THE TAHUANTINSUYO

Traditionally when we talk about the civilization developed in this part of the Andes since the year 1200 A.D., we say the " Inkan" culture, civilization, empire, state, etc. Actually that is not the best or right way to name it because as it is known in pre-Hispanic days "Inka" was just one person: the King, Emperor, Ruler, State Chief, or however we would like to call him. That way, there was only one "Sapan Inka" (Unique Inka) who occupied the summit of their social pyramidal stratification. He was followed by the nobility or "orejones" (big-eared people) called that by the conquistadors because of the deformation of their earlobes due to the use of heavy earrings and ornaments that made their difference with common people. Next were the " runa" (common people) and lower the punished " mitimaes" that were moving or displaced people. At the end were the " Yanaconas" (Yanakuna) or household servants. The official language in their broad territory was the " Runa Simi" that translated to English is "man's tongue". This same language is also known as " Quechua" or "Quichua" in some Andean areas; those are Spanish forms of the original " Qheswa". Many modern scholars are using "Quechua" or "The Quechuas" in order to talk about that mentioned civilization. Thus, in this work we use indistinctly both nouns: "Inkas" or "Quechuas". Their territory, native land or country was the Tawantinsuyo, a compound name that comes from two Quechua words, "tawa": four, and "suyo": nation or state. So, Tawantinsuyo in the idiomatic Quechua sense is a whole that has four nations, even though, in a very arbitrary way many authors translate Tawantinsuyo as "the four quarters or portions of the world".

Space distribution and planning among the Quechuas were based on some elementary aspects of their daily life. They always took in mind the relationships of duality, tripartition, and fourthpartition. The Tawantinsuyo was divided in four " suyo" or "suyu" which central angle was in Qosqo City, its capital.

The word Qosqo is apparently an archaism that according to chroniclers meant " navel" or " center" of the world; in this case it would be the center or navel of the Tawantinsuyo. From the southeastern angle of the city's Main Square started four main roads towards the four "suyo" or nations and which names are still used in different sectors of the Andes. Towards the city's northwest was the " Chinchaysuyo" going as far as the Ancashmayo River in Pasto, present-day Colombia at 4° of north latitude. Towards the southwest was the " Contisuyo" occupying part of the Peruvian coast and going as far as the Maule River in present-day southern Chile at 36° of south latitude.

Towards the southeast was the "Collasuyo" occupying all what today is Bolivia and going as far as Tucuman in present-day Argentina. Towards the northeast in the subtropical valleys and even occupying the beginning of the Amazonian lower jungle was the " Antisuyo". In fact, what is known as Inkas' Territory spread out over an area more than 3'000,000 Km² (1'158,306 mile²); that is, more than double present-day Peruvian territory; and covered about 5,000 Km. (3,107 miles) of coast over the Pacific Ocean.

The Tawantinsuyo's success was due to some factors that are missed in present-time Peru which were based in order: a social, economic and legal order according to realities of the moment. The Quechuas were highly organized people and every aspect of their daily life was framed in obedient respect and pursuit of permanent and irremovable laws. Tradition has stated three basic laws attributed to the Tawantinsuyo that would synthesize their order: Ama Sua, Ama Llulla, Ama Kella (do not be thief, liar, neither lazy). Though in modern history it is argued that those are precepts created in colonial times in order to get complete subjection of the native breed. It is obvious that by that pre-Hispanic time the legal system tended to state some homogeneity among the different nations in order to get the high living standard that Quechuas reached for that age. The "Runa Simi" was established as official language in the "Tawantinsuyo" territory.

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