History of the Incas
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Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa >> History of the Incas
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It may be that Almighty God permits that one shall be the executioner of
the other for his evil deeds, that both may give place to his most holy
gospel which, by the hands of the Spaniards, and by order of the most
happy, catholic, and unconquered Emperor and King of Spain, Charles V of
glorious memory, father of your Majesty, was sent to these blind and
barbarous gentiles. Yet against the force and power of the Incas on foot
and united, it appeared that it would be impossible for human force to
do what a few Spaniards did, numbering only 180, who at first entered
with the Governor Don Francisco Pizarro.
It is well established that it is a thing false and without reason, and
which ought not to be said, that there is now, in these kingdoms, any
person of the lineage of the Incas who can pretend to a right of
succession to the Incaship of this kingdom of Peru, nor to be natural or
legitimate lords. For no one is left who, in conformity with their laws,
is able to say that he is the heir, in whole or in part of this land.
Only two sons of Huayna Ccapac escaped the cruelty of Atahualpa. They
were Paullu Tupac, afterwards called Don Cristoval Paullu, and Manco
Inca. They were bastards, which is well known among them. And these, if
any honour or estate had belonged to them or their children, your
Majesty would have granted more than they had, their brothers retaining
their estate and power. For they would merely have been their
tributaries and servants. These were the lowest of all, for their
lineage was on the side of their mothers which is what these people look
at, in a question of birth[124].
[Note 124: These statements about the illegitimacy of Manco and
Paullu Inca are made to support the Viceroy's argument and have no
foundation in fact. The two princes were legitimate; their mother being
a princess of the blood.]
And Manco Inca had been a traitor to your Majesty and was a fugitive in
the Andes where he died or was killed. Your Majesty caused his son to be
brought out, in peace, from those savage wilds. He was named Don Diego
Sayri Tupac. He became a Christian, and provision was made for him, his
sons and descendants. Sayri Tupac died as a Christian, and he who is now
in the Andes in rebellion, named Titu Cusi Yupanqui, is not a legitimate
son of Manco Inca, but a bastard and apostate. They hold that another
son is legitimate who is with the same Titu, named Tupac Amaru, but he
is incapable and the Indians called him _uti_. Neither one nor the other
are heirs of the land, because their father was not legitimate.
Your Majesty honoured Don Cristoval Paullu with titles and granted him a
good _repartimiento_ of Indians, on which he principally lived. Now it
is possessed by his son Don Carlos. Paullu left two legitimate sons who
are now alive, named Don Carlos and Don Felipe. Besides these he left
many illegitimate sons. Thus the known grandsons of Huayna Ccapac, who
are now alive and admitted to be so, are those above mentioned. Besides
these there are Don Alonso Titu Atauchi, son of Titu Atauchi, and other
bastards, but neither one nor the other has any right to be called a
natural lord of the land.
For the above reasons it will be right to say to those whose duty it may
be to decide, that on such clear evidence is based the most just and
legitimate title that your Majesty and your successors have to these
parts of the Indies, proved by the actual facts that are here written,
more especially as regards these kingdoms of Peru without a point to
raise against the said titles by which the crown of Spain holds them.
Respecting which your Viceroy of these kingdoms, Don Francisco Toledo,
has been a careful and most curious enquirer, as zealous for the
clearing of the conscience of your Majesty, and for the salvation of
your soul, as he has shown and now shows himself in the general
visitation which he is making by order of your Majesty, in his own
person, not avoiding the very great labours and dangers which he is
suffering in these journeys, so long as they result in so great a
service to God and your Majesty.
LXXI.
SUMMARY COMPUTATION OF THE PERIOD THAT THE INCAS OF PERU LASTED.
The terrible and inveterate tyranny of the Incas Ccapac of Peru, which
had its seat in the city of Cuzco, commenced in the year 565 of our
Christian redemption, Justin II being Emperor, Loyva son of Athanagild
the Goth being King of Spain, and John III Supreme Pontiff. It ended in
1533, Charles V being the most meritorious Emperor and most Christian
King of Spain and its dependencies, patron of the church and right arm
of Christendom, assuredly worthy of such a son as your Majesty whom may
God our Lord take by the hand as is necessary for the Holy Christian
church. Paul III was then Pope. The whole period from Manco Ccapac to
the death of Huascar was 968 years.
It is not to be wondered at that these Incas lived for so long a time,
for in that age nature was stronger and more robust than in these days.
Besides men did not then marry until they were past thirty. They thus
reached such an age with force and substance whole and undiminished. For
these reasons they lived much longer than is the case now. Besides the
country where they lived has a healthy climate and uncorrupted air. The
land is cleared, dry, without lakes, morasses, or forests with dense
vegetation. These qualities all conduce to health, and therefore to the
long life of the inhabitants whom may God our Lord lead into his holy
faith, for the salvation of their souls. Amen[125].
