Historia Tahuantinsuyo Maria Rostworowskipdf New Jun 2026
The majority of the population consisted of farmers, artisans, and laborers, who worked in agriculture, mining, and construction. The Incas developed a system of reciprocity, known as the mit'a, which required people to work for the state in exchange for food, shelter, and protection.
Expanding on John Murra’s model, Rostworowski applied the “vertical control of ecological floors” to explain how a single ethnic group could possess colonies at different altitudes—producing maize, coca, and potatoes simultaneously. The Incas later appropriated and centralized this system. historia tahuantinsuyo maria rostworowskipdf new
Relationships in the Andes were governed by ayni —the mutual exchange of labor and goods. A leader (Curaca) did not command by decree but by offering feasts and goods in exchange for labor. The Sapa Inca (emperor) followed this rule on a massive scale; he provided food, drink, and textiles from state storehouses, and in return, the people provided labor ( mita ). The majority of the population consisted of farmers,
Rostworowski begins by describing the early history of the Inca Empire, which emerged in the Cuzco region of modern-day Peru in the 13th century. The Incas were a Quechua-speaking people who built a powerful and centralized state through a combination of military conquest, strategic alliances, and effective governance. Under the leadership of legendary figures such as Viracocha, Pachacuti, and Huayna Capac, the Incas expanded their empire, incorporating diverse ethnic groups and regions into their dominion. The Incas later appropriated and centralized this system
Contrary to Spanish belief, Rostworowski demonstrated that succession was not strictly patrilineal (father to son). The successor was often chosen based on ability and the prestige of the mother (who was often a sister or cousin to maintain the "pure" bloodline). This lack of a clear legal succession rule frequently led to civil wars, a structural weakness in the empire.