Social Class System: Lower Class
The lower class was made up of anyone who wasn’t a noble or royalty. That mostly meant farmers and warriors. If there were not enough warriors or citizens who wanted to be in the military, then farmers would sometimes be drafted. The Incas had no slaves.
Farmers not only grew crops and raised animals for themselves but for the nobility and the gods as well. Farmers would grow crops on terraces if they live near or on a hillside. The amount of land each farmer got depended the size of his family. After a farmer was done tilling, planting, or harvesting, he would usually help those who couldn’t tend to their crops or do charity work around his village or kinship unit. The fields for the gods were planted first, then the noble’s fields, and then their own fields. Farmers could also be drafted into the military. They had to serve at least once as an aucu or warrior.
The Inca army was a collection of citizens between the ages of 25 to 50 years old from different tribes that the Incas had conquered. The number of men drafted from each province depended on the size of the province. The generals would ensure that the farm work still got done. Fresh men who hadn’t served would replace those that had served. Though the Inca army was not made up of professional warriors, the Inca army was an organized, disciplined army, trained by warriors who did graduate from Yachahuasi and were professionals. The army was broken up into units of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand. There was one general for each a thousand warriors. That thousand was broken down to ten units of a hundred with a leader for each unit. That a hundred was broken down into two units of fifty with a leader for each unit, and then those units of fifty were broken down into five units of ten with a leader for each unit. This kept the army under control and organized. The warriors’ armor was short, heavy cotton tunics with vests made out of wood over top. Their helmets were made out of wood or woven reeds and they had wooden or animal hide shields. To protect their arms in close combat, they wrapped coarse llama fur around their arms. For weapons, warriors carried sling shots made out of fabric or leather. In close combat warriors used a copper mace that was spiked or a copper, wood, or bone tipped spears. They also used clubs, axes, javelins, and bolas or a cord tied to three stones that could cripple your legs.
Farmers not only grew crops and raised animals for themselves but for the nobility and the gods as well. Farmers would grow crops on terraces if they live near or on a hillside. The amount of land each farmer got depended the size of his family. After a farmer was done tilling, planting, or harvesting, he would usually help those who couldn’t tend to their crops or do charity work around his village or kinship unit. The fields for the gods were planted first, then the noble’s fields, and then their own fields. Farmers could also be drafted into the military. They had to serve at least once as an aucu or warrior.
The Inca army was a collection of citizens between the ages of 25 to 50 years old from different tribes that the Incas had conquered. The number of men drafted from each province depended on the size of the province. The generals would ensure that the farm work still got done. Fresh men who hadn’t served would replace those that had served. Though the Inca army was not made up of professional warriors, the Inca army was an organized, disciplined army, trained by warriors who did graduate from Yachahuasi and were professionals. The army was broken up into units of ten, fifty, a hundred, and a thousand. There was one general for each a thousand warriors. That thousand was broken down to ten units of a hundred with a leader for each unit. That a hundred was broken down into two units of fifty with a leader for each unit, and then those units of fifty were broken down into five units of ten with a leader for each unit. This kept the army under control and organized. The warriors’ armor was short, heavy cotton tunics with vests made out of wood over top. Their helmets were made out of wood or woven reeds and they had wooden or animal hide shields. To protect their arms in close combat, they wrapped coarse llama fur around their arms. For weapons, warriors carried sling shots made out of fabric or leather. In close combat warriors used a copper mace that was spiked or a copper, wood, or bone tipped spears. They also used clubs, axes, javelins, and bolas or a cord tied to three stones that could cripple your legs.