The Inca Empire Facts: the Overview
The article was originally published by Tauri Travel.
You don’t have to be a fan of a history or anthropology, however, while visiting another country, it is good to know at least the basics regarding the culture and heritage of a given destination. It proves that you are not an ignorant. In addition, possessing the knowledge may be viewed as an expression of the respect. This article introduces the basics of the background of the Incan Empire: you will find many Inca Empire facts here. Once you will get familiar with them, visiting, for instance, Machu Picchu or Lake Titicaca, can become even more exciting!
What is the Incan Empire?
At the beginning of XVI century, it is quite likely that Incan Empire was the largest empire in the whole world. It covered the area of Peru, Ecuador and, partially, of Argentina, Columbia, Bolivia and Chile. The empire was established in XII century and it lasted till 1572 which is the date of the fall of the Empire.
The Inca Empire Facts: Daily Life of Incans
In general, Incas were working hard as the farmers. They’ve grown potatoes, quinoa, cotton, corn, bean, chilli and coca. They also bred llamas, ducks, guinea pigs and alpacas. Incas used to build special terraces on the slopes of the mountains by the group of families (called Ayllu). The family itself was important for Incas and the relationships between the members of the family can be described as strong. As stated in the Cartwright article (2016, link), due to a fact that women also used to work, babies of both sexes were desirable to the same extent — an average family had 5 members.

In what did they believe?
Incas religion was polytheistic which means that they believed in many gods. Some of the gods were known by the whole society (like Pachamama), others were worshipped locally. According to Incas, people, Earth and animals were created by Viracocha, who was also viewed as a culture hero (source: Britannica, link). It is also interesting that Incan myths stated that before Viracocha created everything, he arose from Lake Titicaca.
What is the heritage of the Incans?
Modernly, the most recognised heritage of the Incan is Machu Picchu citadel located in the Cusco Region. Majestic ruins are viewed as an icon of this civilisation even though this place was discovered by American Hiram Bingham in the early XX century. Machu Picchu is now on the list of New Seven Wonders of the World. It is also declared on the UNESCO World Heritage Site.

What happened with Incan Empire?
Three main reasons for the fall of the empire can be indicated. Firstly, led by Francisco Pizarro, Spanish conquistadors reached Incan Empire territory 1526. Spaniards were fighting with the Empire until they won in 1572. Besides the battles with Spanish conquistadors, Incas were weakened by the Civil War that lasted for about five years and was between brothers who claimed that they are the lawful successors of the throne. The third and the main reason for the fall of the empire are diseases, unknown for Incas which were spread by Spaniards. Epidemics of, e.g. smallpox, influenza and diphtheria killed the majority of the population — about 50–90% (source: Discover Peru, link). It should be mentioned that the giant part of Incas culture & heritage was destroyed.

Summary
Now, when many Inca Empire facts were introduced — what do you think? Are you interested in visiting Machu Picchu or Lake Titicaca even more? If yes, check our private adventure offer to Peru “Following the Llama” if you travel in group or “Peru? Naturally!” if there are just 2 of you. In the future, I am happy to write an article just with interesting information associated with Incas as well as a more detailed history of Machu Picchu. As always: don’t hesitate to contact us in the case of questions.
We invite you to visit our web page www.tauritravel.com