How did Topa Inca Yupanqui extend the Inca Empire into Chile and Bolivia?

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Topa Inca Yupanqui, who succeeded his father Pachacuti as emperor around 1471, was a pivotal figure in the expansion of the Inca Empire. His military campaigns significantly extended the empire's reach into the southern regions of the Andes.21

Regarding his expansion into Bolivia and Chile, the process unfolded as follows:

  • Bolivia: Following a successful campaign to suppress a rebellion in the Titicaca Basin led by the Colla and Lupaca peoples, Topa Inca Yupanqui turned his forces southward. He successfully conquered the entirety of the highland region of Bolivia.2
  • Chile: After securing the Bolivian highlands, he continued his southward expansion, bringing northern Chile under Inca control. He established the southern boundary of the empire at the Maule River in central Chile.21

These conquests were part of a broader period of rapid imperial growth that occurred between 1463 and 1493, during which the Inca state transformed from a regional power into an expansive empire.1