The Chanka people (or Chanca) were a Late Intermediate (ca. 1400 CE.) ethnic group in Peru. Enemies of the Incas, they were centered primarily in Andahuaylas, located in the modern day region of Apurímac. The Chankas were divided into three groups: the Hanan Chankas, or the Upper Chankas; Hurin Chankas, or the Lower Chankas; and the Villca, or Hancohuallos. The Hanan Chankas had their center at Andahuaylas, the Hurin Chankas at Uranmarca, and the Villca at Vilcas Huaman.
When describing the Chankas, there is a need to distinguish between two ethnic groups with well-marked characteristics: the Hanan Chankas (or later called "kingdom of Park that war with the Cusco Quechua"); and the Hurin Chankas who surrendered voluntarily to the Quechua Cusco which were not destroyed or subjected to forced land transfers (mitmakuna). The Hanan Chanka did not make major contributions despite villages and found remains of Wari pottery and their own rudimentary tools. This is an area that needs to be better studied.
The Hanan Chancas were an ethnic group that inhabited the region in the departments of Ayacucho, Huancavelica, Junin and part of Apurímac in Peru. They are said to have originated from Lake Choclococha and united the colonial "Choclopus" (or "chocorvos") and Urcococha both in the Huancavelica Department. Its initial territory was located between the rivers "Ancoyaco (current Mantaro), Pampas and Pachachaca, tax Apurímac. When expanded, made the area "Ancoyaco ayllukuna" with its headquarters in Paucar and the Uran Chancas of Andahuaylas based secondary. They developed an autonomous culture and had an optional language of puquina. Its capital was Waman Karpa ("house of falcon"), on the shore of Lake Anori, 35km of Andahuaylas, on the banks of the river Pampas.
The initiator of the expansion of Chancas was called Uscovilca, and his mummy was preserved with veneration in Waman Karpa until the time of the Incas.
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According to various myths its founders were Uscovilca (founder of Lurinchanca) and Ancovilca (founder of Hananmarca or Hanan Chanka).[1] The error incurred until now was that the ethnic grouping of Hanan Chanka was confused with the Uran Chanka and that the latter joined the Pacor Pocoras in a non-existent entity called the "confederation pocra-chancas."
For some archaeologists, chanca society is a step backwards from the point of view urban, compared with culture Wari. Their settlement pattern was the most widespread of small villages (about 100 houses). Other scholars believe, however, that some have reached Chancas large populations. The burials are of two types: some in mausoleums, and other simply on the ground. There are also burials made in caves or rock shelters.
They were not rivals of the Incas because they submitted peacefully in the Quechua Cusco out for their "big brothers" the Park or Hanan Chanchan for visory and Rucanas erean brave people who clearly and warriors.
Were characterized as farmers. Were used and the feline deity painted the face and scream and carry on fighting to the Mummy on the shoulders of their grandparents. Chancas remained cohesive and managed to develop a major regional lordship lived its heyday during the 13th century.
According to supposed Incan sources that told of the Chanca culture, the Hanan Chancas were bloody when fighting, when they captured their enemies, they made them prisoners of war. They did cruel things to show the enemy that they should not meddle with them, such as scalping, or skinned prisoners alive. These prisoners were hung upside down so the blood concentrated in the upper body as they made small cuts on the front of the toes, and from there they began to tear the skin gradually, while the prisoner was screaming and terrified. Another way to intimidate the enemy was by making cups from the skulls of prisoners from which they drank the blood of the enemy.
The height of the Chancas expansion occurred between the years 1200 and 1438. After 1430 the Chanca nation attacked the Inca Empire in Cuzco. Prince Yupanqui, who had previously been sent to a llama ranch, defeated the Chanca.[2] After the war, the Sapa Inca assumed the name Pachacútec after the tough battle, in which the city of Cusco ran the risk of being captured by the Apurimeños. According to some Inca traditions, the Uran Chancas had been conquered much earlier, around the year 1230, when the Sapa Inca Mayta Cápac and his army crossed the Apurímac River, formerly called Cápac Mayu ("main river"), by means of a huge hanging bridge. The Inca, Garcilaso de la Vega(1605) gives Cápac Yupanqui a similar feat one hundred years later. However, the most solidly researched version establishes his defeat and subsequent submission at the hands of the army commanded by the Inca, Pachacútec.
It was in 1438 that the alleged leader Hanan Chanca "Anccu Hualloc" mythified himself so that the people or the ayllus Ancoyaco" (also called Anco Huayllu or Hancoallo) gathered 40,000 warriors from war and launched the conquest of Cusco. He advanced victoriously to encircle the city. The Inca Viracocha and many of the nobility fled in the direction of Collasuyo and spread despair until a prince Cusi Yupanqui (who later proclaimed himself Pachacutec) bravely led the resistance. While able to gather allies he offered peace to the besieged, but they rejected the offer. A bloody battle was fought in Yawarpampa ("field of blood"), providentially won by Cusco by the timely arrival of friendly forces.
