THE RISE OF THE CUZCO DYNASTY
[Illustration: AN INCAIC DOORWAY.]
Throughout the annals of history there is found no parallel to the
extraordinary character and development of the great empire of the
Incas, whose glory and splendor attained such supremacy and shone with
such lustre, under a benign though despotic sovereignty, as to eclipse
all earlier culture in pre-Columbian America. Whatever may have been the
heritage which the Children of the Sun received from their predecessors,
they carefully avoided giving it any importance in their records. The
Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, who wrote the history of his people more than
half a century after the Conquest, says that this rich and mighty
monarchy was founded in the midst of barbarism and degradation and
developed in all its magnificence through the divine direction of noble
princes, who derived their power from heaven alone, and who were both
the spiritual and the temporal rulers of the people, by right of their
celestial origin.
A romantic charm envelopes the fame of the Incas and their brilliant
court, their spectacular religion with its temples prodigally ornamented
with gold and silver, and, above all, their own royal personality, so
impressive in the dignity and sanctity of heaven-born greatness. One
must even confess to resentment when meddlesome scholars seek to take
away any of the prestige of these picturesque Conquerors of the Andes in
favor of an earlier race, or of successive races, whose identity is lost
in a mist of fable and legend, and who can present no such fascinating
pageant to our imagination as do the heroes of Cuzco, with their
mythical genealogy, the fame of their refined theocracy, and the prowess
of their splendid legions. After all, it has not yet been proved that
the lords of Cuzco were not of the same race and origin as the authors
of the most ancient civilization of Peru, and, even, of all America.
Scholars who have studied the language, customs, and monuments of the
ancient Peruvians, find what is evidently a parent influence making
itself felt through all the changing conditions of successive periods,
and in spite of seemingly foreign and unrelated cultures that have
appeared in various localities during the course of the ages. The two
languages which are most generally spoken by the Indians throughout the
territory formerly included in the Incas’ dominion—the Aymará and the
Quichua—are apparently derived from a common stock. May it not be true
that the people who spoke these languages, and to whom are credited the
monuments of Tiahuanaco and Cuzco, were the heirs of a common ancestry,
and that their progenitors were the authors of the earliest culture in
Peru?
Out of the confusion of many legends that are related by the Indians to
account for the origin of the Incas’ empire, the one which is best
known, and most generally approved, because of the poetic beauty of the
conception, tells us that the Sun, the creator of mankind, through
compassion for the deplorable degradation of the world, sent two of his
children, Manco-Ccapac and Mama Ocllo, to regenerate humanity and to
teach the arts of civilized life. The celestial pair, who were not only
brother and sister, but husband and wife, appeared first on an island in
the midst of Lake Titicaca, and from this point they set forth on their
benevolent mission. Lake Titicaca is supposed to have been chosen as the
place of departure because, since it was the first to receive the rays
of the sun when Viracocha dispersed the darkness, it was fitting that
the first messengers of the light of civilization should also appear on
its sacred island. They carried a rod of gold about two feet long and of
the thickness of a man’s finger, having received from their father, the
Sun, instructions to establish themselves in the place where the rod
should sink into the earth at the first stroke. In the _cerro_ of
Huanacaure the golden rod was buried out of sight as soon as it struck
the soil, and here was founded the great empire of the Incas,—“Inca”
meaning “lord,”—which was to flourish and extend its dominion from the
northern border of the present republic of Ecuador to the south of Chile
and from the Pacific Ocean to the eastern valleys of the Andean chain,
covering a territory of more than a million square miles, and giving
protection to at least ten million faithful and industrious subjects,
obedient to the Inca’s laws.
[Illustration: TERRACE OF THE INCA’S PALACE, OLLANTAYTAMBO.]