Maxima Tolleti Proregis gloria creuit
Dum regni tenebras, lucida cura, fugat.
Ite procul scioli, vobis non locus in istis!
Rex Indos noster nam tenet innocue.
[Note 125: Cieza de Leon and other authorities adopt a more moderate
chronology.]
CERTIFICATE OF THE PROOFS AND VERIFICATION OF THIS HISTORY.
In the city of Cuzco, on the 29th day of February, 1572, before the very
excellent Lord Don Francisco de Toledo, Mayor-domo to His Majesty, and
his Viceroy, Governor, and Captain-General of these kingdoms and
provinces of Peru, President of the Royal Audience and Chancellory that
resides in the city of the Kings, and before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel
his Secretary and of the Government and General Visitation of these
kingdoms, the Captain Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa presented a petition of
the following tenor:
Most Excellent Lord,
I, the Captain Pedro Sarmiento, Cosmographer-General of these kingdoms
of Peru, report that by order of your Excellency I have collected and
reduced to a history the general chronicle of the origin and descent of
the Incas, of the particular deeds which each one did in his time and in
the part he ruled, how each one of them was obeyed, of the tyranny with
which, from the time of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Inca, they
oppressed and subjugated these kingdoms of Peru until by order of the
Emperor Charles V of glorious memory, Don Francisco Pizarro came to
conquer them. I have drawn up this history from the information and
investigations which, by order of your Excellency, were collected and
made in the valley of Xauxa, in the city of Guamanga, and in other parts
where your Excellency was conducting your visitation, but principally in
this city of Cuzco where the Incas had their continual residence, where
there is more evidence of their acts, where the _mitimaes_ of all the
provinces gathered together by order of the said Incas, and where there
is true memory of their _ayllus_. In order that this history may have
more authority, I pray that you will see, correct, and give it your
authority, so that, wherever it may be seen, it may have entire faith
and credit.
Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa.
Having been seen by his Excellency he said that it may be known if the
said history was in conformity with the information and evidence, which
has been taken from the Indians and other persons of this city and in
other parts, and he ordered that Doctor Loarte, Alcalde of the court of
his Majesty should cause to appear before him the principal and most
intelligent Indians of the twelve _ayllus_ or lineages of the twelve
Incas and other persons who may be summoned, and being assembled before
me, the present Secretary, the said history shall be read and declared
to them by an interpreter in the language of the said Indians, that each
one may understand and discuss it among themselves, whether it is
conformable to the truth as they know it. If there is anything to
correct or amend, or which may appear to be contrary to what they know,
it is to be corrected or amended. So I provide and sign
Don Francisco de Toledo
Before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel.
Afterwards, on the abovesaid day, month, and year the illustrious Doctor
Gabriel de Loarte, in compliance with the order of his Excellency and in
presence of me the said Secretary, caused to appear before him the
Indians of the names, ages and _ayllus_ as follows:
_Ayllu of Manco Ccapac._
Aged
Sebastian Ylluc 30
Francisco Paucar Chima 30
_Ayllu of Sinchi Rocca._
Diego Cayo Hualpa 70
Don Alonso Puzcon 40
_Ayllu of Lloqui Yupanqui._
Hernando Hualpa 70
Don Garcia Ancuy 45
Miguel Rimachi Mayta 30
_Ayllu of Mayta Ccapac._
Don Juan Tampu Usca Mayta 60
Don Felipe Usca Mayta 70
Francisco Usca Mayta 30
_Ayllu of Ccapac Yupanqui._
Aged
Don Francisco Copca Mayta 70
Don Juan Quispi Mayta 30
Don Juan Apu Mayta 30
_Ayllu of Inca Rocca._
Don Pedro Hachacona 53
Don Diego Mayta 40
_Ayllu of Yahuar-huaccac._
Juan Yupanqui 60
Martin Rimachi 26
_Ayllu of Viracocha._
Don Francisco Anti-hualpa 89
Martin Quichua Sucsu 64
Don Francisco Chalco Yupanqui 45
_Ayllu of Pachacuti._
Don Diego Cayo 68
Don Juan Hualpa Yupanqui 75
Don Domingo Pascac 90
Don Juan Quispi Cusi 45
Don Francisco Chanca Rimachi 40
Don Francisco Cota Yupanqui 40
Don Gonzalo Huacanhui 60
Don Francisco Quichua 68
_Ayllu of Tupac Inca._
Don Cristoval Pisac Tupac 50
Don Andres Tupac Yupanqui 40
Don Garcia Pilco Tupac 40
Don Juan Cozco 40
_Ayllu of Huayna Ccapac._
Don Francisco Sayri 28
Don Francisco Ninan Coro 24
Don Garcia Rimac Tupac 34
_Ayllu of Huascar._
Aged
Don Alonso Titu Atauchi 40
_Besides these Ayllus._
Don Garcia Paucar Sucsu 34
Don Carlos Ayallilla 50
Don Juan Apanca 80
Don Garcia Apu Rinti 70
Don Diego Viracocha Inca 34
Don Gonzalo Tupac 30
These being together in presence of his Excellency, the said Alcalde of
the court, by the words of Gonzalo Gomez Ximenes, interpreter to his
Excellency, in the general language of the Indians, said:--"His
Excellency, desiring to verify and put in writing and to record the
