“At the beginning of the new year the rulers of each village came to Cuzco, bringing their quipus, which told how many births there had been during the year, and how many deaths. In this way the Inca and the governors knew which of the Indians were poor, the women who had been widowed, whether they were able to pay their taxes, and how many men they could count on in the event of war, and many other things they considered highly important. The Incas took care to see that justice was meted out, so much so that nobody ventured to commit a felony or theft. This was to deal with thieves,or conspirators against the Inca.”
—Pedro Cieza de Léon, The Second Part of the Chronicle of Peru, 1883
Which statement correctly describes the role of quipu in the administration of the Inca Empire?
(1 point)
Responses
Quipu were used to conduct a yearly census to help in the administration of the empire and its resources.
Quipu were used to conduct a yearly census to help in the administration of the empire and its resources.
Quipu were used only to record births and deaths among the people of the Inca Empire.
Quipu were used only to record births and deaths among the people of the Inca Empire.
Quipu were used to identify ethnic groups that should be relocated through mitma.
Quipu were used to identify ethnic groups that should be relocated through mitma.
Quipu were used only by local ayllu rather than the central government in Cuzco.
Quipu were used only by local ayllu rather than the central government in Cuzco.
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1 answer
The correct statement that describes the role of quipu in the administration of the Inca Empire is:
Quipu were used to conduct a yearly census to help in the administration of the empire and its resources.
This is supported by the excerpt, which mentions that the rulers brought quipus to Cuzco to provide information about births, deaths, and other important demographic data.