According to a tradition, which Sebastian Lorente gives us, Manco-Ccapac
was the son of a _curaca_, or chief, of Pacaritambo, in the Apurimac
valley, a youth so beautiful that he was called “the son of the Sun.” He
was left an orphan at an early age, and the fortune-tellers easily
persuaded him that he was of celestial origin. At eighteen or twenty
years of age the boy entered on his great mission. A humble orator, he
erected an altar to Huanacaure, the principal idol of his forefathers,
which the Incas never after failed to invoke in time of danger. With a
few followers he established his dominion, attracting some by promises
and forcing others by threats, while he fascinated the masses by his
magnificent personality. He wore a tunic embroidered in silver, on his
breast glistened a disk of gold, jewels adorned his arms, and gorgeous
plumes formed his headdress. By various means he succeeded in gaining
command over his compatriots, who served his ambition and obeyed his
laws. There is something reasonable and matter-of-fact about this
tradition which inclines one to think that it may have foundation in
truth. It is seen that Manco-Ccapac worshipped the principal idol of his
forefathers, which shows that his plan was to incorporate in the new
religion the most venerated beliefs of the people, and not to antagonize
them by an iconoclastic policy; he set up his government in Cuzco, where
the inhabitants were by nature docile and easily disciplined; he
appeared at the psychological moment when Peru was ready for a new cult
and a new system of laws; and, also, he was dowered with extraordinary
gifts, looked like a king, and was thoroughly acquainted with the
character of his people. There can be no doubt that Manco-Ccapac was a
native of the country, whether he came originally from the Titicaca
plateau and was of Aymará descent, as some authorities claim, or had his
birthplace in the valley of the Apurimac and spoke the language of the
Quichuas, the people “of the green valleys” as the word _Quichua_
signifies. It is said that the Incas themselves spoke neither Aymará nor
Quichua, but a language unknown to the people and not allowed to be
spoken by anyone but royalty.
[Illustration: WALL OF THE PALACE OF ONE OF THE INCAS, CUZCO.]
The dynasty founded by Manco-Ccapac at Cuzco is generally believed to
have dated from the twelfth century. All the genealogies furnished by
historians are more or less incomplete, limiting to thirteen or
fourteen, at most, the number of monarchs who reigned during that long
period of four hundred years. The list of Incas given by Garcilaso de la
Vega, and regarded as the most reliable, contains the names of thirteen
Princes of the Sun. Most of the authorities of importance name
Manco-Ccapac as the founder of the Empire of the Incas, with Mama Ocllo
as Coya, or Empress; though opinion is greatly divided as to their
origin and the date of their imperial accession. One well-known
historian of the Conquest, Montesinos, places the period of the first
appearance of this royal line in the sixth century after the Deluge. It
is related that, during that remote age, there arrived in Cuzco a family
of four couples who civilized this region. The eldest of the four
brothers, having gained possession of the territory, divided it into
four portions, or _suyos_, from which it took the name of Tahuantinsuyo,
“the kingdom of the four regions.” The territory to the south was called
Collasuyo, to the west Cuntisuyo, to the north Chinchasuyo, and to the
east Antisuyo. The youngest brother afterward secured command of the
kingdom and became the first of a line of princes who governed Peru up
to the time of the Spanish Conquest. The most interesting feature of
this tradition is the division of the rule of these monarchs into three
great dynasties, of which the first was that of the Pirhuas (from
_pyru_, meaning “fire,” apparently indicating that they were
fire-worshippers), the second, that of the Amauttas, or wise men, and
the third the Inca dynasty. The first of the Pirhuas founded the city of
Cuzco in the name of Viracocha, “the Supreme Being,” and one of his
successors built a great temple in Cuzco (perhaps Sacsahuaman, which is
believed to antedate the Inca period), while another ruler of the same
royal line is credited with having reformed the calendar, built public
roads and established severe rules in religion. One of these kings, the
record says, “died while repressing an invasion of depraved people from
the plains.” The Amauttas made many wise laws, reformed the calendar and
the religion of Viracocha, organized the military forces of the kingdom
and repelled the Chimus of the plains. During the reign of the last of
the Amauttas, we are told, “was fulfilled the fourth sun of the
Amauttas, and there took place a great invasion of ferocious tribes who
attacked the kingdom in different parts, obliging the sovereigns of
Cuzco to flee to the grottos of Tamputoko for four hundred years, during
which they lost their literature and a great part of the Amautta
culture; the advent of the Incaic dynasty restored the power of the
royal line, and made Cuzco again the centre of a great and beneficent
civilization.” In the light of modern research, which is continually
causing a revision of former ideas regarding the origin and antiquity of
the Peruvian empire, the story of the three dynasties appears to be more
than “the mere fable” which it has been designated by some modern
writers on the subject. It particularly appeals to one as a solution of
the problem of the Incas’ origin, since every feature of Incaic
civilization proves it to be of native character, even though the
predecessors of the “third dynasty” may have arrived from foreign
shores.
