The old and the new Peru : $b A story of the ancient inheritance and the modern growth and enterprise of a great nationWright, Marie Robinson
History
The old and the new Peru : $b A story of the ancient inheritance and the modern growth and enterprise of a great nation
Wright, Marie Robinson
Peru; Peru -- History
It must have been an imposing and magnificent spectacle when the Emperor
Pachacutec met the victorious prince outside of the capital on his
return from Cajamarca, and entered the city with the royal heir, the
latter “borne in a gold litter on the shoulders of conquered chiefs and
preceded by troops of newly gained vassals, who sang the glories of the
prince, with the triumphant ‘Haylli!’ to thrill the heart of the
multitude and carry them beyond bounds as they caught its victorious
note.” The pathway of the prince was covered with flowers, and crossed
at short intervals by triumphal arches. The curacas marched at the head
of processions from the different provinces, each in their local
costumes, dancing and singing songs of victory; these were followed by
the legions of the army, who filled the air with cheers for their
general. The nobility came next in line, splendid in court dress and
brilliant ornaments; and, lastly, the royal litter of the emperor side
by side with that of the prince, gave to the pageant its culminating
glory. The procession wound its way through the streets to the Temple of
the Sun, where, with impressive ceremonies, thanks were rendered to the
deity whose protection they believed had won the great victory.
The Inca’s armies entered the valleys of Pachacámac, Rimac, and Chancay
late in the fourteenth century, and effected the allegiance of all that
territory with little resistance; though it was an alliance rather than
a conquest which the monarch of Cuzco proposed to the powerful ruler of
the Yungas, as the people of that region were called. According to their
treaty, the lord of Pachacámac was to keep his dominions, though under
the authority of the imperial government; and the religion of Pachacámac
was to be protected, on condition that the people also worshipped the
Sun. It was after this alliance that the Temple of the Sun and the
Convent of the Vestal Virgins were erected near the ancient edifice
dedicated to the Creator. Later, the chiefs of this part of the coast
region united their forces with the armies of Cuzco and marched against
the Grand Chimu, glad to render assistance in an effort to crush their
common enemy. The trained legions of Cuzco suffered greatly at first, on
account of the intense heat, and their general was forced to send to his
father for reinforcements; the resistance was stronger and more resolute
than that of any enemy the Incas had hitherto encountered; but repeated
reinforcements arrived, and the archers, lancers, and catapult regiments
made havoc in the Chimu’s dominions, which was intensified when the
enemy turned the course of the rivers that flowed from the sierra, to
drain their plantations, and famine added to the horrors of combat.
Capitulations were made, the Inca permitting the Grand Chimu to govern
his dominions, as had been done in the treaty of Pachacámac, and
exacting only that the people should render homage to the Inca and
worship the Sun.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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