Inca Empire overview | World History | Khan Academy | Summary and Q&A

TL;DR

The Inca Empire, formed in the 15th century by Pachacuti Inca, was the largest empire in the Americas at the time of European conquest, but it was conquered by the Spanish conquistadors a hundred years later.

Key Insights

• 😮 The 15th and early 16th centuries saw the rise of powerful empires in the Americas, with the Inca Empire and the Aztec Empire being the most notable.
• 🌎 The Inca Empire was able to expand rapidly under the leadership of Pachacuti Inca and became the largest empire in the Americas at the time.
• 👷 Despite not having a formal written system, the Incas exhibited advanced construction techniques and had a unique labor-based taxation system.

Transcript

• [Narrator] What we're going to do in this video is think about the significant empires that formed shortly before the European colonization of the Americas. In particular, we're going to focus on the Inca Empire. In other videos, we have talked about the Aztecs. But what's interesting is this period of time in the 15th and early 16th centuries, w... Read More

Questions & Answers

Q: How did the Inca Empire come into existence?

The Inca Empire came into existence when Pachacuti Inca, the ninth ruler of the kingdom of Cuzco, launched an aggressive expansion campaign, transforming the kingdom into an empire.

Q: What were some notable features of the Inca Empire?

The Inca Empire was the largest empire in the Americas at the time, with a population of 10 million. Despite the lack of a written system, they constructed impressive buildings like Machu Picchu. They also had a labor-based taxation system called the Mit'a.

Q: How did the Incas maintain control over conquered territories?

The Incas maintained control by requiring tribute from conquered peoples. They did not have a formal coinage system but instead mandated that a proportion of each person's labor be dedicated to the empire.

Q: How did the Inca Empire eventually fall?

The Spanish conquistadors, led by Francisco Pizarro, conquered the Inca Empire. They had superior weapons and, along with the complacency of the Inca ruler, were able to overthrow the Inca army.

Summary & Key Takeaways

• In the 15th and early 16th centuries, significant empires formed in the Americas before being conquered by the Spanish. The Inca Empire, led by Pachacuti Inca, emerged from the kingdom of Cuzco and expanded aggressively.

• The Incas referred to themselves as the Incas, which means rulers, and their empire was called Tawantinsuyu, meaning the four regions. They were able to conquer and extract tribute from other people.

• Despite not having a written system, the Incas built sophisticated structures like Machu Picchu and had a unique labor-based taxation system called the Mit'a.