[Illustration: RUINS OF THE PALACE OF MANCO-CCAPAC, CUZCO.]
Manco-Ccapac, or, as his name would be written in English, Manco the
Great, occupies a position in among the heroes of the world’s history
not inferior to the exalted pedestal on which we have placed the
founders of empires in the Old World. He possessed the same rare gifts
of bold judgment and fearless initiative which belonged to Alexander the
Great, to Charlemagne, and to other sovereigns who have been “Great”
because they have known both the strength and the weakness of their
people, and by conciliating the one and dominating the other, have made
themselves masters and leaders of mankind. Had Manco-Ccapac not
thoroughly understood the conditions existing at the time when he
entered on his mission, and had he not possessed judgment, tact, and the
dominant qualities of leadership to enable him to win a host of
followers, even his upright character and his humanitarian purpose would
not have proved sufficient to ensure the wonderful success which he
achieved in founding an empire more extensive than ancient Rome, and as
rich as the fabled monarchies of the Orient. Throughout the Inca’s realm
the principles of honesty, industry, and justice were inculcated in
every subject from his cradle, the moral duties of a good Peruvian being
embodied in the Quichua motto of the nation: _Ama sua, Ama aqquella, Ama
llula_, which translated literally means, “Not a thief, Not idle, Not a
cheat.” It is a form of salutation among the Indians of Cuzco to this
day, the response being _Ccampas Ginallattac!_ “The same to you!”
The record of historical events, as they occurred throughout the long
reign of the Inca dynasty, was preserved only by a system of _quipus_,
or knotted cords, the art of writing being unknown to the Incas, or,
according to some authorities, prohibited by law. Only the
_Quipucamayos_, the authorized guardians of the _quipus_, were able to
decipher them. This career was considered one of great honor, and
instruction therein was given in all the provinces, under the direction
of the _Amauttas_, the Savants of the empire. The chief archives of the
state were preserved in Cuzco, where an immense collection of _quipus_
was found by the invading Spaniards, who destroyed the greater part of
them, without having them interpreted. As a consequence, the information
secured by the historians of the Conquest and by writers of later date,
relative to the genealogy and history of the Incas is necessarily
incomplete and, no doubt, inaccurate; though the descriptions of the
appearance, laws, customs, and national development of the people of
Tahuantinsuyo may be considered as generally faithful and reliable.
According to the genealogy given by Garcilaso de la Vega, the first
Inca, Manco-Ccapac, was succeeded by Sinchi Rocca, a peaceful and
prudent ruler, who is said to have taken the first census of his
kingdom, and is credited by some authorities with having made the
division of the empire into the four regions previously named; though,
according to Cieza de Leon, one of the most reliable authors, these
names were applied to four great highways which extended from Cuzco to
the extreme limits of the empire, northward, eastward, southward, and
westward. In any case, the Incas built broad and level roads, from six
to eight feet wide, and in the mountain regions, where they skirted the
steep slopes of the Andean range, they were prevented from wearing away
by the construction of stone embankments; on the plains, the highway was
indicated, as in many countries at the present day, by guide posts at
intervals along its course. Also, _tambos_, or inns, were built at the
distance of a day’s journey apart, and here the traveller could always
find shelter for the night. The third Inca, Lloque Yupanqui, conquered
the Canas, a powerful people of Ayaviri and Pucará, after a struggle
which depopulated their settlements, and forced the emperor to introduce
_mitimaes_, or colonists, to replace them. He also subjugated the Collas
of the present department of Puno.
[Illustration: NICHE IN THE FAÇADE OF THE PALACE OF MANCO-CCAPAC.]
