Physical and Cultural Changes during the Collapse of the Incan Empire ANTH 3270 Due: April 17, 2009 By: Brandon Beaty It is well documented that the rise of man from his prehistoric state occurred at a far slower rate in the new world than the world of our European ancestors. This however in no way discounted the feats that were displayed by the Incan Empire, a powerful group that dominated Peru from around 1200 until their ultimate defeat in 1572 (Encarta). At this point in time, while history looks back on the impressive accomplishments of the Inca people, it is hard not to realize the dramatic ending that came to a once great dynasty. How is it that a group that dominated its territory for so long, and had so many advanced ideas,
Unlike Greece, where shifting may not have been easy but was at least constant, the Romans never planned an operational method to decide how new emperors would be designated. The choice was always open to debate between the old emperor, the Senate, the Praetorian Guard (the emperor's private army), and the military army. Gradually, the Praetorian Guard got total right to pick the new emperor, who compensated the guard who then became more prominent, propagating the vicious cycle. Finally in 186 A. D. when the army strangulated the new emperor, they began selling the throne to the highest bidder. Throughout the next 100 years, Rome had 37 different emperors - 25 of whom were removed from office by assassination.
Although the Incas were more advanced and modern in their ways, the Inca and Aztec Empires were similar in some of the aspects that allowed them to be so successful and powerful. First, both civilizations had intensive agriculture mandated by the state. The crops were then redistributed to all the social classes equally. Both economies depended greatly on agriculture and farming, even producing some of the same crops such as corn and squash. Although agriculture based societies have been around for a long time in history and were pretty much the norm in this time period, their agriculture systems still created a surplus of crops, which allowed for increased populations.
And that tactic is called the element of surprise. On his final expedition to Peru, his main objective was to conquer the Incan Empire which had a little over thirty-thousand warriors. Of course Pizarro was aiming high but at the same time, he was so confident that the upcoming battle would be a breeze, that he only brought with him two-hundred men and about sixty horses. So he was outnumbered, out supplied, and not savvy with the landscape of Peru. So again I ask the question a little bit differently.
They were a dominating society of Mesoamerica, rich in culture and community. The Mayans evolved from surviving in the jungles to building a magnificent empire. The features of the Mayan civilization made it better than any other of that time in the Americas. Mayan Astronomy is known for its advanced and extremely accurate calculations. By observing the sky the Maya created calculations on astronomical events.
Galba was the first of the generals that were fighting for the throne to reach Rome and had himself proclaimed emperor. He was an old man of 75 when he became emperor.He was famous for the mistake that he refused top pay the soldiers the bonus that emperors usually paid them. Otho, a friend Galba had dissapointed, turned his soldiers against Galba and on January 16 69 AD Galba was killed and he only reigned for barely 7 months.The next emperor Marcus Salvius Otho, as soon as he became emperor Otho faced a revolt of his own as the praetorian guard supported him but the Legions in Germany supported a man named Vitellius. As a result ,the German legions marched on Rome to put Vitellius on the throne and to depose Otho.when he heard of this revolt, Otho sent his troops to fight Vitellius. Otho had sent his troops to late and his army suffered a horrible defeat.
After watching the Guns, Germs and Steel series about why the europeans conquer the world. I would agree with Jared Diamond and his explanation of how the Europeans were able to conquer an take over world. Throughout the series Jared points out many great ideas on how the Europeans were so successful in their journeys. Europeans greatest strength was their geographical location which brought them the most productive crops and animals on the planet. Jared says, "People around the world who had access to the most productive crops becomes the most productive farmers".
It’s amazing to look back on history and think that someone could run an empire of 35 million people in the time frame of 521-486 B.C.E. (Bentley and Ziegler 110). To get to that point, you must start small, and that seems to be what all of the different rulers did. I think that each ruler took a little bit of information from the previous ruler and tweaked it to their standards. From the Babylonian to the Persian Empire, slowly each empire grew stronger and larger but still they inevitable failed, due to attacks from outsiders and retaliation from its own citizens.
An interesting fact is that, Ecuador has lost about two-thirds of the territory it once claimed to Colombia and Peru. When it comes to the history of Ecuador it all started with the tribes in the northern highlands of Ecuador formed the Kingdom of Quito around 1000. It was absorbed, by conquest and marriage, into the Inca Empire. Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro conquered the land in 1532, and throughout the 17th century a Spanish colony thrived by exploitation of the Indians. The first revolt against Spain occurred in 1809.
“England is rich in these advantages, that she has coal and iron lying close together, that her sheep give the best wool, that her harbors are plentiful, that she is no ill- off for rivers” ii. The author, George Warner, adapted this book in 1899; years after the revolution happened, therefore, he can see what an advantage it was to have natural resources nearby which helped England industrialize. 2. The Industrial Revolution began in England because of its working class. a.