Existing comment:
A Road for Administration
Qhapaq Ñan means "the Way of the Lord." The road was reserved for state business. The Inka bureaucracy used the Qhapaq Ñan to mobilize the labor force, transport raw materials and crops across the empire, and serve the state's many other needs -- including military campaigns to conquer territory and quell rebellions.
Chaskis -- Messengers
News traveled fast along the Qhapaq Ñan. Chaskis (official messengers) carried khipus (string devices for recording information), verbal messages, and small packages across the empire. They ran in a relay system, trading messages and goods at stations called chaskiwasis, which stood approximately 10 to 15 kilometers (5 to 7 miles) apart. |