Questions About The Last Days of the Incas

by Kim MacQuarrie (Goodreads Author)

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No matter how much politically correct input I have had, I still feel honestly impressed by Pizzaro. 167 men against a whole empire. The tendency to paint a pretty picture of the Inca usually ignores the facts. Human sacrifice and slavery on such a massive scale can't be prettified, so they are usually left out. The fact that Apahualpa intended to kill the Spanish is often left out too. How balanced is this book?

Enrique First, as mentioned by Gabriel, Human Sacrifice is not covered in this book. However, "The History of the Conquest of Peru" by William H. Prescott doe…moreFirst, as mentioned by Gabriel, Human Sacrifice is not covered in this book. However, "The History of the Conquest of Peru" by William H. Prescott does. According to Prescott, Human Sacrifice in the Inca Empire was extremely rare. Is there any book out there that states otherwise? Please inform.

Second, there was no slavery in the Inca Empire. There were vassal nations, different ethnic groups within the Empire. However, according to all accounts, although most of the land belonged to the State, people were only required to provide a certain amount of work for the benefit of the state. The rest of the time they were free to use their labor for their own benefit. Massive slavery only became real during the Spanish hegemony where all labor was for the benefit of the Spanish elite and the population only received the minimum for surviving and destitution and poverty became the norm.

Third, if an invading force came into your country and through brute force and deceit, stole all the gold, the silver, the land, the women and captured your leader and enslaved the population, wouldn't you want to kill them too?
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