SAPA INCA

BY: ABBY WATKINS

SAMI MAY
BEN HIGHTOWER

Table of contents
Page 2 : Introduction
Page 4-7: The Life and Times of the Sapa Inca
Page 9-11: Atahualpa
Page 13-15: Inca Nobility
Page 17: Conclusion
Page 19: Quiz
Page 20: Quiz answer key
Page 22: Fun Facts
Page 24-25: Glossary
Page 27-28 : Works Cited

1.

2.

THE SAPA INCA

The Sapa Inca was essential to his empire. In fact, he was the very heart and
soul of the Incan kingdom. Without his wisdom and skills, the Incan Empire would
have crashed long before Francisco Pizzaro. The ruler of the Incas was courageous
and amazing, and his legacy lives on today.

WHO was the sapa Inca?

The Sapa Inca was the, per say, the king of the nation of the Inca. He was
the mighty force that kept them organized, healthy, and victorious at war. (See
more in The Life and Times of the Sapa Inca)

Why Was the Sapa Inca historic?

The Sapa Inca was responsible for the well-being of his empire, and his
plethora of subjects. He kept the nation together and kept the people integrated.

Who was the most important sapa inca?

This is an arguable question. In the following articles, the life of one
incredibly significant ruler will be recognized.

The Sapa Inca was a dynamic force in the Inca world. As you read, recognize his
significance and his substantial role within the Inca Empire.

3.

4.

The life and times of the Sapa Inca

Being virtually a god was no easy, mediocre task, it entailed being a fierce warlord,
a lifetimes worth of learning to handle your skill and power, and learning to
manage no less than an Empire. It required being smarter than the rest of the
kingdom, and being one step ahead of your possibly fatal opponent. All of these
credentials belonged to but one person in the grand Empire; they belonged the
Sapa Inca.
was the first emperor, Sinchi Roca followed him, and their ruling
periods are unknown. From the thirteenth century until 1571, the following
emperors ruled: Lloqui Yupanqui, Mayta Capac, Capac Yupanqui, Inca
Roca, Yuhuar Huaca, Fluaca, Viracocha Inca, Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui,
Tupac Inca Yupanqui, Huanya Capac, Huascar, Atahualpa, Manco Inca the
second, Sayri Tupac, Titu Cusi, and Tupac Amaru, and all were incredibly
significant. (Inca Emperors, Peru Travel Diary) The Sapa Inca was a maker
of history, a leader, making his position invaluable to the entire nation.
The Inca Emperor in all of his
dignity and glory; he is presumably
dressed for an important event,
about to appear before the
plethora of his subjects.

In addition, the job of a Sapa Inca took credentials that were above
the job skill of many. He took care of the fundamentals of his kingdom, and
more. The Sapa Inca was responsible for his subjects well-being of his
subjects: their health, their full stomachs, and, above all, their loyalty. He

5.
had to make laws that his subjects could follow, and he had to convince
them of his worth (Society of the Inca, Barbara A. Somerville). The
peasants returned the favor by annually sacrificing their young, to show
their undying love for their fearless leader. As mentioned before, The Sapa
Inca had to keep his territory and citizens safe, making him a skilled warlord.
If the Sapa Inca felt threatened, he would use his un-imaginably large army
to conquer land and subjects, as well as security. Nearly every plot of this
land would be later used as a reward for possible rebels, such as priests and
people of great wealth, to keep them quiet, and on the down-low (World
of the Inca, History World.)

The many peasants of the empire, over

whom the Sapa Inca ruled.

In addition, the home life of the king

was no laughable cause; in fact, it was
sometimes as complicated as the battlefield
itself. It was traditional for the sapa inca to take one of his full-blood
sisters as his primary wife, or coya- although this was not always the case.
He was also entitled to take any number of second wives or concubines
(Barbara A. Somerville, Society of the Inca). He was expected to have a
very large amount of children, giving him innumerable heirs. However, he
was not all that different from the lower classes. He ate some of the same
food, ate two meals a day, and wore nearly the exact same fashions. He just
had better quality of items, and many invaluable privileges. To the dismay
of many of his later heirs, only the first-born male heir was selected as the
next Sapa Inca, and of the later heirs, they were considered nobles, and
would live in luxury for the rest of their days. The emperors daughters
would later marry into a different noble family, or into their own, as the
new Sapa Incas primary wife. The sons would be given riches and the
privileges of a nobleman, as well as the position of a priest, governor, Apus,

military leader, or an administrator. (Barbara A. Somerville, Society of the

Inca). The Sapa
6.
Inca dwelled and conversed with these people, making them the
envy of the peasants, however, even his home life sometimes stumped the
ruler of the empire.

