Organization of the empire Inca Empire

the inca empire s southern border defined maule or maipo river (scholars differ). inca troops never crossed bío bío river.

the inca empire federalist system consisting of central government inca @ head , 4 quarters, or suyu: chinchay suyu (nw), anti suyu (ne), kunti suyu (sw) , qulla suyu (se). 4 corners of these quarters met @ center, cusco. these suyu created around 1460 during reign of pachacuti before empire reached largest territorial extent. @ time suyu established of equal size , later changed proportions empire expanded north , south along andes.

cusco not organized wamani, or province. rather, akin modern federal district, washington, d.c. or mexico city. city sat @ center of 4 suyu , served preeminent center of politics , religion. while cusco governed sapa inca, relatives , royal panaqa lineages, each suyu governed apu, term of esteem used men of high status , venerated mountains. both cusco district , 4 suyu administrative regions grouped upper hanan , lower hurin divisions. inca did not have written records, impossible exhaustively list constituent wamani. however, colonial records allow reconstruct partial list. there more 86 wamani, more 48 in highlands , more 38 on coast.

suyu

the 4 suyus or quarters of empire.

the populous suyu chinchaysuyu, encompassed former chimu empire , of northern andes. @ largest extent, extended through of modern ecuador , modern colombia.

the largest suyu area qullasuyu, named after aymara-speaking qulla people. encompassed bolivian altiplano , of southern andes, reaching argentina , far south maipo or maule river in central chile. historian josé bengoa singled out quillota perhaps foremost inca settlement.

the second smallest suyu, antisuyu, northwest of cusco in high andes. name root of word andes.

kuntisuyu smallest suyu, located along southern coast of modern peru, extending highlands towards cusco.