The Inca HIERARCHY Pyramid was divided into four Groups
The Sapa Inca
(The Emperor)
The Sapa Inca was seen as the Sun God, a god brought to earth by the Sun God Inti. He was chosen by the previous Sapa Inca who would nominate his most capable son. The son wasn't necessarily the eldest or from his main wife.He owned all the land and had ultimate control. He was treated with the uttermost respect. When visitors came to see him they had to remove their footwear and carry a burden on their back, the meaning of this was to show respect to his authority.
The Nobles
(The High Priest, Inca's and Royal Family)
Second to the Sapa Inca in terms of power the nobles were made up of the High Priest or Villac Umu, The Royal Family and the Inca. The High Priest was very important to Inca society as he was the person who directly spoke to the sun god Inti. The High priest was also in charge of appointing other priests for Temples throughout the empire. The Royal family were the direct descendants of the Sapa Inca or the wives of the Sapa Inca, they were granted high positions in the government. The Inca were the people who were the direct descendants of the people who first established the city of Cuzco, they lived very luxurious lives and held some of the most important roles in the Inca Government.
Public Administrators
(The Tax Collectors, Record Keepers and Curacas)
The Public Administrators were regarded as middle class citizens as they were part of the low level government. These administrators were made of three key groups The Curacas, The Tax Collectors and The Record Keepers. The Curacas were the leaders of the tribes that the Inca's had conquered. Although the Inca empire had conquered them their tribe stayed intact as long as the Curacas reported to the Inca's. The tax collectors job is very self-explanatory, their job was to collect tax from every Inca citizen. The Record Keeper's were in charge of recording who payed their taxes and where resources were kept.
Commoners
(Farmers and Artisans)
At the bottom of the social pyramid sat the commoners. The commoners were comprised of two groups the farmers and the artisans. The Artisans were much more respected than the farmers who were seen as peasants. The Artisans were in charge of pottery and jewellery making, the jewellery they made was for the nobles. Although seen individually as the least wealthy, the farmers role in Inca society was key. The farmers were the largest and most important class. Two thirds of the farmer's crops were given to the government and priests. The Inca empire strongly needed the production by farmers to help with its success and wealth.