The Inca were one of the world’s largest civilisations of the late Middle Ages until their conquest by the Spanish in 1533 in modern day Peru and surrounding countries. They expanded into the largest pre-Columbian kingdom in the Americas, spreading across a diverse selection of climate such as the highlands of the Andes, plateaus, and jungles. This became the world’s only mountain empire, forged without the pen and the sword and with no written language

Compared to the Romans of the ancient world for their organisational and military skills and for their unique architecture, and agricultural systems, the Inca were nonetheless undermined by their lack of military technology and resistance to European diseases. In this episode of Empire Builders, we look at the accomplishments of this empire, particularly the construction of its great buildings at Sacsayhuaman in Cusco and Machu Piccu. We also examine the beliefs of the Inca, the divine power of their Emperor, how they were defeated by the Spanish and what they have left behind since their defeat 500 years ago.