The Inca Empire had a very large population. Around 1500, there were 8 million people. This is more than the current population of Québec. The Incas lived everywhere on their territory, even in the mountains. Many of them lived on the mountainside, where they farmed. However, the population was highly concentrated in the cities where the Incas were permanently settled because they were sedentary. Cuzco, the capital of the empire, had 60 000 inhabitants.

Several communities joined together

All the inhabitants of the empire spoke the same language, Quechua, but they did not all come from the same culture. To become so large and powerful, the Inca Empire had conquered several villages and communities by force. It then forced the residents of these communities to join the empire and speak Quechua. So, within the empire there were many different groups that had their own unique characteristics.

Cuzco
Huayna Capac
Kingdom of Cusco, 1493

Author: Alexandre Lanoix

 

 
 

Important concepts and big ideas:



Conquest – Conquête
Multicultural – Multiculturel
Cooperation – Coopération

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