An example of what the

many wives, concubines, and
children of the Sapa Inca may
have looked like.

To conclude, the Sapa

Inca had a multitude of jobs,
skills, and love that filled his days with joy, sadness, and perhaps even confusion.
However, without this natural born leader, the Inca Empire would have been
nothing. His invaluable position balanced a nation, and he was well skilled beyond
his years. The Sapa Inca can tell us much about history, and life itself.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

How many wives was the Sapa Inca entitled to?

What is one of the duties of the Sapa Inca?
Name one important Sapa Inca.
Write one outcome for a 1) female child of the Sapa Inca, and one for a
2) male child of the Sapa Inca.

VOCABULARY BUILDING:
SAPA INCA: The leader of the Incan Empire, in a sense, their king.

EMPIRE: A united system controlled by a central government.

7.
ECONOMY: The resources of a nation, region, or country.
EPIDEMIC: A wide-spread illness
VILCABAMBA: The place tha,t people believe, the Incas fled to.
PACARITAMBO: Quechua word for the cave
COYA: Quechua word for wife

8.

9.

Atahualpa
An example, of one of these fierce and fearless emperors is Atahualpa;
known for his dignity and the honor of being the last Sapa Inca of the free Inca
Empire. To begin with, Atahualpa may have been the emperor for only a short
time but he accomplished much and his rule was beneficial. Atahualpa was the
emperor or Sapa Inca from 1532- 1533 (Atahualpa A&E). He was born in 1502,
and therefore died around the age of 31. Atahualpa was buried on the 29th of
August in 1533 (Atahualpa). Equally important, Atahualpa was the 14th Sapa
Inca. He was born to Alusto Pacho and Huayna Capac who was emperor previous
to Atahualpa.
In addition, nothing good happens when two brothers fight, which is
exactly what happened here. While Huanya Capac had been ruler he allowed his
sons to each rule a part of the empire ( Huascar and Atahualpa). As a result,
when he died his sons fought over the empire. The kingdom had been divided in
two and eventually Atahualpa won the honor of being Sapa Inca of the whole Inca
Empire (Atahualpa A&E). The civil war raged from 1527- 1532 (Huascar and
Atahualpa: An Inca Civil War). Neither Atahualpa nor Huascar knew that
Francisco Pizzaro was plotting to attack. That would have been a substantial
piece of information to know.
Furthermore, we do know that Atahualpa was a valuable piece in the war
between the Conquistadors and the Incas, perhaps the most important and
significant piece on the chess board. On 17 November the Spaniards sacked the
Inca army camp, in which they found great treasures of gold, silver, and emeralds,
(Atahualpa). Francisco Pizzaro captured Atahualpa and used him to control the
Inca Empire. They executed him because After several months of fear of
imminent attack from general Ruminahui, the outnumbered Spanish saw
Atahualpa as too much of a liability and decided to execute him. In summary,
Atahualpa was the last Inca ruler, executed by Spanish conquistador Francisco
Pizzaro in 1533, marking the end of the Inca empire, (Atahualpa A&E).
Atahualpa held his head high through the tidal waves that rocked the Inca nation;

and during the last crumbling stone of the once great nation, and for that he was
respected.

10.

REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1. What is Atahualpa being compared to in the last paragraph?
2. Who did Atahualpa fight to gain control of the empire before Francisco Pizzaro
came?
3. Who were Atahualpas parents?
4. How long did Atahualpa rule?

Atahualpa enhancing his victory

over brother Huascar

Atahualpa begging Pizarro for

his life

Atahualpa was an important piece in the war between Incas and Conquistadors

11.

