_In which notice is given to the reader of the reason that the Author,
leaving the account of the succession of the kings, prefers to explain
the government of the people, their laws, and customs._
Although I might write the events of the reign of Sinchi Roca Inca, son
of Manco Capac the founder of Cuzco, in this place, it has seemed to me
that there will be confusion further on if the system of the government
of these lords is not explained as one whole. For one ordered one set of
laws, and others others. For example, one introduced the system of
_mitimae_,[85] others the plan of having garrisons of soldiers in fixed
positions for the defence of the kingdom. All these regulations are
important and worthy to be remembered, that the learned statesmen who
regulate the affairs of civilized governments may be informed of them,
and may feel astonished at the knowledge that a barbarous people without
letters should have been found to have had institutions such as we know
that they possessed, both with reference to internal polity and to their
plans of extending their dominion over other nations. Under a monarchy
they obeyed one Lord, who alone was deemed worthy to reign in an empire
which the Incas possessed, extending over more than one thousand two
hundred leagues of coast. In order to avoid the necessity for saying
that some assert that particular institutions were introduced by one
lord, and others by another, on which points many of the native accounts
differ, I will relate, in this place, what I understand and hold for
certain, in conformity with the statements that I took down from their
mouths in the city of Cuzco, which are corroborated by the remains that
they have left, and which are visible to those who have travelled
through Peru.
It should not appear to learned persons that, in adopting this course, I
deviate from the plan of my work; for my aim is to make the matter more
clear and intelligible, as I have declared. I propose to write with
brevity, and not to dwell on minute details, and in the same way I shall
afterwards proceed to narrate the events of the reigns of the Incas, and
their succession, down to the death of Huascar, and the entry of the
Spaniards which brought them to an end. I desire that those who may read
my work, should understand that among all the Incas, the number of which
was eleven, three were most capable of governing their lordships,
insomuch that the Orejones who relate their history do not cease to
praise them. These were Huayna Capac, Tupac Inca Yupanqui his father,
and Inca Yupanqui, father of one and grandfather of the other. It may
also be assumed that, as these monarchs flourished in recent times, the
kingdom must still be full of people who knew Tupac Inca Yupanqui, and
accompanied him in his wars, and that they heard from their fathers what
Inca Yupanqui did during his reign; so that it may be said that the
events took place almost before their eyes. They, therefore, have more
light to throw upon this period, and are well able to relate the events;
although much has been forgotten touching the history of the earlier
reigns. Yet it is certain that they do not lose the memory of events for
many years, although they know not the use of letters, as I have already
observed in the first part of this Chronicle.[86] The use of letters has
not been found either in any part of this kingdom or throughout the
whole of the Indies. With these remarks we will now proceed with the
narrative.