What is it about?
This chapter takes a close read of a 1550s history of the Inca Empire, considering how Inca witnesses described the evolution of masculine violence in the origins, expansion, and dissolution of the most powerful Indigenous state to develop in the Americas. The external expression of violence is strongly tied to expressions of male sovereignty, whereas coercive control over social norms and moral behavior is cast as essential for maintaining civilization.
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Why is it important?
Most anthropological approaches to the Inca Empire ignore the developmental aspect of imperial power and downplay the prevalence and social functions of male violence in the Inca-era Andes. This study addresses the coercive aspects of Inca state-building from the perspective of early colonial witnesses who expressed nuanced views on how different kinds of force could reinforce or destabilize the imperial state.
Perspectives
For me, this chapter offered a chance to approach one of the earliest Spanish chronicles of the Incas as a value-rich narrative that expressed the cyclical sense of time typical of Andean people. Understanding the ways that Inca men described their ancestors using violence--as part of the male life cycle, as well as the developmental cycle of the Inca state--was helpful for thinking about the construction of power in the Inca world.
Alan Covey
University of Texas at Austin
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Trajectories of Masculine Violence in Juan de Betanzos’ Suma y Narración de los Incas, November 2025, De Gruyter,
DOI: 10.1163/9789004743571_014.
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