic taste comparable to that of ancient peoples in Europe, Asia, and Africa.
Long after the disappearance of Tiahuanacu and its great civilization, the territory was dominated by the emperors of Cusco, known to the Spanish conquerors as the Incas.
The origin of the Inca Empire is lost in the traditions of the American peoples and the fantastic legends of the indigenous Peruvians prior to the conquest. According to these traditions and legends, the empire was founded by two beings belonging to the Quechua race, who emerged from the Island of the Sun in Lake Titicaca and journeyed northward on solid ground in search of a place where a golden wand they carried with them would easily sink. That place was Cuzco, where they established their royal court and founded a city, calling upon the region’s inhabitants and subjecting them to their rule, claiming to be the children of the Sun sent to Earth with the mission of founding a great empire, correcting bad customs, and teaching new methods of work to men and women. These two mysterious figures, founders of a great dynasty, were named Manco Capac and Mama Ocllo.
Manco Capac taught men how to cultivate the land and trained them in the art of war, while his wife dedicated herself to teaching women how to weave and assist men in tasks appropriate to their gender.
It is estimated that the foundation of the Inca Empire, known to the indigenous people as Tahuantinsuyo, occurred around the 12th century AD, approximately eight hundred years before the present era. Tradition tells us that the empire gradually expanded through the subjugation of numerous indigenous tribes inhabiting this part of America. The third Inca, known as Maita Capac, was the conqueror of Collasuyo, which is the territory now occupied by Bolivia.
As the Incas expanded the empire, they brought the benefits of their civilization to the conquered peoples. They waged war humanely, without cruelty towards the defeated.
The high level of culture achieved by the Incas can be appreciated in the monuments that still exist in Cuzco and other places in Peru, as well as in the Incan ruins on the islands of the Sun and the Moon (Coati) in Lake Titicaca, which are now part of Bolivia’s territory.
Public institutions were very wise and based on communism, meaning that individuals worked and produced for the community rather than exclusively for themselves. Additionally, the government was theocratic and absolute. The land was divided into three portions, allocated for the Inca, religious service, and the sustenance of the people. The government was advised by a council of sages responsible for the country’s administration, and each province had a governor.
The army was well-organized and led by experienced generals skilled in the art of war.
Religion consisted of a set of idolatrous beliefs and practices. The inhabitants of the empire, however, believed in a Supreme Being, the lord of the universe, whom they worshipped under the names of Pachacamaco Viracocha, with the Sun as his visible representative. They also worshipped the Moon, the stars, thunder, lightning, rain, and all natural phenomena whose explanation they did not know. There was a priestly caste responsible for worship and the care of temples, as well as convents of vestals or priestesses dedicated to the Moon.
Strictly speaking, the Incas did not have writing, not even in its most primitive form. They used a system of accounting through knotted cords of different colors called «quipus,» which also served for measuring time and marking significant events in the empire.
Artists (potters, decorators, poets) and scholars known as «amautas» were highly esteemed.
The empire had a complete and efficient postal service with relay stations and excellent roads equipped with bridges and causeways, enabling rapid communication between the capital and the farthest corners of the country.
The constructions were simple but characterized by their durability. In the existing ruins today, there are no traces of columns or arches; most buildings, even the grandest ones, were roofed with wood and thatch.
The official language was Quechua, taught in schools.
The country was governed by prudent laws that maintained order and discipline, ensuring the proper administration of justice.
The penultimate Inca, named Huaina Capac, one of the most illustrious emperors, divided the empire shortly before his death into two parts: the north, with Quito as its capital, for his son Atahualpa, and the south, with Cuzco as the center, for his son Huascar.
After Huaina Capac’s death, ambition overtook the two princes, especially Huascar, who, influenced by his courtiers, sought to rule the entire empire alone. Following a bitter civil war, Huascar was defeated and captured by his brother, who proclaimed himself the sole Inca. This fratricidal conflict had just ended when the arrival of Spanish conquistadors occurred, finding a weakened and divided people ready to be conquered.
