Yáhuar Huácac was the seventh Inca governor, son of Inca Roca and Mama Micay. His name at birth was Tito Cusi Hualpa. The union of his parents would bring him serious problems and change the rest of his life without knowing it.
The Incas were undoubtedly a civilization that set precedents in the history of mankind. Without knowing iron, wheel or writing, they were able to create one of the largest and most important empires in history.
Portrait of Yawar Waqaq. Cover of General History of the deeds of the Castilians in the islands and the mainland of the Ocean Sea that they call the West Indies, by Antonio de Herrera (1615) -
This was largely due to its rulers, some of whom still reverberate in many books and have an interesting history to know about. One of these cases is that of Yáhuar Huácac.
Tupac Cápac was the curaca, or ruler, of the Ayarmacas and was engaged to a woman he loved and who was considered very beautiful in the empire, Mama Micay. What more could I ask for than to have power and love?
But his life took an unexpected turn when Inca Roca, who was the ruler of the Incas at that time, conquered the heart of the young woman and she married him. This betrayal was something that Tupac Cápac never forgot and waited for the exact moment to carry out his revenge.
When several years passed, he decided to hurt the couple with what they loved most: their adored son Tito Cusi Hualpa. He kidnapped him with the aim of killing him, but when the moment of execution arrived, the boy began to cry blood, a fact that greatly frightened the kidnappers.
The Incas were very religious, they had many deities and they were sure to receive punishments from them. Although history does not relate it, it is possible that the fear they felt when they saw the little heir of the Incas cry blood was based on this belief.
The rescue of Yáhuar Huácac
Even though they were scared to death, returning the boy to his parents was not an option, so he was left under guard on a plateau used for grazing. It was there that some Antas rescued him.
The Antas were shepherds who could do their work in the fields thanks to the kindness of the king, so returning the child to the king would be a great point in their favor that would lead them to gain a good reputation, as well as the trust of the ruler. It is possible that this gesture assured them financial peace of mind for life.
Although the story does not tell how the rescue was, it is very likely that the Antas put themselves in danger to recover the little one and deliver him to his parents, but their interest in the child, or their desire to be well seen by the king, was stronger, who knows. It was after being rescued that he received the name Yuácar Huácac, which in Quechua means 'the one who cries blood'.
His reign
Painting by Yahuar Huacac Yupanqui (between 1750 and 1800).
His reign lasted only 20 years, a period too short compared to other rulers of the kingdom of Cusco. However, the few years that he was in power went a long way, as he had to deal with various internal rebellions.
Although his marriage with Túpac Cápac's daughter and his marriage with one of Huácac's relatives, calmed the enmities between Incas and Ayamarcas, the newly appointed governor had new enemies.
The Muyna and Pinahua regions, in Arequipa, rebelled against him and plunged into a battle that the Inca curaca won, stripping them of several of their lands. This made him earn the eternal hatred of these regions and neighboring ones, such as Condesuyos.
Of course revenge came. While preparing a conquest, he made a party in which he drank a lot of alcohol, an occasion that a guest, possibly an infiltrator, took the opportunity to attack him.
The curaca, seeing himself alone and without loyalists, decided to flee to another region, but on the way he was hit by his enemies, the Condesuyos, and they killed him.
His succession
As expected, after such a sudden death, the Inca government was left in disarray. However, Yáhuar Huácac had left everything well tied, or so he believed.
Following in his father's footsteps, he decided to unite his government with the second son of the coya, the chief wife of the curaca. This would guarantee that the official descendants remain on the throne and it is not necessary to win it through battles, fights or conquests.
However, her son Pahuac Guallpa Mayta was killed by the manipulations of an Inca woman who wanted to see her son on the throne. History does not say much about this woman, but there are those who affirm that she was possibly a lover of Yáhuar Huácac and that is why she believed she had the right of her son to opt for that throne.
However, this did not happen either, as the Cuntis who had worked as slaves for the Incas for years, rebelled.
They entered Cuzco and almost managed to eliminate it completely, but when they were surprised by a storm, believing that it was a bad omen from the gods, they fled, and the throne was left empty.
A highly desired position
Knowing what being a curaca of the Incas meant, it is not surprising that Yáhuar Huácac fought his entire life to preserve it. Nor is it surprising that many wanted to take the job away from her.
The Inca ruler enjoyed absolute power and no one could appear before him with shoes on or with his head held high. He had authority over his subjects, their houses and lands.
If the curaca took advantage of this to use them as slaves, it is very likely that he would win enemies who wanted to overthrow him, or worse, kill him. This is what happened to Yáhuar Huácac with the Cuntis.
After the death of Yáhuar Huácac, there were three more rulers in the Inca Empire that lasted for three centuries, spanning the time of pre-Columbian America, until the conquest of the Spanish troops.
However, the footprint of this civilization along with that of some of its rulers, will continue to be present in history for many years.
References
- Hemming J. The Conquest of the Incas. The Peru Reader. 2005.
- Pierre Duviols. The dynasty of the Incas. Journal of the Société des americanistes. 1979.
- Zuidema T. El Inca and his curacas: royal polygyny and the construction of power. Bull l'Institut français d'études Andin. 2008
- Menzel D. The Inca Occupation of the South Coast of Peru. Southwest J Anthropol. 1959
- Juan de Betanzos. Sum and narration of the Incas. 2019.
- Burnie RW. History of the Incas. Notes and Queries. 1887.