Assesment of the first part of the Royal Commentaries, succession of the Incas [III]

Abstract

In this section, the author analyzes critically the Inca religion and politics in Garcilaso's work. He refutes the idea of an Inca monotheism, demonstrating a hierarchized polytheism with deities such as Viracocha, Pachacamac, and Inti; a ancestor worship or mallquis. He contradicts Garcilaso regarding the absence of human sacrifices, proving their existence with chroniclers like Cieza and the Toledo’s Informations. He examines the political structure, distinguishing between royal governors (removable) and hereditary curacas (local chiefs), and compares the empire's despotic and communist system with civilizations like China and Egypt. He concludes that, although Garcilaso idealizes, his work preserves the genuine tradition of the indigenous race.