Incas Compare And Contrast Essay

Throughout South American history, three great civilizations rose and fell in power. Each with their own religions, governments and war fares. Major differences in sacrifice and law separated the Incas and the Aztecs, but they shared ideas of trade and bartering and having an emperor ruler over the empire. Even though the Incas had one main leader whose name was Sapa Inca, the Incas had a equalized control of power amongst the whole royal family. Most members of the royal family worked as the heads of the church and state. Although the royal family had most of the power, there were such a people as the "adopted Incas." Adopted Incas were often local rulers who had earned the Sapa Incas trust and respect. Their government contained laws such as the Pachacuti's law. Pachacuti's laws were simplified and administered by the officials who had been appointed to control each group of people. If people committed a crime against the Sapa Inca or any of his rules, harsh punishments were given. At times death penalties were given for crimes such as murder, stealing, entering rooms of the Chosen Women, or breaking into state storage chambers. People with higher standing were punished more the peasant because more was expected from

Their gods each had a certain role or reason for being worshiped. For example: Viracocha was the god of creation, but he wasn’t the most widely worshiped, nor was he the most powerful. The Incas believed that Inti, the Sun God was most powerful and mighty. Inti had created heat, light, life and fertility to the Incas crops. Below Inti was the Moon, the Sun's wife. The Earth, the Sea, Venus and some constellations representing animals such as llamas and pumas, were worshiped and praised. Priests and Oracles were consultants on behalf of the humans and the spirits. To beg for forgiveness, the people offered a white wool llama to the gods, for poor people it could also have been a guinea