Discuss briefly the growth of Inca polity in Latin America.

The Inca Empire was a significant polity in Latin America that emerged in the early 15th century and lasted until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century. The empire’s expansion was facilitated by a highly centralized political system, which was supported by an impressive infrastructure of roads, storehouses, and administrative centers.

The Inca Empire’s growth was largely attributed to the reign of Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui (1438-1471), who is credited with expanding the empire’s boundaries to cover modern-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, and parts of Argentina and Colombia. The Inca Empire’s expansion was also built upon the foundations laid by previous Andean civilizations such as the Wari and Tiwanaku.

The Inca Empire’s political centralization was accompanied by a sophisticated system of tribute and labor obligations that required conquered peoples to pay tribute in the form of goods and labor. This system allowed the Incas to accumulate resources and wealth, which they used to support military campaigns and public works projects.

However, the Inca Empire’s expansion was not without resistance, and many conquered peoples rebelled against Inca rule. Despite this, the Incas were able to maintain their control over the empire through a combination of military force, political skill, and religious influence.

In summary, the growth of the Inca polity was a significant achievement in the history of Latin America. Through a combination of centralized political power, impressive infrastructure, and sophisticated systems of tribute and labor obligations, the Inca Empire expanded to become the largest pre-Columbian empire in the Americas, leaving a lasting impact on the Andean region.