Contributing factors of the rise and fall

The Inca empires rose in the andes. Farming was incredibly difficult due to the rough terrain and high mountain peaks. In order to deal with this issue the incas utilized terrace farming. It allowed them to make use of land that would otherwise be useless to agriculture. They were able to grow corn, beans, squash, and coca. They also raised llamas and various other pack animals. The Ayllus were basic political religious and social communities based on the idea of descent from a common ancestor. Members of the Ayllu would contribute different resources to the community. Diverse Topography produced different lives for each member. Some could perhaps grow cotton while others would raise llamas. Many experts claim that the Ayllu was essential to the growth and development of the Inca empire.  As europeans entered Latin America much of the andian landscape was deemed uninhabitable while in actuality there were thriving communities amongst the andes.

The rise of the incan empire was almost as swift as the fall. Contributing factors such as ideology and rapid expansion contributed to their demise. According to Conrad and Demarest, as the inca empire expanded communities grew further apart. The ideology of spit inheritance led many Inca rulers to seek out more land. Dead kings would not leave their inheritance to their children leading to new conquests and expansion.  Because the empire was still rather young and made up of divided ethnic groups it was unable to unite across such territory. Military flaws also cost resources and made for a difficult jungle war fare. Gorilla fighting and rough jungle terrain made for a tough struggle when conquering new lands. As military units became spread too far they became unable to communicate.