Discover the political organization of the Incas ▷➡️ Postposmo

Through the constitution of a totalitarian and theocratic empire, this culture established a political organization that served as the foundation to manage a single language and belief, managing to unify the territory of Tahuantinsuyo. In this article, we invite you to learn more about the Political Organization of the Incas.

Inca political-territorial administration

At the territorial level, the Inca political organization divided the Tahuantinsuyo territory into four sections, establishing the following jurisdictions:

chinchaysuyo
antisuyo
collasuyo
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At the time, each region was divided into sayas with a fickle number of ayllus. Therefore, each head of a family group founded a royal ayllu called a panaca; which was composed of his heirs, with the exception of the Auqui, who, as successor prince, would form his own family cell.

Political organization of the Incas

In reference to the political organization of this culture, the administration or government was differentiated by being a totalitarian and hereditary empire; Likewise, the command was concentrated on a person whose ancestry was believed to be linked to the gods, therefore, they required the different conquered territories to converse in the Quechua language, as well as to worship Inti, the sun god. Next, the distribution of the authorities that had a position under their responsibility in the Inca empire, these are:

Inca – Inka Qhapaq or Sapa Inca

The maximum leader of the Inca empire that concentrated all the political and religious power was the Sapa Inca. His command was total, his mandates were executed as soon as possible without anyone questioning him, despite this he reigned for the benefit of the people, without reaching the despotism that was the most particular of the monumental totalitarian monarchies of ancient times.

Their place of residence was in Cuzco, where each Inca built a grandiose palace; Cuzco then became the capital of this influential kingdom and from there an administrative work was carried out that throughout the vast territory had to be carried out by officials assisting the state and the community.

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This represented the crown prince, usually this was always the eldest first-born, although there were cases in which younger brothers of the Coya were selected for this position, even among the first-born of the Inca concubines outside of royal marriage, since it was unavoidable to legitimize them.

This legitimacy stemmed from the fact that the Coya accepted the unofficial firstborn as his own, sitting on his lap and preening his hair. What he sought primarily were the means that as crown prince and future leader of the Inca imperial state he had to muster.

Once the designated auqui was established, this representative could use a yellow Mascapaicha, in addition he received assistance, advice and education for the work of the government, in addition to regularly sitting next to his father the Inca leader. Several times, they participated in the activities of the government leadership making their own decisions, that is, they put into practice the correinado system that they were allowed when they took power.

Imperial Council

It was a consultative body made up of the chiefs of each one of them, that is, of the four Suyuyuc-Apu. They met under the leadership of the Incas whom they informed about their work in their respective territories. They advised and recommended the leader on matters of greater importance to rationalize and perfect the administrative and political process of the kingdom.

punchic

He was the leading representative of the regions in charge of maintaining order within the territory, so he was chosen among the most seasoned and outstanding warriors, since he had political powers as well as military powers. Usually he lived in a fort and went to Cuzco for the Inti Raymi celebrations and reported his work alone to the Inca and the Imperial Council.

Tucuy Ricuy

They were the official employees who usually secretly visited the different territories of the kingdom, visualizing how the mandates of the Inca leader were used. Tucuy-Ricuj represents the one who visualizes everything. When they considered it appropriate, they identified themselves to the villagers by means of some strands of the Inca leader's Mascapaicha, after which they began their work of equanimity management, compliance with local representatives in correspondence with the task of their functions, among others.

In addition, they had extensive domains to assign taxes and apply sanctions; He was highly respected, motivated by the fact that this was a representation of the maximum Inca leader, they only had an immediate relationship with the Inca and only from him they received precepts and only he was informed of the events.

curaca

These were the ancient representatives of the dominated peoples whose power was maintained by having subordinated themselves to the subjection and domination of the Incas. They fulfilled the functions of the ayllu representatives, responsible for collecting tributes and delivering them to the tucuy-ricuj to later be taken to Cuzco.

This was the person who was in direct contact with society and, therefore, it was his duty to guarantee order, work, productivity, human resources for military service, the foundation of works, among others. In exchange for this, she lived in a small mansion, had a larger cultivation space that was worked by commoners; In addition, they could visit the Inca leader and be decorated by allowing them to have an Aclla as a wife. The bad curacas were removed from their positions and sent to desolate places in the punas, to serve as shepherds.

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