This difficult victory became a legend in the story collected by the Indian chronicler, Joan de Santa Cruz Pachacuti Yampa Salcamaygua (1613) He states that the battle would have been lost if the stone soldiers ("pururaucas") had not been brought miraculously to life, stones dressed as soldiers to cheat Chancas.
According to the victors, 22,000 chancas and 8,000 cusqueños(natives of Cusco) died at Yawarpampa. Anccu Hualloc was injured and captured. The Hanan chancas were chased as far as Antahualla (Apurímac).
The leader of the defense of Cusco took up sovereign power and founded a new dynasty. According to the Commentarios Reales de los Incas by Garcilaso de la Vega, the inca fugitive was the old Yawar Huácac and the prince that took up the defence of Cusco, his son, Hatun Topa, afterwards called Viracocha Inca. According to Juan de Betanzos(1551), the fugitive was the old Wiracocha and not only him but his successor (and brother of Cusi Yupanqui), Inca Urco, fleeing from his responsibilities and being the saviour, (??) the prince, Cusi Yupanqui, later called Pachacútec.
According to the victors, Comentarios Reales de los Incas by Garcilaso de la Vega, the Inca was the elder fugitive Yawer Huácac and the prince who assumed the defense of Cuzco, his son Topa Hatun, named after Viracocha Inca. This is the most accepted version, which coincides with the chronicle of Miguel Cabello de Balboa(1583) and the most refined chronologies.
Other chroniclers, among them Bernabé Cobo(1653), mention a second attack by the chancas shortly after, also headed by Anccu Huayco against Pachacútec. The imprisoned leader not only managed to escape, but gathered 8000 chanca fighters in Challcumarca and in Suramarca and resumed the war, this time to regain the lost territories. Being inferior in force, he chose to escape to the jungle "to a region of large ponds or lakes", following the course of the Urubamba river.
Chanka Andahuaylas were close relatives of the other tribes that inhabited the province of Ayacucho, and as a nation were strengthened after the decline of the Wari expansion. According to Sarmiento de Gamboa, the Chanca territory was divided into three groups, known as Hanan chanca (Parkos, Ayllus del Ancoyaco), urin Chanka (Uranmarca, Adahuaylas) and villca or Rukanas (Vilcas). The Chanka nation was composed of tribes Ancoyaco, Andahuaylas, and rucanas and soras.
Regarding the geographic relationship of the native indians, the rucanas were divided into three groups Hanan rucana, Hurin rucana and Andamarca rucana. For the anthropologist Victor Navarro del Águila, rucana comes from rukak or lukak, i.e. shippers, mule drivers, the title was given to this province during the times of the Inca empire, precisely because they were carriers for the royalty, wearing a distinctive white and red on the head. The third important province of the Chancas was that of the soras whose ancient language was aimara. The soras were divided into three groups; Hanan soras, hurin soras and Chalco, although still subjugated by Chancas with whom they held constant wars. They worshipped a snowy mountain called Carhuarazo.
The economy of the Uran Chancas was based primarily on agricultural crops and animals.
They grew various Andean cultivated plants, in different ecological zones, and what amounted to the raising and shepherding of llamas, vicuna, alpacas and guanacos, in herds of appreciable size, which were administered from towns with special provisions to control them and feed them while they provided wool and meat.
Generally it is flat with a rough surface and sometimes with a red diluted slip. The decoration is in relief, with the application of buttons or clay figurines, supplemented with incisions or circular stamps. The shapes are very open dishes and jugs with narrow necks, that sometimes show rustic faces.
The land where the Chanka culture was located was a strategic place from where they dominated the territory and could easily develop defensive actions. The location was related to nearby water sources, and they could take advantage of the resources offered by the land, and the presence of several ecological zones on which they could rely to cultivate plants and rear animals.
Damian de la Bandera said: "All of them are living between the highest and the lowest points in ground cooler than hot, in high places and valleys caused by the rains, where they enjoy both extremes, of the colder land, to graze the domestic cattle, those that have them, and (those that don't)hunt the wild ones, and of the hotter land, to sow seeds, at their time. The villages are no bigger than the water and land will allow and in many of them no more than ten more indians could live for lack of water and ground."
The same Damián tells us that among these people there were three major trades: - the potters, - the silversmiths or metal workers, and - the carpenters. These trades endured until colonial times.
Their most impressive remains are "Inca Raqay"[3] studied by Martha Anders,[4] on the banks of the River Mantaro north of Huanta where the Uran Chancas built the outstanding Sondor fort, the metalworking centre of Curamba and the Inti Huatana in Uranmarca, strategically located in the most beautiful parts of the province of Andahuaylas. In every district there is also a large variety of remains which demonstrate the legacy of the Wari Pacor, Chanka and Inka cultures.
Although there is information about their military history and warlords, the archaeological remains identified as Chancas do not allow an exact profile of the life and customs of these people.
Huamancarpa (near Andahuaylas), as well as Carahuasi and Rumihuasi (near Abancay), still require further investigation.