Vocabulary building:
Atahualpa- the twelfth sapa Inca along with his brother Huascar
BENEFICIAL- helpful
ALUSTO PACHO- Atahualpas mother
HUAYNA CAPAC- Atahualpas father and the eleventh sapa Inca
EMPIRE- a united system controlled by a central government
HUASCAR- along with half-brother Atahualpa he was the twelfth sapa Inca
FRANCISCO PIZZARO- leader of the Spanish conquistadors
SUBSTANTIAL- fundamental
CONQUISTADOR Spanish fighters that attacked the Inca Empire
INCAS- members of the tribe native to the Andes Mountains
SIGNIFICANT- Important
SAPA INCA- the leader of the Incan empire, in a sense, their king

12.

13.

INCA NOBILITY
This exclusive look into the secret life of an Inca nobility
(the rank of an Inca) offers a rare explanation for society, high fashion, wealth,
treatment, and behavior of the high classes of the Inca.
Many of the more popular classes had little, if anything, to do. The nobles
didnt have to pay taxes and spent their free time gathering favor with the Sapa
Inca (Inca Empire for kids). Most nobles owned plots of land, but did not work on
them and paid a very small amount of attention to them (the royals and nobility,
incas.mrdonn.org). The wealthy nobles stayed in bigger houses with lots more
rooms. Even though the higher classes had such great houses, both ranks, even
the Sapa Inca, slept on the floor around a fire (daily lives incaencyclopedia.com).
Their clothing was very similar, except that the Sapa Inca wore a gold fringe
around his head to show his status. The Emperor was virtually a god, he ruled
from Cuzco. The Sapa Inca would reward the priests with extensive land,
privileges, and riches.

<- A golden fringe

Every Sapa Inca had to get some education, it would be very beneficial to
them. The education of young novices began at the houses of knowledge. In
addition, the young men were given careful training in physical education and
military techniques. Most Inca novices finished their education around age 19.

14.
After done with the novices training they would get a special pair of underwear
(Education of the Inca Nobility, incas.info.com).

<- Incan warrior

The Sapa Incas had very strict fashion. When a royal or noble was just a
small child, a board would be strapped to their head. This would force their head
to grow almost to a point. The poor wore the same as the rich, just with different
quality of the fabric that they wore. Incan boys ears would be pierced at ages 12
to 14 years old. The Sapa Incas would have their earlobes going down to their
shoulders by wearing heavy golden earrings. They would have a tunic that would
go down to their knees, they would also have a poncho. The Sapa Incas also wore
lots of sparkly things all over them such as rings, wrist bands, etc. A lot of their
garments would be embroidered. Incan women would wear dresses, they
wrapped themselves in colorful and luxurious blankets. They loved glittering gold
and silver jewels on their clothes. Furthermore, if people had different hairstyles
that means it would be a different family (worldOftheIncas history-world.org)

15.

<- Incan person

REVIEW QUESTIONS:
1.
2.
3.
4.

What did the novices get after their training?

What would Incas look for if they lost a family member?
What would the emperors sleep on?
Where did the novices training begin?

VOCABULARY BUILDING:
Inca Nobility: An Inca class higher than the peasants and lower than the emperor
Sapa Inca: The Inca king or emperor
Gold Fringe: The yellow tresses hanging down from clothing
Cuzco: A historical site in Peru
Beneficial: Helpful or Useful
Novices: People new to a field
Fashion: A new or popular trend
Golden Earrings: The jewelry customary to Inca people
Embroidered: A needle point design on a piece of clothing

16.

17.

The Sapa incaS legacy liveS on

Through time, the Sapa Incas impressive legacy has only enhanced. It has
blossomed into something beautiful, yet fierce. Today, we respect and recognize
the Sapa Incas role and importance. The king of the Incas was a majestic and
skilled warrior, armed with knowledge, courage, leadership, and strength. He led
his army with a harsh determination, ready to fight a dying battle. His wisdom led
an Empire for hundreds of years, and his courage during times of great tragedy
and struggle was nothing short of amazing. Todays people can learn from his
fierce and fearless ways, and can improve with his distinct mannerisms. The Sapa
Inca will go down in history as an honorable, fierce, and wise leader, who was
strong in the most trying times. He will go in the history books as a true emperor.

18.

19.

QUIZ
1. True/false Atahualpa did not train.
TRUE
FALSE
2. The novices got
houses as the poor
3. Who was the first emperor?
4. How many emperors were there?