It was during the reign of the fourth Inca, Maita-Ccapac, that the power
and genius of the imperial monarchs began to extend its influence as
never before, and greater pomp and magnificence than had previously been
known attended the coronation and other ceremonials honored by the
sacred and royal presence of the Inca.
Following the course of training required of every heir to the Inca
throne, Maita-Ccapac had, when a youth, passed through the _Huaracu_, a
ceremonial of the greatest importance, and one in which all the young
Inca nobles of his own age—the title of Inca being borne by every
descendant of Manco-Ccapac through the male line—participated, after
having been trained in the same military exercises as the royal prince.
A description of the Huaracu is interesting as showing that these people
had an institution not unlike that of mediæval chivalry in Europe: From
his earliest years, the hereditary prince was given into the care of the
_Amauttas_, to be taught science and religion, especially the latter, as
the Inca was the highest spiritual authority on earth; great attention
was also paid to the military training, as it was desirable that, not
only in wisdom but in military skill, the prince should excel all
contemporaries. At sixteen years of age, the young heir, Maita-Ccapac,
and his companions, following the sacred custom of their race, were
submitted to a public test, supervised and directed by elderly and
distinguished Inca nobles, which included trials of ability in athletics
such as wrestling, jumping, running, besides sham battles, which were
held as a trial of valor, and were so severe that many of the youths
were wounded and a few killed. The royal prince had not shown the least
fear nor evidence of fatigue, though put to the very limit of endurance;
“for,” he said, “if I am afraid of the shadow of a combat, how shall I
be able to meet the enemy in real warfare?” These exercises lasted for
thirty days, during which the prince slept on the ground, went
barefooted and dressed simply, thus showing his sympathy with the
poorest of his future subjects. The tests concluded, the order of
knighthood was conferred by the Inca emperor, father of Maita-Ccapac,
all the young nobles who had taken part in the exercises kneeling with
the royal heir, one after another, while the emperor pierced their ears
with the _yauri_, a kind of gold needle made for the purpose, which
remained in the ears until the hole was large enough to permit the
insertion of the earrings peculiar to the Incas; these were not hung
from the ears but were placed in the pierced opening, and replaced from
time to time by rings of larger circumference, until, as in the case of
Maita-Ccapac, the cartilage of the lobe was so stretched that it touched
the shoulder. After this ceremony the greatest of the Inca nobles placed
on the feet of the royal heir the sandals of his particular order; a
scarf of similar significance to the _toga virilis_ of the Romans was
wound around his waist, and his head was adorned with a wreath of
flowers,—to indicate that clemency and goodness should adorn the
character of the valiant warrior,—while evergreen, intertwined with the
flowers, symbolized the eternal endurance of such virtues. A fillet of
finest vicuña wool was bound around his head, and a yellow _masca
paicha_, a kind of fringe, also woven of vicuña wool, was added to this
headdress, falling over the brows. The yellow _masca paicha_ was the
peculiar insignia of the heir-apparent. As soon as this ceremony was
concluded, all the Inca nobles knelt before the prince and rendered him
homage as their sovereign. From this time, he was entitled to take his
seat among the advisers of his father, so that he might be initiated
into the art of governing and become familiar with politics and
administration. Being recognized as of age, and the heir to the throne,
he was given command of his father’s armies and was entitled to display
the royal standard of the rainbow in his military campaigns.
The coronation of Maita-Ccapac was the occasion of grand pageants,
continued fiestas, and a brilliant display of royal magnificence. We are
told that he “was crowned with a blue _masca paicha_ and wore a tunic of
white and green, dotted with crimson butterflies.” His royal robe was
made of finest vicuña wool and was ornamented with gold and precious
stones. The headdress of all Inca emperors was particularly
distinguished by two feathers which were placed upright in the front of
the encircling _llautu_, or fillet; these feathers were plucked from the
wing of the sacred bird _Cori-quenca_, a species of gull, black and
white in color, one feather being taken from the right wing of the male
and the other from the left wing of the female, to adorn the royal
crown. These birds may still be seen in the vicinity of Lake Vilcanota,
near Cuzco.
