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An Outside Threat Brings Forth a Hero
However, the domain of the Inkas remained small until an outside threat from
another tribe, the warlike Canchas, galvanized Prince Yupanqui, a younger
son of Inka Viracocha, into action. In a heroic defense of Cusco, Yupanqui
and a small cohort of warriors charged into the ranks of the invading Chancas.
While uncommitted warriors watched from the safety of the rocky hillside
to see who would carry the day, Yupanqui and his men made a concerted assault
on the idol the Chancas carried. They captured the idol, striking terror
into the hearts of the Chancas. When the spectators saw that tide of battle
was turning in favor of the Incas, they poured from the hills and helped
pursue the fleeing Chancas, gleefully stripping the dead of their ornaments.
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A Prince who Turned Reluctant
Spectators into Miraculous Warriors
After the victory, Prince Yupanqui spread word that a
miracle had occurred: the Inkas had won, he said, because "even
the rocks turned to warriors" fighting
on his side. From then on, Inka armies enjoyed a fearsome reputation for divine
intervention. They carried into battle platforms of sacred stones, each named
for an immortal warrior. In the following years, many of their enemies gave
up without a fight rather than risk being attacked by invisible, invulnerable
warriors. Thus, the determined charge of a bold leader and a few faithful followers
was the spark that ignited an explosive drive to empire.
Although his father,
Inka Viracocha, still lived and favored another son for
the succession,
the people acclaimed the
bold young prince as their new ruler, awarding him the red
forehead fringe that marked him as the Inka. The new ruler
took the name "Pachacuti", which is translated
variously, as either "cataclysm" or "he who
transforms the earth". Pachacuti lived up to either
version.
Early in his reign, Pachacuti resolved to rebuild Cusco
as a lasting monument to Inka glory and a ceremonial center
to impress pilgrims. His artisans worked in stone, creating
spectacular buildings and massive stone walls, many of which
survive to awe visitors today, even after 500 years and all
the destruction wrought by the Spanish.
By the time of his death,
Pachacuti and his kin had expanded the empire in all directions,
earning it the
Quechua name "Tahuantinsuyu", the Four Quarters of
the World. His son, Tupa Inca Yupanqui ("the Unforgettable
One") continued the expansion, more than doubling the
size of the empire. His successor, Huayna Capac, expanded the
empire to its greatest extent. Tupa Inca and Huayna Capac,
between them, were conquerors who belong in the same class
with Julius Caesar and Alexander the Great.
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| A re-enactment of Inka Pachacuti. |
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| Theories about the fortress's superhuman builders
have abounded over the centuries, ranging from giants to the
Devil, to today's equivalent: aliens from outer space. ("Not
little green men," insisted one local. "Big green men!") |
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