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Customer Reviews of The Incas

An account of an efficient, ancient government
While watching this video, I could not help wondering how the Spanish were able to conquer the Incan Empire. Thousands of miles from home and in an environment they were totally unaccustomed to, an army of a few hundred Spaniards was able to take control of an empire that once had over six million people. The common opinion that I have encountered is that the empire was falling apart, it was so large that it was not possible for a central authority to maintain control. However, from the information on this tape, that explanation seems weak. <
> For the Incan Empire was most likely the most organized society in the world at that time. They built over 11,000 miles of roads, more than that built by the Roman Empire or the Chinese. To make it even more impressive, the roads built by the Incas were over much more difficult terrain. The Andes Mountains are much more rugged than anything found in Europe and some sections are a series of over 1,000 steps hewed out of the mountain. Their communication system was so efficient that they could transmit a message from one end of the empire to the other in less than a week. While some waterways could be used to send messages this fast, it was not possible to send messages over land this fast until centuries later. <
> To make this building even more amazing is that this system of roads was built over a short period of time. In terms of the amount of construction that was done, this road system may be the largest engineering project ever done without machinery. Much is said about the Great Wall of China, but the Inca system is larger. The Incas also created a series of way stations along their roads that were relatively small and kept well stocked with supplies. As the scientist studying the Incas notes, this society could not have been kept together without a high degree of organization in food production. <
> The Inca Empire was probably the most organized governmental structure that existed until technology made it possible for the rapid movement of information and freight. That is a conclusion that you cannot fail to make from watching this tape. It has motivated me to investigate the reasons why it collapsed so easily.

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Ho Hum
I bought this to learn more about the Incas and the history of Peru during the period when their civilization flourished. Instead, this plodding documentary focused more on archaeological findings -- lots of information about pottery and woven cloth. Those interested in this aspect of Peruvian history should find this worthwhile. For those wishing to learn more broadly about Incan civilization and its history, you're better off watching the newly released "Conquistadors" with Michael Woods.