Inca

Introduction & Top Questions
People and society
History

References & Edit History Quick Facts & Related Topics

Images & Videos

Felipe Guamán Poma de Ayala: El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, depiction of an Inca bookkeeper using a quipu

The Significance of Gold in Inca Civilization

At a Glance

Inca summary

Related Questions

How did Huayna Capac expand Inca rule in northern Ecuador?
How did Inca rulers use royal corporations called panacas?
How did Inca state warehouses support the empire?
How did forced resettlement under the mitma policy help the Inca control conquered peoples?
How did freeze-dried foods such as chuñu help support Andean communities?
How did irrigation and terracing increase agricultural production in the Andes?
How did relay runners carry messages across the Inca Empire?
How did tambos serve travelers on Inca roads?
How did the Inca adapt farming to high-altitude environments?
How did the Inca emperor rule with the help of an aristocratic bureaucracy?
How did the Inca organize adult men for labor assignments and military service?
How did the Inca preserve history without a European-style writing system?
How did the Qhapaq Ñan connect the Inca Empire?
How did the civil war and internal divisions help the Spanish conquer the Inca Empire?
How did the mit’a labor system work in the Inca Empire?
How extensive was the Inca road network?
How was Inca society organized into social classes?
How was worship of the Sun organized as a state religion?
How were quipu used for recordkeeping in Inca society?
What kinds of places and objects could be considered huacas in Inca religion?
What materials did the Inca use to make clothing and houses?
What role did Viracocha play in Inca religious beliefs?
Where was the Inca Empire located at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532?
Which Inca rulers led the greatest period of imperial expansion?
Which animals did the Inca raise for food, wool, and transport?
Which crops formed the basis of Inca agriculture?
Which peoples did the Inca conquer during Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui’s reign?
Which regions did Topa Inca Yupanqui conquer during his reign?
Who was allowed to use the Inca road system?
Why did the Inca move groups of people away from their home territories?
Why did the Inca rely on labor taxes instead of tribute paid in goods?
Why is it difficult for historians to understand all the information recorded on quipu?
What were the main regions where pre-Columbian civilizations developed?
What were the main crops cultivated in pre-Columbian civilizations?
When did Maya civilization begin?
Where did the Maya live?
Were the Maya polytheistic or monotheistic?
Who are the Quechua people?
What language do the Quechua people speak?
What is significant about Quechua culture?
How has Quechua culture influenced modern society?

Geography & Travel Human Geography Peoples of the Americas South American Peoples

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External Websites

World History Encyclopedia - Inca Civilization
LiveScience - The Inca Empire
Humanities LibreTexts - The Inca People
ABC listen - You're Dead to Me - The Inca Empire
UShistory.org - The Inca Empire: Children of the Sun
Yale University - eHRAF World Cultures - Inka
DigitalCommons at UMaine - Incas and Arawaks: A Special Relationship along the Andes- Amazonian Frontier (PDF)
Digital Commons at UMaine - Incas and Arawaks: A Special Relationship along the Andes-Amazonian Frontier (PDF)
National Center for Biotechnology Information - PubMed Central - The Incas: a journey through history and spirituality

Britannica Websites

Articles from Britannica Encyclopedias for elementary and high school students.

Inca - Children's Encyclopedia (Ages 8-11)
Inca - Student Encyclopedia (Ages 11 and up)

Machu Picchu Ancient Inca ruins at the foot of the peak of Machu Picchu in south-central Peru.

Inca

people

Also known as: Inka

Written and fact-checked by

Britannica Editors

Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....

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Last updated

Oct. 25, 2026 •History

Inca, Indigenous people who, at the time of the Spanish conquest in 1532, ruled an empire that extended along the Pacific coast and Andean highlands, from the northern border of modern Ecuador to the Maule River in central Chile. A brief treatment of the Inca follows; for a full treatment, see pre-Columbian civilizations: The Inca. Inca society was highly stratified. The emperor ruled with the aid of an aristocratic bureaucracy, exercising authority with harsh and...

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