Following the demise of the Norte Chico there is period in Peruvian history in which there is very little evidence of any substantive culture of organised civilisation.  This remained the case until the rise of the Inca Empire, beginning in the early 13th century.  The Incas eventually dominated no just Peru, but a large part of South America including modern day Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Chile and Columbia.  Much of the history of the Incas is derived from oral history and it is from this source that we can narrow the origin of the Incas down to three possible locations – a cave system near Pacariqtambo (near Cuzco), Lake Titicaca or a location called Tambo.

Cuzco was certainly the location which became the home of the Inca empire.  Known as the Kingdom of Cuzco, there is evidence to suggest that tribal activity was taking place here in the 12th century.  By the middle of the 15th century, the Kingdom of Cuzco was powerful enough to expand under the leadership of Pachacuti-Cusi Yupanqui (earth shaker).  Neighbouring tribes were infiltrated by spies who brought information regarding military power and political organisation back to Cuzco.  Mostly, these tribes would then be bribed into joining the empire and the families of the rulers would intermarry, ensuring peaceful continuation of the Incas.  If military action was needed for expansion, the Inca were powerful enough to overcome any resistance.  Around this period, the Inca also built Machu Picchu.

Machu Picchu

The Inca grew quickly and Pachacuti set up a system of government which split the empire into four regions, each governed by a competent leader.  Pachacuti’s son was Túpac Inca Yupanqui and it was he who led the Inca army north in the period around Pachacuti’s death in 1471.  It was the fight for the northern coast of Peru which provided the Inca with their sternest test so far – the Chimor empire was probably the only one which could have stopped the Inca march north but it fell to Túpac eventually.  Southern expansion was eventually stopped when the empire ran in to the Mapuche tribes and both sides fought each other to a standstill at the Battle of the Maule.  Both heavily depleted armies retired after several days claiming victory.

Túpac’s son, Huayna Capac, continued the improvement of the empire and under his rule it enjoyed its wealthiest and most successful period.  Huayna had no male heirs however but did have fifty or so illegitimate children.  This failure to provide a legitimate successor ultimately led to the Inca Civil War between sides supporting either Huáscar or Atahualpa, two of the sons.

The civil war was enormously damaging, leading to the estimated deaths of around 5% of the population.  Atahualpa was the ultimate victor but before he had a chance to take control, the Spanish arrived, bringing with them horses, modern military techniques, Smallpox and a thirst for conquest.  The Inca empire, which at one point has numbered many millions of people,  gradually shrank until the last holdout in the mountains of Vilcabamba was conquered in 1572.