 | You can helpexpand this article with text translated fromthe corresponding article in Spanish. (January 2023)Click [show] for important translation instructions.
|
| Manqu Qhapaq | |
|---|---|
 Manco Cápac, mid–18th century painting, anonymous. | |
| Sapa Inca of theKingdom of Cusco | |
| Reign | c. 1200[1] –c. 1230 |
| Predecessor | Inti Mayta Cápac Pachacuti (Pre-Incan king) |
| Successor | Sinchi Roca |
| Born | beforec. 1200 Tamputoco,Cusco,Inca Empire |
| Died | c. 1230 Cusco, Inca Empire |
| Spouse | Mama Uqllu |
| Issue | Sinchi Roca |
| Father | Apu Tambo[2] |
Manco Cápac (beforec. 1200 – c. 1230) (Quechua:Manqu Qhapaq,Cusco Quechua:[ˈmaɴqɔˈqʰapaχ]), also known asManco Inca andAyar Manco, was, according to some historians, the first governor and founder of theInca civilisation inCusco, possibly in the early 13th century.[3] He is also a main figure ofInca mythology, being the protagonist of the two best known legends about the origin of the Inca, both of them connecting him to the foundation of Cusco. His main wife was his older sister,Mama Uqllu, also the mother of his son and successorSinchi Ruq'a. Even though his figure is mentioned in several chronicles, his actual existence remains uncertain.
Manco Cápac was born in Tamputoco, which according to some[4] is located in the present-dayprovince of Paruro, in Peru. The city usually served as a refuge for many people escaping theAymaran invasions[5] of theAltiplano. His father was named Apu Tambo.[2] Manco Cápac and his family lived a nomadic lifestyle.[6] Manco Cápac's father Apu Tambo was the head of the local tribalayllu, to which several dozens of families belonged to and were part of. The families were under his lead.
After the death of his father, Manco Capac had to succeed him as the head of the ayllu and now currently lead the several dozens of families.[7] The members of the ayllu were nomads, and the trajectory of their journeys through the Altiplano resembles the journey described in the legend of the Ayar brothers. Upon arriving in the Cusco valley, they defeated three small tribes that lived there; the Sahuares, Huallas and Alcahuisas,[6] and then settled in a swampy area between two small streams, that today corresponds with themain plaza of the city ofCusco.[8] The recently founded city was divided into four districts; Chumbicancha, Quinticancha, Sairecancha and Yarambuycancha.[9]
Manco Cápac's tribe, or ayllu, only occupied a small fraction of the Cusco valley, the rest of it being inhabited by larger and more powerful tribes, who often would threaten the city. Located north of the city there was a confederated lordship ofAyarmacas and Pinaguas. All these tribes regarded Manco Cápac and his ayllu as invaders and would often attack them. Manco Cápac, and later his son and successorSinchi Roca, would often have to defend the city against the other tribes.[10]
Manqu Qhapaq died of a natural death and left his son, Sinchi Roca, as his successor in Cusco. His body wasmummified and remained in the city until the reign ofPachacuti, who ordered its removal to the Temple of the Sun onIsla del Sol. In Cusco there remained only a statue erected in his honor.
Manco Cápac is the protagonist of the two main legends that explain the origin of theInca Empire. Both legends state that he was the founder of the city ofCusco and that his wife wasMama Uqllu.
In this legend, Manco Cápac (Ayar Manco) was the son ofViracocha ofPaqariq Tampu (sixleagues or 25 km south of Cusco). He and his brothers (Ayar Auca,Ayar Cachi and Ayar Uchu) and sisters (Mama Ocllo, Mama Huaco, Mama Raua and Mama Ipacura) lived nearCusco at Paqariq Tampu, and they united their people with other tribes encountered in their travels. They sought to conquer the tribes of the Cusco Valley. This legend also incorporates the golden staff, thought to have been given to Manco Cápac by his father. Accounts vary, but according to some versions of the legend, the Manco got rid of his three brothers, trapping them or turning them into stone, thus becoming the leader of Cusco. He married his older sister, Mama Ocllo, and they begot a son namedSinchi Roca.[11]
In this second legend, Manco Cápac was a son of the sun godInti and the moon goddessMama Killa, and brother ofPacha Kamaq. Manco Cápac himself was worshipped as afire and a SunGod. According to the Inti legend, Manco Cápac and his siblings were sent up to the earth by the sun god and emerged from thecave ofPacaritambo carrying a golden staff, calledtapac-yauri. Instructed to create aTemple of the Sun in the spot where the staff sank into the earth, they traveled to Cusco via caves and there built a temple in honour of their father Inti.
However, given the absence of a written tradition recounting this tale before the publication ofComentarios Reales de los Incas byGarcilaso de la Vega in the year 1609, the authenticity of this legend as a legitimate Incan legend is questioned.
The Son of the Sun (1987), the firstScrooge McDuckcomic book story written and drawn byDon Rosa, features Manco Cápac as the original owner of various losttreasures.
In the first sentence ofHerman Melville's novelThe Confidence-Man (1857) the sudden appearance at sunrise on 1 April of a mysterious fictional character is compared to Cápac's appearance out ofLake Titicaca.
InP.B. Kerr'sEye of the Forest, the fifth book in theChildren of the Lamp series, Manco Cápac is said to be a powerfulDjinn who took his place as a god amongst the Incas by displaying his power of matter manipulation.
In British authorAnthony Horowitz's fantasy-thriller book seriesThe Power of Five, Manco Cápac is the son of Inti and one of five children destined to keep the universe safe from the forces of evil. Cápac is reincarnated in the 21st century as a Peruvian street beggar called Pedro.
Kuzco, the main character fromEmperor's New Groove, in the first version of the movieKingdom of the Sun was supposed to be named Manco Cápac.
Thecar floatManco Capac operates acrossLake Titicaca betweenPeruRail's railhead atPuno and the port ofGuaqui inBolivia.[12]
| Regnal titles | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Inti Mayta Cápac Pachacuti (Pre-Incan king) | Sapa Inca c. 1200 –c. 1230 | Succeeded by |
