Flag Inca Empire

chronicles , references 16th , 17th centuries support idea of banner. however, represented inca (emperor), not empire.

francisco lópez de jerez wrote in 1534:

... todos venían repartidos en sus escuadras con sus banderas y capitanes que los mandan, con tanto concierto como turcos.

(... all of them came distributed squads, flags , captains commanding them, well-ordered turks.)

chronicler bernabé cobo wrote:

the royal standard or banner small square flag, ten or twelve spans around, made of cotton or wool cloth, placed on end of long staff, stretched , stiff such did not wave in air , on each king painted arms , emblems, each 1 chose different ones, though sign of incas rainbow , 2 parallel snakes along width tassel crown, each king used add badge or blazon preferred, lion, eagle , other figures.

(... el guión o estandarte real era una banderilla cuadrada y pequeña, de diez o doce palmos de ruedo, hecha de lienzo de algodón o de lana, iba puesta en el remate de una asta larga, tendida y tiesa, sin que ondease al aire, y en ella pintaba cada rey sus armas y divisas, porque cada uno las escogía diferentes, aunque las generales de los incas eran el arco celeste y dos culebras tendidas lo largo paralelas con la borda que le servía de corona, las cuales solía añadir por divisa y blasón cada rey las que le parecía, como un león, un águila y otras figuras.)

-bernabé cobo, historia del nuevo mundo (1653)

guaman poma s 1615 book, el primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno, shows numerous line drawings of inca flags. in 1847 book history of conquest of peru, william h. prescott ... says in inca army each company had particular banner , imperial standard, high above all, displayed glittering device of rainbow, armorial ensign of incas. 1917 world flags book says inca heir-apparent ... entitled display royal standard of rainbow in military campaigns.

in modern times rainbow flag has been wrongly associated tawantinsuyu , displayed symbol of inca heritage groups in peru , bolivia. city of cusco flies rainbow flag, official flag of city. peruvian president alejandro toledo (2001–2006) flew rainbow flag in lima s presidential palace. however, according peruvian historiography, inca empire never had flag. peruvian historian maría rostworowski said, bet life, inca never had flag, never existed, no chronicler mentioned . also, peruvian newspaper el comercio, flag dates first decades of 20th century, , congress of republic of peru has determined flag fake citing conclusion of national academy of peruvian history:

official use of wrongly called tawantinsuyu flag mistake. in pre-hispanic andean world there did not exist concept of flag, did not belong historic context .

national academy of peruvian history