Title of arms granted to Gonzalo Uchu Hualpa and Felipe Tupac Inca Yupanqui

      The Incan Empire, can be questioned to be one of the greatest empires of all time to some historians. The Incan Empire, in 1572 and its native people were to undergo the changes that colonization ultimately brings about when empires are conquered. The Incan Empire could be held to the standard of greatest empire by the fact of how intricate their administrative, hierarchy, and military system were set up, which were introduced and then used by the Spanish Empire.

      Incan hierarchy was defined by the clothing that the elites of the Incas would wear, shown through a uncu or even mascapaycha. These two pieces of clothing could show just how important you were in this hierarchy by the intricate designs on an unco because it showed that you had the money to have poeple spend such time and cumbi on you. When the Spanish conquered the Incas, the Incan and Andean people could tell that the Spanish were not the same they looked different and even smelled different from them. Noticing that the Spanish don’t have clothing as ornate as their beloved uncus, and just simply looked like commoners. But the Spanish did rely on the institutions that the Inca already had in place, such as mita, and by doing this the Spanish used the local indigenous elites to facilitate the Spanish colonial rule.

       The Inca then adopted and adapted their colonial rule, as a way to intertwine Inca into the structure of the Spanish Empire. This painting of Gonzalo Uchu Hualpa, and the coat of arms of Felipe Tupac Inca Yupanqui show how the Spanish empire allowed those indigenous elites to profit from the colonization. The Spanish Empire entrusting these elites gave them the authority and power to show the indigenous people that the Inca are still here but are changing into a colonial Inca. These paintings show this claim in the utter fact that these elites had their painting painted, which was a Spanish custom. Secondly we see the uncu representing the Inca empire and how they have that dual authority in the colonial Spanish empire and with the indigenous Incan people that understand the hierarchical aspect of the uncu.

       Lastly the coat of arms depicted in both pictures have symbolism by itself of the change of native elite Inca to the colonial elite Inca. On the left half of this coat of arms we have things that would be associated with the Spanish Empire, amour and a castle. Then as we go to the right side we have depictions of things that would be associated with the Incan Empire such as; the mascapaycha surrounded by serpents with crowns also known as a amaru which represented a destroyer to the Incans. Then below it we have references to the Andes with a rainbow, eagle, and a puma. Representation of the native culture is important, because it shows the indigenous people that these elites are still Inca.  

       In summation the elite Incas placed to power by the Spanish Empire did more than just facilitate the wants and need of colonialism. But showed the indigenous Inca and Andean people that the Spanish Empire was being profited off of in power and influence to these elites. Telling the indigenous people through their paintings, uncus, and coat of arms that the Inca is still here but just adapting to the colonial Inca.