The Inca kings, sons of the Sun, governed a vast empire, the Tahuantinsuyo, whose
center was Qosqo, which means "navel". And this city was truly the center of the
empire, from which the roads leading to the four "parts of the universe"
started.
Below we present a brief summary of the main stages of the history of Cusco, but
first we want to invite you to get to know it in the first person. There are two
legends about the foundation of Cusco and both are based on a mythical
journey.
Mythological foundation
LThe first legend has Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo as protagonists, children of Inti,
the Sun god, and Quilla, the Moon goddess. The brothers set out from Isla del Sol,
on Lake Titicaca, in search of a place to found a city. The chosen place was the one
where the golden rod that they carried with them was stuck in the ground with a
single blow.
In the second legend 'Legend of the Ayar brothers' the protagonists are four
brothers, companions of four sisters: Mama Guaco and Ayar Cachi, Mama Cora and Ayar
Uchu, Mama Rawa and Ayar Aucca, Mama Ocllo and Ayar Manco. They survived the flood
caused by Wiracocha and came out of some caves in Pacaritambo, on the Tampu Tocco
hill, to repopulate the Earth.
Due to different circumstances, three of the brothers abandoned the trip before
reaching their destination. Only Mama Ocllo and Ayar Manco continued traveling until
they found the place where the golden rod that Wiracocha had given them sank into
the ground.
Photo: Students from the Andean University of Cusco, stage 'the legend of the
Ayar brothers'
Manco used his abilities and linked the sun so that it would not set, thus creating
the city in a single day. The city was called Qosqo and the rock from which he
linked to the sun, in Machu Picchu, was baptized as Intihuatana.
In the center of the new city, designed in the shape of a recumbent puma, Manco
erected a temple in honor of the Sun god and surrounded the city with mountains, to
protect it from the wind, dominated by his brother Ayar Aucca. He also organized the
first corn fields. Ayar Manco changed his name to Manco Capac. He is considered the
first Inka, that is, the first king of the empire.
Historical origin of Cusco
Pre-ceramic objects of about 5000 years old have been found in the Pre-ceramic
objects of about 5000 years old have been found in the Valley of Cusco, belonging to
the Yauri and Chumbivilcas cultures. All the tribes that left their mark on the
valley were nomads. Some of these objects are currently exhibited in the Museum of
Pre-Columbian Art. The first sedentary settlements were recorded, it is assumed,
around the year 1000 BC, in the area called Marcavalle. There were many cultures
that settled in the place in the form of waves: sawasiras, antasayas, wallas, maras,
tampus, mascas, chilkes... And almost all of them left their mark in ruins that can
still be seen in Piquillacta and Choquepuquio. The Mascas seem to have been the ones
who gave rise to what would later become the Inca Empire. Valley of Cusco, belonging
to the Yauri and Chumbivilcas cultures. All the tribes that left their mark on the
valley were nomads. Some of these objects are currently exhibited in the Museum of
Pre-Columbian Art.
The first sedentary settlements were recorded, it is assumed, around the year 1000
BC, in the area called Marcavalle. There were many cultures that settled in the
place in the form of waves: sawasiras, antasayas, wallas, maras, tampus, mascas,
chilkes... And almost all of them left their mark in ruins that can still be seen in
Piquillacta and Choquepuquio. The mascas seem to have been the ones who gave rise to
what would later become the Inca Empire.
The Inca empire
Around 1200 AD a lordship arose in the Valley of Cusco that dominated, over time,
the rest of the towns. The person responsible for the creation of this empire was
Cusi Yupanqui, the 9th Capac Inka and 1st Inka of Tahuantinsuyo, recognized as such
around 1438. He was named Pacha Kutiy or Pachacútec Yupanqui Cápac Intichuri and
crowned with the mascapaicha, imperial crown.
During the period of expansion, the two original regions or theirs, Huri (above) and
Hanan (below) became four: Chinchaysuyo, Antisuyo, Qollasuyo and Kuntisuyo, and also
included the peoples that were conquered in the 100 years that the expansion period
lasted. empire.
The territory of the Inca Empire extended from the south of Colombia to the center
of Chile and the northwest of Argentina, with a center in Cusco. In this time of
splendor, mythical cities were built, such as Machu Picchu; 23,000 kilometers of
road, among which is the famous Camino del Inca route; artificial irrigation
channels with amazing technology, such as those that can be seen in Moray;
fortresses, pyramids and temples.