origin of the Incas, your ancestors, their descent and their deeds, what
each one did in his time, and in what parts each one was obeyed, which
of them was the first to go forth from Cuzco to subdue other lands, and
how Tupac Inca Yupanqui and afterwards Huayna Ccapac and Huascar, his
son and grandson became lords of all Peru by force of arms; and to
establish this with more authenticity, he has ordered that information
and other proofs should be supplied in this city and other parts, and
that the said information and proofs should be, by Captain Pedro
Sarmiento to whom they were delivered, digested into a true history and
chronicle. The said Pedro Sarmiento has now made it and presented it to
his Excellency, to ascertain whether it is truthfully written in
conformity with the sayings and declarations which were made by some
Indians of the said _ayllus_. His Excellency is informed that the
_ayllus_ and descendants of the twelve Incas have preserved among
themselves the memory of the deeds of their ancestors, and are those who
best know whether the said chronicle is correct or defective, he has
therefore caused you to assemble here, that it may be read in your
presence and understood. You, among yourselves, will discuss what will
be read and declared in the said language, and see if it agrees with the
truth as you know it, and that you may feel a stronger obligation to say
what you know, it is ordered that you take an oath."
The said Indians replied that they had understood why they had been sent
for, and what it was that was required. They then swore, in the said
language, by God our Lord, and by the sign of the cross, that they would
tell the truth concerning what they knew of that history. The oaths
being taken the reading was commenced in sum and substance. There was
read on that and following days from their fable of the creation to the
end of the history of the Incas. As it was read, so it was interpreted
into their language, chapter by chapter. And over each chapter the
Indians discussed and conferred among themselves in the said language.
All were agreed in confirming and declaring through the interpreter,
that the said history was good and true, and in agreement with what they
knew and had heard their fathers and ancestors say, as it had been told
to them. For, as they have no writing like the Spaniards, they conserve
ancient traditions among themselves by passing them from tongue to
tongue, and age to age. They heard their fathers and ancestors say that
Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui, the ninth Inca, had verified the history of the
former Incas who were before him, and painted their deeds on boards,
whence also they had been able to learn the sayings of their fathers,
and had passed them on to their children. They only amended some names
of persons and places and made other slight corrections, which the said
Alcalde ordered to be inserted as the Indians had spoken, and this was
done. After the said corrections all the Indians, with one accord, said
that the history was good and true, in conformity with what they knew
and had heard from their ancestors, for they had conferred and discussed
among themselves, verifying from beginning to end. They expressed their
belief that no other history that might be written could be so authentic
and true as this one, because none could have so diligent an
examination, from those who are able to state the truth. The said
Alcalde signed
The Doctor Loarte
Gonzalo Gomez Ximenes
Before me Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel.
After the above, in the said city of Cuzco, on the 2nd of March of the
same year, his Excellency having seen the declaration of the Indians and
the affidavits that were made on them, said that he ordered and orders
that, with the corrections the said Indians stated should be made, the
history should be sent to his Majesty, signed and authenticated by me
the said Secretary. It was approved and signed by the said Doctor
Gabriel de Loarte who was present at the verification with the Indians,
and then taken and signed
Don Francisco de Toledo
Before Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel
I the said Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel, Secretary to his Excellency, of the
Government, and to the general visitation of these kingdoms, notary to
his Majesty, certify that the said testimony and verification was taken
before me, and is taken from the original which remains in my
possession, and that the said Alcalde, the Doctor Loarte, who signed,
said that he placed and interposed upon it his authority and judicial
decree, that it may be valued and accepted within his jurisdiction and
beyond it. I here made my sign in testimony of the truth
Alvaro Ruiz de Navamuel
[Illustration: _Facsimile (reduced) of the_ SIGNATURES OF THE ATTESTING
WITNESSES TO THE SARMIENTO MS. 1572. _From the original, Goettingen
University Library. Reproduced and printed for the Hakluyt Society by
Donald Macbeth_.]
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