Examination of the first part of the Royal Commentaries, succession of the Incas

Abstract

José de la Riva Agüero conducts a critical analysis of the Inca Garcilaso's work, defending him of asseverations of being a mere novelist, while he acknowledges Garcilaso’s idealization of the empire. The author contrasts Garcilaso with Montesinos, who presents a long list of pre-Inca kings (Pirua, Amautas). Riva Agüero argues that, although Montesinos copied from dubious sources, modern archaeology (Uhle) confirms the existence of a pre-Inca empire (Tiahuanaco). The origin of the Incas is discussed, rejecting the theory that Tiahuanaco was Aymara and proposing that it was an ancient Quechua civilization. Finally, he analyzes the myth of the Ayar brothers as the historical memory of the struggle between Quechua tribes (Manco, Uchu) for the control of Cuzco; he asserts that the Incas were the restorers of the old Tiahuanaco culture.