Cusco Golden City - Inca Empire Trilogy (Second Edition)

Author: (French) Antoine B. Daniel
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-05-01
Features: The Inca civilization originated in the 6th century, when over 100 tribes lived in the Andean mountains and coastal regions. The main tribes included: Aymara, Mochica, Pukina, and Quechua. The Quechua tribe resided in the Cusco Valley and was the most primitive among the four, yet they were adept at absorbing the achievements of other cultures, allowing them to develop rapidly. The Incas were a branch of the Quechua people who created a highly advanced culture and established the "Inca Empire." The Incas believed themselves to be the descendants of the sun god, and the term "Inca" means "son of the sun." Initially, this title was only used for the chief of Cusco, as he was the direct descendant of the sun and held absolute power. After the Spanish invasion of South America, however, they used the title "Inca" to refer to the entire Quechua tribe, and the term has been used ever since. It is said that the Inca Empire had 13 rulers, with only one, Manco Capac, being a legendary figure, while the other 12 were real historical figures. This book, published in France, topped the LIVRESHEBDO literary bestseller list for 17 consecutive weeks. The book is the first collaborative work by three internationally renowned Inca civilization experts in France: Antoine Houdou, who is both a publisher and a writer; Béatrice Huet, an expert in Inca civilization, who has dedicated herself to studying South American culture since 1978; and Jean-Daniel Palerme, a historian and writer whose historical novels have won him the prestigious Sainte-Beuve Prize. The three experts use the pen name Antoine B. Daniel for this collaboration. The book consists of three parts: "The Sun Princess," "The Golden City of Cusco," and "The Light of Machu Picchu," each with approximately 230,000 words. In the early 16th century, the Inca Empire reached its peak, with its territory centered around modern-day Peru, stretching south to central Chile, north to most of Ecuador, Bolivia, and a portion of northwestern Argentina, covering a north-south span of 4,000 kilometers and an area of over 2 million square kilometers, with a population exceeding 6 million. It became the most powerful empire in the Americas, earning the nickname "the Rome of the New World," and the Incas were called "the Romans of the New World." In the mid-16th century, Spanish colonizers arrived in South America, led by Pizarro. The Inca Empire collapsed rapidly due to the invasion of the Spanish colonizers. This book narrates the rise and fall of the Inca Empire in a literary manner, making it an excellent read for those interested in the ancient Inca civilization.