Fascinating facts about the Incas
They were imperialists -
The Incas were true imperialists, with a goal to unite as many individual peoples and cultures as possible under their absolute rule.
The Incas were mostly vegan - They had a rich diet in of foods such as corn, quinoa, potatoes, and cacao.
The Incas -
In the official language of the Incas, Quechua, Inca meant "ruler" or "lord," and was used to refer to the ruling class, which were only a small percentage of the total population.
They believed in three realms -
The Incas based their religion around three realms, represented by the condor, the puma, and the serpent.
The Sapa Inca wore a new outfit every day - The Sapa Inca, the emperor, wore a new outfit every day. After he used an article of clothing, it was subsequently burned.
Instead of a written alphabet, they had the khipu - Their primary spoken language was Quechua, which doesn't have a written language.
They had a unique communal concept - Called ayni, translated to “today for you, tomorrow for me,” this communal concept was all about sharing the food and crops.
They were polytheistic -
The Incas were polytheistic, which means they worshiped many gods.
They had a high infant mortality rate - As the infant mortality rate was high, most families didn't invest very much in their child until they reached the age of two or three.
The Inca military -
The structure of the Incan military was based on the decimal system, and the entire force was officially under the command and jurisdiction of the Sapa Inca.
There was no fixed currency or any central market - The empire did not have any fixed currency or any central market. Instead, the Incas grew their own food, for the people.
They were the first potato cultivators - With over 4,000 varieties of potatoes, the Incas were the first potato cultivators in the world. They even used potatoes to treat injuries.
Machu Picchu -
One of the most important and famous sites of the Incas is Machu Picchu. King Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui founded the famed Inca citadel in 1450.
The creation of roads was their specialty - Their roads stretched all the way from Chile to Colombia, which was a distance of roughly 3,250 miles (over 5,000 km).
Their architecture was earthquake-proof - The Incas' architecture was of such a high standard that it was earthquake-proof.