The Incas

by Nigel Davies

The Inca Empire's immense territory spanned more than 2,000 miles - from Ecuador to Chile - at the time of the Spanish invasion, yet Inca culture remains largely a mystery. The Incas did not leave pictorial codices and documents in their native language as the Maya and Aztec did and they narrated to Spanish chroniclers just a few of the multiple alternative histories maintained by descendants of various rulers.

In this classic work, Nigel Davies offers a clear view into Inca political history, economy, governance, religion, art, architecture, and daily life. The Incas has become a classic in its many years in print; readers and scholars interested in ancient American cultures will relish this paperback edition.

Genres: History, Nonfiction

389 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 5 out of 5]

Much of what is available about the Incas is hogwash. Because they never had a written language other than elaborately knotted cords called quipus -- and this only for accounting purposes -- it is difficult to disentangle history from myth. Unfortunately, many contemporary writers speak with far more certitude than they are entitled to -- considering that everything that is known about the Incas comes from a dozen Spanish sources that freely contradict one another. As long as they add their own dash of New Age pucky, they manage to get away with murder.

On the other hand, there are archaeological writers with considerably more integrity who write books that are in no wise best sellers: They rely on readers to think too much. Such a writer is Nigel Davies, author of The Incas. At one point, Davies writes:

Yet any tendency to deny historical validity to Inca sources surely derives from this very need for selectivity. In dealing with the Inca Empire, the historian is faced with the absolute necessity of evaluating sources containing conflicting information and deciding which are the most credible.

But then Davies said much the same problem was faced by Thucydides in his The Peloponnesian War, when he relied more on verbal reports of informants than documents, not believing that "the past was really discoverable beyond the span covered by oral testimony from living sources."

If you have read other books about the Inca, this one will probably contradict most of them. Davies not not fear to confess his uncertainty based on wildly disagreeing sources. At several points in The Incas, he produces side by side tables quantifying this disagreement.

When I finally go to Peru, I can see myself disagreeing with all the New Age types who have little respect for the validity of sources. But then, being the type of person I am -- one who eschews all certitudes -- I probably would anyhow.

[Benjamin Uke · Rating 4 out of 5]

An overview of the Incan empire written by a Mexicanist about Andeans for Americans. The Inca Empire spanned Ecuador to Chile - at the time of the Spanish invasion and remains largely a mystery due to the conquest. The Incas did not leave codexes and documents in their native language like the Maya and Aztec did (Not having a written language didn't slow them down when running an administrative state. They were using an unusual system of knotted necklaces known as Qipu, to record data. Which were only translated relatively recently, somewhat dating this book). Thus the only history is narrated to heavily biased Spanish chroniclers is verbal history, just a few of the multiple alternative histories maintained by descendants of various rulers.

Davies eases us into the topic with summaries of major archeologists and ethnohistorians
he interprets the direct evidence we do have sparsly The author offers a view into Inca political history, economy, governance, religion, art, architecture, and daily life. Personally, I'd welcome an updated analysis on how the Inca empire developed along with synthesis of the newer archeological discoveries.

4/5
This is long (had to take a few breaks to finish), and the reading can be dry to those not here for an academic interest, but personally I found it utterly fascinating.

[Sharon Barrow Wilfong · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review coming.

[Terry Hinkley · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed Nigel Davies book on the Aztec civilization, but this one was too much of a strain to read.
Too many differing opinions on dates, rulers, their families and names, pre Inca tribes (although I did find this interesting that there were many before the Inca's actually came to power.) and their origins.
There were an estimated 20 different languages spoken in the region. Most of the information was provided by the Spanish who decimated the region and were biased as to how the Inca's should be portrayed. Also the Inca had no written text or alphabet only the Quipu a type of accounting system using cords and knots, pottery and tapestries. Their oral history was unreliable because it of course changes as it is passed on. Not Mr. Davies fault of course he can only provide what information is available so much of Inca History is based on differing opinions. It will probably remain a mystery unless some big discovery is made.

[ile · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not feel that this was a good book to introduce me to the Incas. It felt more of a review of what other authors wrote about the Incas, often illustrating the contrasting views among those authors. The authors selected varied in terms of their times, some from 1500s others from 1600s and so on. And while at times this book will indicate the bias or the limitations of one author's views, at other times it felt like there was no such indication and you're left to accept multiple differing views with equal weight. And in the end, I was left with walking away knowing nothing about the Incas.

Well, perhaps I did learn something and the last chapter was enjoyable but overall I was disappointed because I quite enjoyed the Aztecs by the same author, and had my hopes up for this, only for them to be crushed!

[June Ling · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’d give this book 4 stars instead of a 5 because while I was hooked in the first 3/4 of the book- where the narrative was compelling, easy to follow, descriptive, cohesive and eye opening, the last quarter of the book was rather dry and I felt that the author was rushing through episodes and segments of each chapter to reach the end. Last few chapters were a bit choppy and I felt a bit lost. Overall the book is enjoyable and definitely my understanding of the Incas has deepened and I would definitely like to pursue further reading, thanks to a pretty solid starting point of this book.

[Jay Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book is well written and researched. The problem is that the Incas did not have a written history. Little is known except what we have from Spanish chroniclers and what we have been able to learn from archaeology. The opinions differ. The author is good at reviewing the conflicts. Hence, the books brevity.

[Gerry · Rating 4 out of 5]

After finishing this book I could not help wondering about the origins of the peoples of the Americas and their antecedents

[Tito Quiling, Jr. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with a book on the Ancient Greeks, this one on the Incas by Nigel Davies complemented the series of historical reading quite well, although this title had a more solid delivery. This is in terms of plausibility that is credited to local sources rather than anchoring on the abundant, but contradictory writings from the Spaniards who colonized parts of the Inca Empire. In this vein, having tried to reassess the rather entitled view of the colonizers in dealing with significant figures of the Inca history, Davies poses his own inquiry as to how one is able to look at history objectively.

Trying to fit the broken pieces of this large puzzle in South America's progress (which historically, the borders of what is now Colombia, Peru, Guatemala, Ecuador, were virtually non-existent during the reign of the Incas) involves tracing local lore and oral history, and what stood out to me was their ingenuity in accounting and their highway system--some of which survive to this day. On another note, while the reigns of the Incan emperors were a bit mechanical, its inclusion prove to be useful as references as one reads through the book. And the closing sentences cleanly provides the reader facts that could have been given light by modern historians, than relying on the traditional information about the great Inca empire.

[Catherine · Rating 2 out of 5]

If I had taken less than a year or so to finish this I would have gotten more out of it. As it was I read for a while then set it aside then finished it and couldn't remember what had gone on before.

[Jonathan]

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