The Conquest of Ecuador
Introduction
Contemporary Ecuadorian Culture was influenced equally by the Incan Empire and Spanish Colonization. Ecuador was a territory doubly subjugated by the Incas and then by the Spanish. During their time as rulers, the Inca people assimilated Inca agricultural techniques, and currently, some of their traditional religious beliefs and practices are still well known and practiced.
The Incas ruled Ecuador until the arrival of Francisco Pizarro, accompanied by an army of Spanish conquistadors. The outcomes of the conquerors’ actions against the Incas were very cruel and harmful. Even though the Incas were defeated, it took time for the Spanish to establish their system of colonization.
Incas’ Birth and belief
A long time ago, a civilization called “The Incas’ was born, and thus the Hera Incas began, contributing to the current history with many questions. Its influence, starting with its birth legend, contributes to beliefs and present traditions “The Inca religion centered on a pantheon of gods that included Inti; a creator god named Viracocha; and Ape Illipe, the rain god. Impressive shrines were built throughout the kingdom, including a massive Sun Temple in Cusco that measured more than 1,200 feet in circumference” (“Incas” 1). Over the years, the tradition past down by the Incas to thank the sun God is still being practiced.
To approach the practice of the people to celebrate in a very colorful and joyful way, “Every June 24, the Indians of Peru lay down their hoes and plows and put aside their modern-day woes to observe Inti Rami – the Festival of the Sun. Dressed in colorful ceremonial shawls and headdresses, they trek to the old stone city of Cuzco, high in the Andes mountains. There, amid ruins of ancient temples, they pray and thank the sun for the past year’s harvest” (Peart 3). Over the years, they developed a way of living and growing their economic growth. Due to their productive harvest, they thanked the sun by enjoying the Harvests and celebrating by dancing. These actions play an essential role in their tradition and beliefs “Agriculture was the mainstay of Inca lives, the source of their economic power, and an important part of their religious rituals. On rare occasions, when crops failed or the Supreme Inca was gravely ill, young girls or boys were chosen to be sacrificed to appease the sun. In Inca culture, it was considered an honor to be chosen for sacrifice, and the victims went willing” (Peart 10). They believed that due to their strong belief in the Sun God and his beliefs, it was okay for them to make a human sacrifice in the idea that this was the way to make God happy and have good harvests.
Incas Downfall
The influence of the partial Incas began in present-day Peru and later expanded to Ecuador. At that time, The Incas wanted new lands already occupied; in these territories, there were many Ecuadorian tribes; as history mentions, “The Incan empire commenced their expansion into the north of South America in the early 15th century from their stronghold in Cuzco, Peru. At this time, Pachacuti was the ruler of the Incan empire, and his son Túpac Yupanqui, or Topa Inca Yupanqui, led the invasion; however, Pachacuti ceded military military command to his son around 1463 and, ultimately, his empire in 1471” (“The Incan Empire in Ecuador” 2). Inca culture was also militaristic and built on conquest. The Inca culture came to power with weapons; in this way, the death of the eleventh Inca unchained a fight between his direct descendants, these two sons. In disagreement that the older brother would be the new king, the younger son began the war to conquer all lands, leaving much blood shed by the firm control of the army that had Atahualpa. In 1530, the death of the eleventh Inca sparked a bloody civil war between followers of two of his sons. The oldest son, Huascar, was heir to the empire, but Atahualpa, who controlled a large army in Ecuador, defeated his brother and became Supreme Inca in 1532. The war had gravely weakened the empire” (Peart.3). In the same way, the death of the eleventh Inca triggered a fight between his descendants. In his disagreement, these two sons, the younger son, and the older brother, who would be the new king, began the war to conquer all lands, leaving much blood spilled by the firm control of the army that had Atahualpa, which left the empire vulnerable.
Spanish Colonization
After the war for Atahualpa, the Spanish had no significant resistance. Facilitating their conquest and quickly reaching the capital of Ecuador, Quito, “The Spanish conquistadores quickly dismantled the indigenous political structure, which had been weakened by a series of wars between the Inca chief Atahualpa and his half-brother.
The Spaniards arrived in the Quito region in 1533 and established the city of Guayaquil shortly after that. The administrative center of Spanish rule was originally established through the viceroyalty of Peru in 1544” (“Ecuador” 1). The union between the Catholic religion and politics was extensive and powerful for many years. Making the belief that the Spanish had established to be mandatory as “The deep bond between Catholicism and political power persisted into the Constitutionalist Era of the nineteenth century; all nineteenth-century Spanish constitutions (1812,1837, 1869, and 1876, including that of the Spanish First Republic, declare the Catholic Church to be the established religion…As a result of the Catholic Church’s established status, freedom of worship did not exist during the nineteenth century” (“The Spanish System” 1). Since the Catholic Church was mighty for a long time, the traditions of the Incas were affected due to the pressure of following a specific religion.
Conclusion
In Ecuador, the beliefs of the two conquerors, the Incas and the Spanish. They are still being practiced in the celebrations made to the Gods, with festivals and dances adorned with the colors and outfits of the ancestors passed from generation to generation. Moreover, a part of the population has also acquired respect for the colonizers’ religion and costumes. Since, at present, the two beliefs of the Incas and the Catholic conquerors are practiced.
References;
Nytimes.com. “Ecuador.” July 15, 2004,www.nytimes.com/2004/07/15/travel/ecuador.html?smid=url-share.
History.com Editors. “Inca.” HISTORY, July 26, 2022, www.history.com/topics/south-america/inca.
