instead, succession. His estate was designed as a statement of preference for a
favorite secondary wife and their son over that of his principal wife and child.
Since gaining the support of powerful Inca nobles was key to securing his
favored successor, Topa Inca had the elaborate entrance to his royal estate face
the panaca lands of his father, rather than Cuzco, the capital. Hence, for Topa
Inca, the royal estate had little to do with imperial conquest, but everything to do
with royal authority, both present and future.
While Topa Inca’s efforts ultimately failed, the importance of the royal estate
and its relationship to the powerful panacas continued to grow. When Huayna
Capac finally came to power (after a contested, behind-the-scenes battle
involving various noblemen and women), he was left with some of the poorest
agricultural lands in the Urubamba valley for a royal estate. In response, Huayna
Capac marshalled experts in hydraulic engineering to tame the meandering
Urubamba River and convert wetlands into some of the richest farming lands in
the region. In doing so, the architecture of his royal estate visually demonstrated
his power to transform a weakened condition into a defiant victory.
While the power of the panacas increased over time, they always played a
critical role in Inca royal estates. This is because in the eyes of his subjects an
Inca ruler did not die but, instead, was transformed from a Sapa Inca into a
venerated ancestor. In this new desiccated existence, the royal mummy
continued to visit his royal estates, where he was feasted, celebrated, and
consulted on important matters. As the royal mummies depended on the panacas
to carry out their wishes, however, it was the panacas who took over the running
of the royal estates. Thus, for most of their existence, Inca royal estates were the
focal point of panaca identity, authority, and ceremony.
Further Reading
Bengtsson, Lisbert. Prehistoric Stonework in the Peruvian Andes: A Case Study at Ollantaytambo. Vol. 44,
Etnologiska studier. Göteborg: Göteborg University, Department of Archaeology, 1998.
Burger, Richard I., and Lucy C. Salazar. Machu Picchu: Unveiling the Mystery of the Incas. New Haven,
CT: Yale University Press, 2004.
Nair, Stella. At Home with the Sapa Inca: Architecture, Space, and Legacy at Chinchero. Austin: University
of Texas Press, 2015.
Niles, Susan. Callachaca: Style and Status in an Inca Community. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press,
1987.
———. The Shape of Inca History. Iowa City: University of Iowa Press, 1999.
Protzen, Jean-Pierre. Inca Architecture and Construction at Ollantaytambo. New York: Oxford University
Press, 1993.
Reinhard, Johan. Machu Picchu: Exploring an Ancient Sacred Center. Los Angeles: Cotsen Institute of
Archaeology Press, 2007.