The Mentor: The Incas, vol. 6, num. 3, Serial No. 151, March 15, 1918 — John Shaqi
The Mentor: The Incas, vol. 6, num. 3, Serial No. 151, March 15, 1918Hardy, Osgood
History
The Mentor: The Incas, vol. 6, num. 3, Serial No. 151, March 15, 1918
Hardy, Osgood
Incas
The Inca sovereigns about whom tradition tells us enough so that they
may be considered historical personages are twelve in number. The
first of these, Sinchi Rocca (seen´-chee rok-kä), or Rocca the Great,
was the first ruler after the return of the Incas to Cuzco (coos´-ko)
at the close of their long exile in Tampu-tocco (täm-poo-tok´-ko). He
reigned from 1134-1197, according to the chronology of Dr. Gonzales
de la Rosa (gon-sä-lays day lä ro´-sä), the most eminent of modern
Peruvian historians. Rocca owed his position to a cleverly executed
plot contrived by his mother. She dressed him in glittering gold
apparel, and hid him in the Chingana (cheen-gä´-nä) Cave on Sacsahuaman
(säk-sä-wä´-män) Hill. At intervals for several days excited Cuzqueñans
(koos-kayn-yäns) beheld a golden vision moving on the fortress heights.
Eventually, after their curiosity and fanatical credulity had been
sufficiently aroused, the vision descended into the city. It gave
itself over to the crowd, allowed itself to be conducted to the temple,
and there proclaimed itself the adopted son of the Solar Deity. Under
Rocca, the Temple of the Sun was enlarged and the city greatly improved.
There is some question among historians as to the acts of Rocca’s
successors, Lloque Yupanqui (lyo´-kay yoo-pän´-kee) and Mayta Ccapac
(my´-tä k-kä´-päk), who reigned from 1197-1246, and 1246-1276,
respectively. Garcilaso (gär-see-lä´-so) records their conquering the
Cana (kä´-nä) and Colla (kol´-yä) people in the southwest, building
a Sun Temple at Hatun-Colla (ä-toom-kol´-yä), carrying on warfare
along the shores of Lake Titicaca (tee-tee-kä´-kä), and Lake Aullagas
(aul-yä´-gas), and on the west, going as far as Lake Parinaccochas
(pär-een-äk-ko´-chäs) and Arequipa (a-ray-kee´-pä). But the majority
of historians represent the first three Incas as confining themselves
more or less to the Cuzco Valley, and gradually, by diplomatic means,
extending their influence over the surrounding inhabitants.
Ccapac Yupanqui (yoo-pän-kee), 1276-1321, made the region to the
southeast the theatre of his operations, and Garcilaso credits him with
reaching Potosi (po-tos´-ee). Inca Rocca, 1321-1348, improved the water
supply of Cuzco (would that he might come again), founded schools,
and militariwise, attempted to penetrate the Amazonian forests. His
son, Yahuar-Huaccac (yä´-wär-wäk´-käk) (weeping-blood), 1348-1370, was
rather a nonentity. His name was acquired as follows, says tradition:
While a child he fell into hostile hands. At the point of death he was
seen to be weeping tears of blood. This so affected his enemy that he
was permitted to live; he eventually escaped to his own people after a
life of hardship among some shepherds.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account