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Cuzco- Peru

Cuzco is located in the Southeastern region of Peru in South America.

Cuzco means "navel", and for the Incas it was a divine place, the center of the Inca Empire and the center of the world. Cuzco is known as the "Archaeological Capital of America". Founded during the 11th century by Inca Manco Capac, Cuzco was the divine city of the Inca Empire.

Although most of the Cuzco was later torn down and looted by the Spanish, the city’s buildings are still based on the stone foundations built by the Incas. Inca stonework didn’t require mortar to cement the stones together – instead the stones were carefully shaped so that they fit tightly together. Inca stone work is still regarded as the best in the world.

Life in the Inca Empire before the arrival of Europeans is often pictured as peaceful and pleasant. In most ways, life for the Indians under Inca rule was better than the cruelty which they later suffered under the Spaniards – but life under the Incas was not always pleasant. At times, life in the Inca Empire was bloody and brutal. The Inca Empire was sometimes referred to as the "Empire of Blood and Gold."

Cuzco, and other Inca cities, were busy like most other cities. There were frequent messengers traveling back and forth across the empire with news or delivering orders from the Inca to his administrators. Armies, engineers and processions of priests and administrators traveled throughout the empire as they were needed, and trains of llamas brought back loads of food, cloth and other exotic goods intended for the Inca’s royal storehouses. Despite the Incas’ fine roads, the wheel was unknown to the Incas before the arrival of Europeans so travel was always on foot.

The Inca was the most important person in the empire. He was revered as the empire’s ruler, but people also believed that he was a living god – descended from the Sun. This meant that the Inca was worshipped by his people, and controlled religious ceremonies as well as running his empire.

As befitting his high rank, the Inca was dressed in the finest clothes interwoven with gold, and lived in a huge palace. He had many servants chosen from the empire’s most beautiful women, and a personal guard of over 100 relatives of royal blood. Everywhere he went, he was treated like a god.

Wherever the Inca traveled within the empire, he was accompanied by huge crowds of loyal followers and servants. They carried him on a golden litter lined with brightly colored macaw feathers, preceded by a parade of women and children in colorful costumes who swept the ground before him, threw flowers and played music. The Inca’s face was hidden behind a very fine fabric because it was thought that his appearance was too powerful to be seen by the human eye.

Photo by JQ Jacobs

Those related to the Inca were very fortunate. The Inca made sure that his relatives were granted titles, wealth and important positions responsible for the running of the empire.

In 1533 Francisco Pizarro, after killing the Inca, led the Spanish march from Cajamarca, Peru, towards the Inca Capital of Cuzco unopposed by native forces. He was accompanied by Manco Capac II, half-brother of the assassinated Inca. Manco Capac was appointed as a puppet Inca by the Spanish as a reward for submission to Spanish rule.

In Cuzco on Sept. 18, 1589, the last survivor of the original conquerors of Peru, Don Mancio Serra de Leguisamo, wrote in the preamble of his will the following:

"We found these kingdoms in such good order, and the said Incas governed them in such wise that throughout them there was not a thief, nor a vicious man, nor an adulteress, nor was a bad woman admitted among them, nor were there immoral people. The men had honest and useful occupations. The lands, forests, mines, pastures, houses and all kinds of products were regulated and distributed in such sort that each one knew his property without any other person seizing it or occupying it, nor were there law suits respecting it......the motive which obliges me to make this statement is the discharge of my conscience, as I find myself guilty. For we have destroyed by our evil example, the people who had such a government as was enjoyed by these natives. They were so free from the committal of crimes or excesses, as well men as women, that the Indian who had 100,000 pesos worth of gold or silver in his house, left it open merely placing a small stick against the door, as a sign that its master was out. With that, according to their custom, no one could enter or take anything that was there. When they saw that we put locks and keys on our doors, they supposed that it was from fear of them, that they might not kill us, but not because they believed that anyone would steal the property of another. So that when they found that we had thieves among us, and men who sought to make their daughters commit sin, they despised us."

Photo by JQ Jacobs

According to Spanish records the 'number of souls under their jurisdiction' fell from about 1.5 million in 1561 to 600,000 in 1796 (including European descendants). Prior to 1561 it is estimated that more than 75% of the native population perished due to small pox, measles and influenza introduced by the Europeans. Famines also took their toll due to the disruptions of economic and social life. In some provinces fully two-thirds of the population was conscripted to work in silver mines, where most perished. By 1800, the population was reduced to one-tenth the original level.

In 1780 Tupac Amaru's great-grandson, José Gabriel Condorcanqui, better known as Tupac Amaru, led the first major Inca uprising against the Spaniards in two centuries. His rebellion was suppressed, he was captured and sentenced to be beaten and put to death. After being abused he was killed by being drawn and quartered on the main plaza in Cuzco in 1781, in the same place as his namesake had been beheaded. Other regional revolts followed. Thereafter all the descendants of the Incas were once again traced and many were executed. A group of ninety were sent to Spain where most died in prisons.



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