Inca Weapons Used in Battle
James Bustamante is Native to New York but born to Peruvian parents. He has been traveling throughout Latin America since early 2003 and finally made his home in Peru. James has made his way by eating and traveling through almost every country in Central and South America.
Last Updated on June 27, 2022 by James Bustamante
The Inca weapons used by the Inca Empire during their battles with other native communities or with Spanish Conquistadors could be particularly brutal. The Inca empire was very organized, they were able to put together a community of over 10 million subjects composed of many different local tribes.
This allowed the Inca army to be very mobile when it came to battle, they used the land to their advantage whenever possible. Inca warriors were trained in hand-to-hand combat as well as on the use of various weapons used in battle.
The Inca Were Conquerors
The Incas made it their objective to conquer as much land as possible. This allowed them to have access to new and vast resources throughout the land. They had an ever-growing empire that needed land, food, and water so it was in their best interest to conquer as much as they could.
To the Inca, diplomacy was an important part of maintaining their large empire. The Inca would use diplomacy as one of their main weapons when trying to gain new land, this would keep actual fighting and bloodshed to as little as possible.
This was not always the case though. On a regular basis, the Inca empire was tested by communities that would resist living under their rule. In the end, it was the Spanish conquistadors with their more sophisticated weapons, armor, and horses that stopped the expansion of the Inca empire.
The Inca vs The Conquistadors
To the Inca, The Spanish conquistadors must have been quite the menacing sight. The Europeans came onto shore and rode on horses, wearing heavy metal armor while pointing harquebus at the Inca.
Facing superior weaponry the Inca empire, which was quite large at over 10 million, was always at a disadvantage against the Spanish invaders which were a mere few hundred in total. At one point the Inca began to use what they had always used in battles with other tribes, the landscape.
When the Spanish reached the highlands the Inca began using ambush techniques and throwing boulders from the top of mountains. Fighting in this manner would finally give the Inca some kind of advantage over the Spanish, who rode on horses that previously gave them the height advantage.
Adding to the ambush techniques used were the Inca weapons that could be very effective and brutal when used correctly, even armored soldiers. The Spanish however, never reached the Inca citadel of Machu Picchu which might have been one of the last strongholds.
Inca Weapons Used For War
The many battles that took place during the reign of the Inca could be described as confusing and with plenty of bloodsheds. The weapons used by the natives could vary greatly depending on which particular ethnic group they hailed from. Among the many weapons, we can find spears arrows, slingshots, types of maces made of copper or bronze, clubs, and several more.
The Inca were rather fond of a palm wood club that had the shape of a double-edged sword. There was also the use of boulders set up on hilltops that would be pushed to roll down onto the enemies charging ahead. The Inca also employed the use of controlled grass fires to keep their enemies at bay. This would at the very least have them change course.
Inca Weapons: The Ayllus or Boleadoras
The first Inca weapon on the list is the “Ayllu” which is basically short ropes made from rawhide with stones attached at the ends of each strip. The Inca would use the Ayllus or Boleadoras (Spanish) primarily for hunting, however, they were also functional for combat.
The Inca warriors would throw them at their opponent’s arms or legs in order to bind them or momentarily incapacitate their movements. This also worked when thrown at a horse’s legs to stop them in their tracks. In turn, this would force the conquistadors to fight on foot which made battle slightly more even for the Incas.
Inca Weapons: The Warak’a
The Warak’a was another Inca weapon that was used in combat. This tool can be best described as a slingshot that would shoot out large stones as projectiles. The Inca were well adept at using the warak’a because it was traditionally used for hunting animals.
The Spanish were apparently highly frightened by the accuracy of the Inca and the speed of the projectile. There are accounts left by the Europeans that would detail how the Incas could shoot with pinpoint accuracy up to 230 feet (70.1 meters) away.
Bows and Arrows
This was one of the problems with how the Inca managed their warriors. Bows and arrows were only used by soldiers that came from an area called the Antisuyu located in the eastern part of the Inca empire. This covered very dense forested areas and today would cover parts of Cusco, Puno, and the country of Bolivia.
These bow and arrow users from Antisuyu were quite skilled but there were too few of them to really make a difference. The Inca made a mistake by limiting their numbers and their use in an integral military strategy.
The Macana
The macana was an Inca weapon that was used in hand-to-hand combat situations. This weapon can be described as a club with a wooden handle, a head made of copper or stone, and spikes sticking out of it.
Their main purpose was to batter and crack the skull of an enemy and render them incapacitated. It was a very old but effective tool used in battles throughout the Incan empire.
Inca Armor
The Inca used a type of shield made from hides (probably from Llamas or Alpacas), helmets made from wood, and metal bread plates to cover their chest. In addition, they used heavy quilted clothing to cover their backs. These were great for local warring with other communities like the Inca but were not great against the superior firepower of the Spanish conquistadors.
The Inca Battle Uniform
The Inca treated battles very seriously and made sure their troops would be properly dressed for the occasion. The Inca would be issued special clothing for battle, a blanket, and a pair of sandals. In addition to the garments they would also receive maize, peppers and even coca leaves to bring into battle.
The soldiers were proud to set out to battle and would also add personal touches to their uniforms. These would include headdresses made of feathers and breastplates made from copper or silver. Additionally, they would also bring along medallions issued to them by commanders as rewards from previous battles as well as necklaces made from teeth and bone of their expired enemies.
Conclusion
The Inca empire used various weapons to battle with other communities in South America as well as with the Europeans that came later. These were effective locally but proved to lack potency against the Conquistadors. The most effective weapons used by the Inca were reliant on hand-to-hand combat and proved not to be great against an opponent that had guns and horses.
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