Provincial power in the Inka empire

D'Altroy, Terence N.

book chapter

Provincial power in the Inka empire

Smithsonian Institution Press • Washington • Published In 1992 • Pages:

By: D'Altroy, Terence N..

Abstract
This study is an analysis of Inka military, political and economic power, based on historical sources and data from the Upper Mantaro Archaeological Research Project (UMARP). After considering a number of political economy models, D'Altroy settles on a 'territorial-hegemonic' model, which he argues best suits Inka military strategy and Inka-ethnic elite social relations. The Upper Mantaro region was a fertile region close to Cuzco and source of food for the army. The archaeological record shows how Inka increased the efficiency of surplus production by moving the local population down from the hills and into the valleys, where they created specialized farming communities. Extensive storage facilities on hillsides provided rations for a mobile army. Household refuse patterns reveal that local elites also shared in this surplus. According to D'Altroy this is evidence of how ethnic elites were integrated into the Inka Empire, using state surplus to underwrite local feasting and rituals.

Internal migration

Business structures

Production and supply

Warehousing

Ethnic stratification

Social relationships and groups

Territorial hierarchy

Taxation and public income

Government enterprises

Strategy

Logistics

Inka