5. What did the emperors wear?

6. Which emperor expanded the Inca Empire?

7. Who was the seventh emperor?

8. The Sapa Inca could marry one of his full-blood sisters
TRUE

FALSE

9. Who was Francisco Pizzaro?

10. What is one responsibility of the Sapa Inca?

20.

Quiz answer key

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.

True
Adobe
Manco Capac
Sixteen
The same styles as peasants, just made out of better quality fabric
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, or Pachacuti
Yuhuar Huaca
True
A Spanish explorer, the conqueror of the Inca Empire, killer of Atahualpa

10.He was responsible for the well-being of his people, the organization of his
kingdom, the success of his army, and the loyalty of his people

21.

22.

FUN FACTS:
Atahualpa was publically executed in 1533 by Spanish conquistador
Francisco Pizzaro and his men.
When born, royal or noble children were put inside a hole in the ground.
Hair styles showed lineage.
The Sapa Inca and his plethora of wives and children ate the same meals as
the peasants.
Peru was rich with gold, silver, and other valuable minerals.
Many people today travel to Peru to see the once great empires aweing
brick masonry.
The descendants of the Inca still stay true to the ways of their ancestors.
The people of Peru speak Quechua, the language of the Inca.
Cuzco, a site of the Inca Empire, now is a location of beautiful Spanish
buildings.
Llamas were important to the Inca for their versatile uses, such as meat, fur
pelts, and transportation.
Hiram Bingham the third discovered the ruins of the Inca Empire, or what is
now called Machu Picchu.

23.

24.

Glossary
Atahualpa- the twelfth Sapa Inca along with brother Huascar
Empire- A united system controlled by a central government.
Conquistadors- They were Spanish fighters that attacked the Inca Empire
Sapa Inca- The leader of the Incan Empire, in a sense, their king.
Economy- The resources of a nation, region, or country.
Epidemic-: A wide-spread illness
Vilcabamba- The place that people believe, the Incas fled to.
Pacaritambo- Quechua word for the cave
Coya- Quechua word for wife
Inca nobilbity- a class lower than the emperor but higher then the peasants
Cuzco- a city in Peru near Lima
Novice- new to a job
Francisco pizzaro- leader of the spanish Conquistadors
Huascar- Atahualpas half brother and fellow Sapa Inca as well as rival
Inca- a member of the tribe that was native to the Andes Mountains
Aluso Pacho- Atahaualpas mother
Huayna capac- Atahualpas father and the eleventh sapa inca
Manco capac- the first inca emperor
Sinchi roca- the second inca emperor
Lloqui yupanqui- the third sapa inca

25.
Mayta capac- the fourth sapa inca
Capac yupanqui- the fifth sapa inca
Inca roca- the sixth sapa inca
Yuhuar huacac- the seventh sapa inca
Viracocha inca- the eighth sapa inca
Pachacuti inca yupanqui- the ninth sapa inca; expander of the empire
Tupac inca yupanqui- the tenth sapa inca
Huascar &Atahualpa- they were counted as the twelfth sapa inca
Manco inca the second- the thirteenth Sapa Inca
Sayri tupac- the fourteenth Sapa Inca
Titu cusi- the fifteenth Sapa Inca
Tupac amaru- the sixteenth and last Sapa Inca

26.

27.

WORKS Cited
Atahualpa
A&E television Networks, 2014.
06 Oct. 2014. www.biography.com

Atahualpa Wikipedia.
18 September at 14:04.
06 Oct 2014. < en.m.wikipedia.org>

daily lives Inca encyclopedia

April, 2010, inca encyclopedia,
06 Oct. 2014
< incaencyclopedia.ppworks.com>

Huascar and Atahualpa: an inca civil war.

About education. 2014. 80ct.2014.
<http.//latinamericahistory.about.com>

Inca emperors. Peru travel diary.

2008. 2 oct. 2014
www.machupicch-inca.com

the inca historys periods Inca Rulers

28.
2 oct.2014 www.redicovermachupicch.com

Donn, lin the royals and Nobility, inca empire for kids,
2 oct. 2014. <http.//incas.mrdonn.org/royals.html>
Somerville, Barbara a. society, Inca, empire of the inca, great empires of the
past,
6 Oct. 2014 www.fof.com

world of the Incas history world, 2 oct. 2014

<http//history-world.ofg/inca.htm>

Pictures from google images