Who Was The Sapa Inca?
AncientPages.com - Who was the Sapa Inca?
Answer: The ruler of the Inca people was called the "Sapa Inca", which means "only emperor". (in Quechua: "the only Inca").
The Inca believed that their ruler – Sapa Inca was sacred; he was like a god on Earth
The Sapa Inca was all-powerful and his word was law. He was head of the government, and he owned everything. He was both a religious and political figure, and according to the Inca politics and religion were intertwined.
The Inca believed that their ruler - Sapa Inca was sacred; he was like a god on Earth. He descended from the sun god Inti, and this connection to the cosmos helped them to justify their rule over several civilizations across South America.
See also: Chocolate Was Invented In Mesoamerica 1900 B.C.
A Sapa Inca was polygamous, meaning he could have many wives. He wore a hat made of gold and feathers, his clothes were covered in jewels, and he wore huge gold earrings. The Sapa Inca only wore an outfit once, after that it was burned.
Some Sapa Inca are said to have had as many as a hundred children. When the Sapa Inca died one of his sons became the next Sapa Inca, this was not necessarily the oldest, just the favorite. After he died the Sapa Inca was mummified and remained in his palace.
The first Sapa Inca was Manco Capac, who was the son of the god Inti, the sun god. The ninth Sapa Inca, Pachacuti expanded the kingdom and founded an empire, which would become the largest Native American Empire.
The last effective Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire was Atahualpa, later executed by Francisco Pizarro, a Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire, however, several successors later claimed the title.
AncientPages.com
More From Ancient Pages
-
Mama Cocha – Inca Goddess Of The Sea With Strong Connection To Lake Titicaca, Peru
Featured Stories | May 26, 2020
-
Incredible Ancient Extinct World Of Unknown Organisms Discovered
Evolution | Jun 8, 2023
-
3,700-Year-Old Domed Oven Found At Troy Excavation Site Closely Related To Anatolian Culture
Archaeology | Sep 12, 2022
-
Explorers Of Lost City Of The Monkey God Contract Unusual Flesh-Eating Disease
Archaeology | Jan 22, 2017
-
Watlington Viking Hoard May Re-Write History Of England
Archaeology | Dec 11, 2015
-
Diver Says He Found Mysterious Underwater Ancient Tomb, Ruins And Artifacts Of An Unknown Advanced Civilization
Featured Stories | Oct 10, 2023
-
Cooking In Indus Valley – Leftovers In Prehistoric Kitchen’s Vessels Analyzed
Archaeology | Mar 24, 2022
-
Unique Pig-Shaped Figurine Found In East China Was Probably A Child’s Toy 6,000-Years Ago
Archaeology | Jun 9, 2023
-
Caribbean Cannibalism Theory – Debunked By Researchers
Archaeology | Apr 16, 2021
-
Mysterious Ancient Figure Depicted On A Jade Cong May Re-Write History Of China
Artifacts | Oct 11, 2019
-
New Archaeological Discoveries In The Temple Of Khnum At Esna, Luxor
Archaeology | Dec 29, 2022
-
Bronze Age Finding Offer New Clues On The Beginnings Of Cardiff
Archaeology | Jul 15, 2022
-
The Brujo De Chiloé – The Wild Warlocks Of The Chiloé Archipelago
Featured Stories | May 4, 2022
-
Ancient Cave Church Complex In Basarabi, Romania
Civilizations | Dec 11, 2018
-
Mysterious Gobi Sea And A Huge Land Inhabited By The Real Sons Of God
Featured Stories | Aug 20, 2018
-
Thirsty Wheat Needed New Water Management Strategy In Ancient China
Archaeology | Nov 10, 2022
-
Illapa: Powerful Master Of Clouds, Rain And Hail – Worshipped By Inca People
Featured Stories | Jul 7, 2016
-
On This Day In History: King John Of England Died – On Oct 19, 1216
News | Oct 19, 2017
-
Carved Statue Of God Nefertum Unearthed In Egypt’s Saqqara Necropolis
Archaeology | Oct 3, 2020
-
Old Age Isn’t A Modern Phenomenon: Many People Lived Long Enough To Grow Old In The Olden Days, Too
Featured Stories | Aug 11, 2022