Description

The Sapa Inca was the monarch of the Inca Empire, as well as ruler of the earlier Kingdom of Cusco and the later Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba. While the origins of the position are mythical and originate from the legendary foundation of the city of Cusco, it seems to have come into being historically around AD 1100. Although the Inca believed the Sapa Inca to be the son of Inti and often referred to him as Inti churi "solar son" or Intip churin "son of the Sun", the position eventually became hereditary, with son succeeding father. The principal wife of the Inca was known as the coya or quya. The Sapa Inca was at the top of the social hierarchy, and played a dominant role in the political and spiritual realm.