[Illustration: INCA FOUNTAIN AT CUZCO.]
An invincible warrior, Maita-Ccapac extended the power of the empire to
the remote borders of Collasuyo (now Bolivia) and beyond the Apurimac to
Arequipa and Moquegua. His name is connected with one of the most
notable works achieved in the history of the mediæval world, as he is
said to have been the author of the method and plans used, by his
command, in the construction of the first suspension bridge ever built.
Over this bridge, which was swung across the Apurimac River, he passed
with an army of twelve thousand men, making an easy conquest of the
enemy, who were struck with awe in the presence of such a wonderful
feat. A second bridge, built by one of the successors of Maita-Ccapac,
is still to be seen near the site of the original construction. Many of
the _andenes_, of which traces are to be observed to-day in various
parts of the country, were also constructed during the reign of
Maita-Ccapac, though the origin of these terraced farms on the mountain
side is placed by some authorities back in pre-Incaic times. The andenes
were so named from Anti, a province east of Cuzco, and were formed by
building stone walls on the mountain sides, at short distances one above
the other from the base to the summit, and filling the enclosed space
with fertile soil, some of it being mixed with guano from the Chincha
Islands, as the Incas knew the fertilizing value of this deposit and
made general use of it in their agriculture. A tradition of the time of
the fourth Inca relates that the loyal subjects in one of the provinces
built a grand palace of copper in which to entertain Maita-Ccapac and
his Coya when they visited that part of the kingdom; and, though this
story is no doubt a fable, yet it is certain that mining made great
progress during this reign. It is marvellous that, with only the
primitive means at their command, without iron, powder, or machinery,
these people extracted gold both from quartz and placer mines, and
obtained silver, tin, and copper as well. The metal was smelted in small
furnaces and then emptied into moulds; the beautiful ornaments which
were made for the adornment of the temples and palaces and for the
Inca’s wear, afford a proof of the remarkable ingenuity of these
primitive artifices. The successor of Maita-Ccapac, Inca-Ccapac
Yupanqui, “the Avaricious,” did not achieve great fame, though he spent
the greater part of his reign in subduing turbulent subjects in various
parts of the kingdom. He was a miser, and ordered that all who died
should be interred with their gold and jewels, his object being to
secure this treasure later for the royal coffers.
[Illustration: RUINS AT OLLANTAYTAMBO.]
Inca Rocca, the sixth monarch of the royal house of Cuzco, was one of
its greatest warriors and most renowned statesmen. The fame of his
conquests spread to the most remote regions, and the wisdom of his
administration was no less widely known and admired. Everywhere great
palaces were reared to display the grandeur of his imperial house, and
it was decreed that, at his death, all the vast treasures collected for
their adornment should be used to ornament his tomb and for the service
of his family; his successors followed his example, and the brilliancy
of the Inca’s court increased with each subsequent reign. He founded
schools for the education of the nobility under the direction of the
Amauttas, though the children of the common people were not admitted,
because, according to his view, it was enough for them to learn the
trade of their fathers. He was, however, very solicitous for the welfare
and protection of all his subjects, and made strict laws that punished
with death homicides, incendiaries, and thieves.
[Illustration: STONE WALLS OF THE PALACE OF OLLANTA, OLLANTAYTAMBO.]
