5 – They had Fabulous Riches
The Inca had beautiful temples, an advanced transport network and an innovative method of farming; yet they achieved all this without money or marketplaces. The government controlled the production, distribution and usage of the empire’s commodities with every citizen receiving essentials from state storehouses. These necessities included food, clothing and raw materials so there was no need to buy or sell anything. Since there were no shops or markets, there was no point in having a form of currency.
Yet when the Conquistadores arrived in 1531, they were astounded by the wealth on display. A prime example of Inca riches came with the infamous tale of Atahualpa’s Ransom Room. When Francisco Pizarro and his men tricked and defeated the Inca and kidnapped their emperor, he is said to have demanded a ransom. One account suggests that Pizarro was paid $50 million worth of gold (by today’s standards) in order to release the emperor but the Spaniard had Atahualpa strangled instead in 1533.
Another version says that a huge group of Inca were coming to Cajamarca with 750 tons of gold only to turn back when they heard about the death of their emperor. The leader of this group, Ruminahui, was eventually captured and tortured but he never revealed the location of the treasure. Known as the Treasure of Llanganates, it is said to be in the mountain range which bears this name and an innumerable amount of adventurers have tried and failed to find it. Yet another tale suggests a Spaniard called Valverde found the gold and left directions after he died.
A Conquistador by the name of Ciezo de Leon wrote a firsthand account of what he saw when he arrived at Cuzco. As well as being astounded by the craftsmanship of the Inca, he saw houses with golden statues along with vases of silver and emeralds. Atahualpa allegedly had a portable throne made from 15 karat gold which weighed 183 pounds!