The Spanish conquest - Fall of the Empire
By the time Francisco Pizarro arrived in Cusco in 1532, the empire was weakened by a
bloody civil war. This would explain why an army of less than 200 men was able to
conquer and subdue an empire that had, at that time, around 15 million
inhabitants.
The confrontation between the Inca Tupac Kusi Wallpaq (Huascar) and his brother
Atahualpa ended with the triumph of the latter, who locked Huascar in prison. In
November 1532 Atahualpa was summoned to a meeting with Pizarro in the city of
Cajamarca, which the Inca attended with his unarmed troops, without suspecting that
it was an ambush. Allied with enemies of Atahualpa, Pizarro and his hosts killed a
large part of the Incas and arrested Atahualpa. From prison, the Inca king ordered
the death of his brother.
Emperor Atahualpa promised the Spanish a large ransom for his release: two rooms
filled with silver and one with gold. Precious metals arrived from all corners of
the Empire during the nine months of the king's captivity. But, although the ransom
was paid, Atahualpa was executed in July 1533 and the gold and silver were sent in
part to Spain, and part distributed among Pizarro's soldiers.
Pizarro left for Cusco and on the way he was met by Manco Inca Yupanqui, whom he
named the new king, with the intention of ruling the city through his ally. Together
they entered the city in November 1533. In March 1534 Pizarro founded the Spanish
"very noble and very loyal city of Cuzco".
The Spanish troops were greeted with joy, due to an ancient prophecy that the Inca
gods would come to earth from the water. Their strange weapons, their appearance and
their horses convinced the Incas that they were truly gods.
The rebellion of Manco Inca
In 1536 Manco Inca, having seen what the true intentions of the Spanish were, began
an uprising against them that would last 37 years. The first confrontation, in
Acsayhuamán, culminated in the Spanish victory.
Pizarro first and his followers later, were achieving allies among different peoples
of the empire. In 1538, with his troops exhausted and decimated, Manco Inca took
refuge in Vilcabamba, where he established the seat of the Inca monarchy, while the
Spanish continued to advance and dominate the cities of the empire.
Also between the Spaniards there were clashes. Diego de Almagro, having failed in
the conquest of Chile, went to Peru in search of gold, where he faced Gonzalo
Pizarro and Alfonso de Alvarado first, and Hernando Pizarro later, who defeated him.
The group called "almagrista" was the one that assassinated Francisco Pizarro in
1541.
The Viceroyalty of Peru was established in 1542 and Cusco became the most important
city after Lima. The Inca rebellion ended in 1572, when Inca Tupac Amaru I, son of
Manco Inca, was executed in Cusco by order of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo. His
descendants were exiled to distant places to prevent further rebellions.
However, in 1780 a new uprising would take place, the so-called "Great Rebellion",
this time for the independence of Peru, led by a descendant of Tupac Amaru, the
caudillo José Gabriel Condorcanqui, known as Tupac Amaru II. Condorcanqui was
imprisoned and later tortured and executed by the Spanish, along with his wife and
his children and his followers, in the Plaza de Armas of Cusco, in 1781. The
independence of Peru would finally come in 1821.
Colonial Cuzco
The Spanish occupation of Cusco produced a drastic change not only in religion,
customs and rituals, but also in architecture. Many temples and houses were simply
destroyed to use the stone for colonial construction. Others were used as "bases" on
which to erect churches, chapels and residences for the conquerors. On what was the
Royal Palace of the Inca Viracocha, for example, the Cathedral of Cusco was built.
Houses were even built in the space of the Plaza de Armas, considerably reducing it
in size.
An earthquake in the year 1650 left the city practically in ruins. The
reconstruction was done in a colonial style, with special emphasis on wood carving
decoration, as can still be seen in various chapels and churches in the
region.
The importance of Cusco, beyond tourism, lies in the historical significance of this
city. The Incas never totally abandoned their traditions and tried to pass them down
from generation to generation. After the death of Condorcanqui, resistance became
the hallmark of Cusco. The history of this town, its gods and its heroes, is still
told in its fabrics, for those who know how to read it.
Picture: Fortress of Sacsayhuaman
Picture: Archaeological Center of Choquequirao