When the sceptre passed from Inca Rocca to Yahuar Huaccac, whose name
signifies “he who weeps blood,” the great fiestas that were held to
celebrate his coronation gave little premonition of the sad ending that
was to befall this unhappy monarch, who was deposed and died alone in
the desert, some say, at the hand of an assassin. The coronation
ceremony was as brilliant and imposing as that of his illustrious father
had been, the young king wearing “a black tunic and a blue manta dotted
with lizards, with a white _masca paicha_ and plumage of gold.” It is
said that the cause of his “weeping blood” was the arrogant,
self-willed, and quarrelsome disposition of the heir-apparent, and the
impossibility of holding him under restraint. At last, his patience
exhausted, the emperor banished his unmanageable son from court and
condemned him, under penalty of death if he disobeyed, to spend the
remainder of his life among the shepherds on the hills of Chitapampa, a
league away from Cuzco. Three years the young prince passed in herding
sheep, and, as subsequent events proved, in learning other things
besides. At the end of that time he braved his father’s sentence of
death and returned to the royal palace, where, upon being received by
the Inca, he related a remarkable story of a vision that had appeared to
him while he was tending his flocks—a vision of a majestic personage,
clad in a tunic that reached the ground, and wearing a long beard—and
thus spoke to him: “I am the god Viracocha, who created man and all that
is on the earth; yet you hold me in no more veneration than the sun, the
lightning, and other works of my hands. I come to notify you that the
tribes of Chinchasuyo are gathering a great army to advance against the
holy city. Announce it to your father, by my order, so that he may be
warned in time to repel the invaders. For yourself, never fear; in
whatever adversity I will be with you and will give you the help you
need.” The emperor discredited the prince’s story and made no
preparations for war; but the son was soon informed through various
channels that an army of thirty thousand men was marching toward Cuzco;
and, as the royal legions were scattered—it being the custom among the
Incas, as among the Romans, to dismiss their soldiers after a campaign
and to keep no large standing army—the banished prince took matters into
his own hands, and, as his father fled from the capital, he entered it,
gathered a large military force by the power of his eloquence and the
indomitable spirit of a born warrior, and went forth to meet the enemy.
After a prolonged and sanguinary struggle the invaders were driven back,
and the victor entered Cuzco in triumph, amidst the acclaims of a
grateful people. He was immediately crowned Inca Emperor, with the name
of Viracocha.
[Illustration: RUINS OF THE TEMPLE OF THE INCA VIRACOCHA, NEAR CUZCO.]
[Illustration: SEATS FROM WHICH THE INCA AND HIS SUITE VIEWED THE
SACRIFICES.]
It is related of Viracocha that, upon his return from the battlefield,
he sent three messages; the first to the Temple of the Sun and its
priests, commanding that sacrifices be offered in thanks; the second to
the Mamaconas, or abbesses, in the convent of the vestal virgins; and
the third to his father. The Incas never forgot the obligations of their
dual sovereignty, and in proportion as their earthly power was extended
and increased, the evidences of their spiritual glory became more
impressive, and might be seen in the greater riches of the temple, the
increased splendor of the annual feasts, and the higher interpretation
given to their religion. The priests in the various provinces numbered
more than the imperial army, four thousand being engaged in the service
of the temple in Cuzco alone. The high priest who stood at the head of
the order held his divine office for life and was a near relative of the
Inca, as were his colleagues in charge of the various temples throughout
the provinces, the rest of the priesthood being chosen from among the
_curacas_, who were chiefs of conquered territories, and formed one of
the three orders of nobility. The highest nobility of the realm was
represented in the princes and princesses of the blood royal, either
children of the Coya, the queen-mother, or of the numerous wives in the
royal seraglio; next in rank were the Incas “by privilege,” who were
descended from the companions and followers of Manco-Ccapac, and who, in
dignities and dress, were hardly to be distinguished from the royal
family; and finally, the rank of the Curacas, which depended greatly
upon the importance of the territory over which they had ruled before
its conquest by the Inca; though in every case the Curacas held a
position of authority, their number increasing in proportion to the
extension of the Inca’s empire. The Incas were obliged to grant especial
privileges to the Curacas, as otherwise they could not have held in
obedience the conquered people, who regarded these chiefs with great
reverence.
[Illustration: THE RODADERO, CUZCO, SITE CHOSEN FOR RUNNING CONTESTS OF
THE HUARACU.]
