The Inca Empire

I found the Inca Empire to be so interesting. A state built along the spine of a mountain about 2500 miles in length. They were ruled by a divine emperor, though each region, about 80 or so, had its own govenor. They had inspectors to watch the emperor and govenors also. Births, deaths and marriages all were carefully recorded. The Inca did not require a tax of their conquered citizens rather they demanded a labor service called mita. What people did at home was theirs though all were required to work for the state also. Farming, construction, herding, mining and military service are how people served their state. Specialized skill people were sent to manufacture textiles, metal goods, ceramics and stoneworks. Women were the most specil of these spefic jobs. Young girls would be pulled from home and trained in Inca ideology. They later would be given to men of distinction or they would serve as priestesses in certain temples. The Inca lived a life of gender parrallelism. They were different but equal to their men, which is unlike many societies prior. The Inca people had an interesting way of leading their subjects, though they did not rule equally, they did rule as sapay Inca, or the Inca ruler, and the coya, his female consort. They goverend together and were said to have descended from the sun and the moon. It is so strange that they vanished so fast. They seemed to ahve a really good thing going for them during their 100 year history.