The Inca Empire: rise and fall

In short: The Inca Empire was the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas during the 15th and early 16th centuries, stretching along the Andes across large parts of South America. Despite lacking writing and the wheel, the Inca organized a highly developed administrative system.

In more detail: From their capital Cusco, the Inca built a road network of several thousand kilometers that let messengers and administrative officials traverse the empire quickly.

In detail

• Expansion: Starting from a small kingdom around Cusco, the Inca expanded rapidly in the 15th century through military conquest and diplomatic alliances.
• Administration without writing: Knotted cords called quipu were used to record taxes, supplies, and population figures.
• Terrace farming: Sophisticated terraces on mountain slopes enabled agriculture at extreme altitudes and secured the food supply.
• Machu Picchu: The famous mountain city likely served as a royal residence and religious center, not an ordinary settlement.
• Spanish conquest: In 1532, Francisco Pizarro exploited a succession war between two Inca brothers to quickly conquer the weakened empire.
• Diseases: Diseases brought by Europeans, such as smallpox, significantly decimated the population even before the actual military conquest.
• Cultural legacy: Many elements of Inca culture, including language, farming techniques, and textile art, still live on in the Andean regions today (entdeckungsreisen-und-kolonialismus).