It was also in accordance with religious sentiment that the second
message of Viracocha should have been directed to the Mamaconas, who
were the guardians of the vestal virgins, and were appointed to this
office after they had themselves grown old in watching over the sacred
fire that burned forever on the altar. Not only did the Virgins of the
Sun watch over the sacred fire, but they wove all the beautiful garments
of vicuña wool used in the apparel of the Inca and his family, they
worked the exquisite embroideries that adorned the hangings of the
temple, and they were indispensable in the preparation of the
magnificent feasts that celebrated the Inca’s triumphs; probably it was
this last fact which led Viracocha to send his second message to the
Mamaconas; for the splendors of the festivities held in honor of his
triumph over the enemy and his coronation as Inca Emperor eclipsed all
previous celebrations, not only in the capital but throughout the
empire. The message from Viracocha to his royal father could hardly have
afforded unalloyed satisfaction, since it evidently conveyed the
intention of the victor to possess the spoils, in the form of the
imperial _llautu_, and to occupy the throne which his energy and courage
had successfully guarded, when the cowardly flight of Yahuar Huaccac
exposed it to destruction.
In the first year of his eventful reign, Viracocha ordered the
construction of the sumptuous temple of which the majestic ruins are
still to be seen twenty miles south of Cuzco. The walls of the temple
were erected on an elevated base, which was built with five _andenes_,
or steps, leading up to it from the level of the plain, and the temple
covered an area one hundred and twenty feet long by twenty-five feet
wide, the wall being built of hewn stone from the ground up to half its
height, and of adobe for the remainder. The edifice had eight lofty
doors and as many windows, and on one side stood an altar with a statue
of the deity Viracocha, representing him, as he appeared to the prince
during his banishment, “with a flowing beard.” It is believed by many
writers that this temple, which shows a different architecture from that
of all other Incaic edifices, was constructed before the advent of
Manco-Ccapac by the Canas (whom the third Inca subjugated at great
cost), and that Viracocha did no more than to restore and embellish it.
Viracocha took advantage of all means to extend and increase the power
of his monarchy, and, in addition to the famous temple “Viracocha,” he
ordered the construction of many others, as well as of new palaces and
gardens in various parts of the empire. He made journeys to all the
conquered provinces, and while in Collasuyo, at the head of an army of
thirty thousand men, he received ambassadors from Charcas, who came to
render homage to so great a prince; it is said that from these
emissaries the Incas first received information about a country to the
south, called “Chile,” which was destined later to be added to the
territories in vassalage to the emperors of Cuzco. During Viracocha’s
reign, eleven provinces were added to the empire.
One of the greatest engineering feats accomplished under the
civilization of the Incas, was the construction, by Viracocha’s order,
of an extensive irrigating canal, twelve feet in depth and nearly four
hundred miles long, which, crossing the present departments of
Huancavelica and Ayacucho, watered the plains of Castrovireina and
Cangallo, making them green and flourishing pasture lands. This
enterprise is the more remarkable when the nature of the country is
considered, as the work was carried on at an altitude of from twelve to
sixteen thousand feet above sea level, and in the face of such obstacles
as gigantic rocks that had to be removed without blasting machinery or
iron implements, great ravines to be bridged and mountain torrents to be
harnessed and utilized. The hydraulic works constructed by the Incas are
the wonder and admiration of all who have seen the evidences of their
extent and perfection that remain to this day in the sierra and the
coast region. Natural lakes at the head of the coast valleys were in
many instances enlarged, and immense dams and aqueducts were built to
conduct to the irrigating canals the water which descended from the
mountain summits to the barren coast land.
At the death of Viracocha the sceptre passed to his eldest son, who,
however, was too dull and weak, the records say, to rule over an empire
composed of so many elements that had not as yet become settled and
consolidated into a united people. It required a strong hand and clear
judgment to direct the affairs of state so that rebellion should not
overturn the rapidly growing power of the Incas, and that successful
insurrection might not lessen the prestige of a monarchy that claimed
celestial origin. The second son of Viracocha, Pachacutec, was the
opposite of his brother in character, and possessed all the requirements
of a monarch which the other lacked. He was elevated to the throne on
his brother’s death, about the middle of the fourteenth century, and
began his reign by cementing the bonds that held the various tributary
provinces loyal to the sovereignty of Cuzco, and by making new
conquests, in which the military genius of his son, the heir-apparent,
was displayed in deeds as valorous and noble as those performed by his
illustrious father.
[Illustration: FOREIGN TOURISTS AT OLLANTAYTAMBO.]
[Illustration: INCA OBSERVATORY, INTI-HUATANA, AT PISAC, NEAR CUZCO.]