Cañaris
Encyclopedia
The Cañari are an indigenous ethnic group
traditionally inhabiting the territory of the modern provinces of Azuay and Cañar
in Ecuador
; the term also refers to an independent pre-Hispanic
tribal confederation of the same name, from which the modern people are descended. They are particularly noted for their resistance against the Inca Empire
. Eventually conquered by the Inca shortly before the arrival of the Spanish, the Cañari would later ally with the Spanish against the Inca. Today, the population of Cañari, which includes many mestizo
s, numbers only in the thousands.
The general government of the Cañari was a federated monarchy. Each curaca
or ruler governed his/her tribe independently; but, in great general emergencies, all of the leaders came together to deliberate in a general assembly, presided over by a sir or ruler from Guapondelig
(called Tumebamba
after the conquest of the Inca), who exercised certain jurisdiction over the others.
The rulers practised polygamy
and the first male child succeeded the father in governing the tribe. The leaders were not equal in power or riches; because of this they all had alliances, protecting some against the oppression of others.
Túpac Yupanqui conquered the Huancabambas, the most southern of the Cañari allies.
". According to some linguists, it means the Cañari believed their ancestors were the snake and the macaw. Another explanation is that they considered these animals sacred, as is demonstrated by stories and designs. Within the great Cañari family, there were groups with their own cultures. One of these was the Peleusis, which was located in the area of the modern city of Azogues
and had hegemony over neighbouring tribes.
According to a traditional story, the location of the Pelusis was founded by the caciques Tenemaza and Carchipulla. These surnames still exist in the province.
mountains to the Narajal beaches and the coasts of the Jambelí canal. Within the Cañari territory, the most important areas were Cañaribamba, Cojitambo, Chobshi, Shabalula, Molleturo
, Coyoctor, Culebrillas, Yacubiñay, Guapondelig
and Hatun Cañar
. After the Inca Conquest, the newcomers renamed the last two Tumebamba and Ingapirca, respectively. Located in the present-day provinces of Azuay, Cañar
, and El Oro
in what is modern Ecuador, ruins
and archeological remains of Cañari or Inca culture are left in many of those locations.
Túpac Yupanqui renamed Guapondelig
as Tumebamba. He had the palace of Pumapungo
constructed, from which he governed the northern sector of the Inca empire. Years later, Huayna Cápac
returned to the north of the empire to put down the rebellion of the northern tribes,
The largest known ruins of the Cañari-Inca confederation are:
Of these four, Ingapirca is the best known. Pumapungo is not well known, although it is located in the centre of the city of Cuenca
, behind the Museo del Banco Central. Chobshi and Yacubiñay have not been studied intensely or excavated by professional archeologists.
The Cañari used a lunar calendar and built temples in circular or moon-like shapes. At Ingapirca
, examples of round Cañari buildings can be seen juxtaposed against rectangular Inca buildings. The site also has stone "calendars". These devices are stones with holes drilled in them in various positions at various angles. The holes are filled with water to reflect celestial bodies. Each one reflects at different times giving dates.
As many as ten Cañari dialects may have survived into the current century. Any surviving speakers are few and far between, and almost no information seems to be available about the languages or how to speak them. Most indigenous people in Ecuador claim to speak Kichwa
or Spanish.
The triumph over the Paltas was even more complete because they surrendered themselves and were incorporated into the Inca "empire". Notwithstanding such docility, Túpac Yupanqui took some thousands of them and sent them far from their territories to the remote provinces of Collao
, and settled the land of the Paltas with mitimaes
from other provinces. The fortresses, which had been prepared the highlands of Saraguro, did not help them at all because the presence of Inca troops in the valley made them know that all resistance would be useless.
Having vanquished and subjugated the Paltas, Túpac Yupanqui continued the conquest of the Cañari. The Cañari were numerous and had been for much time before silently preparing for the defense of their lands and their independence: they had celebrated a union of all the leaders and elected Dumma as chief and had, moreover, a considerable army. Túpac Yupanqui thought that he should not lose time or give the Cañari space to fortify more: he thus rushed his troops and attacked the enemies, expecting to defeat them by surprise; but he was mistaken because the Cañari were aware of the attack and had occupied all the difficult passes. The battle was, thus, intense and the Inca retreated hastily toward Saraguro, seeing that the defeat of tribes as astute as they were bellicose was not so easy as he had imagined.
The defeat of the Inca inspired new bravery in the Cañari and, combining valor with strategy, they communicated secretly with the Paltas, inciting them to rebel against the Inca: such a risky enterprise unnerved the Paltas and, after consulting with their wisemen what to do, they resolved to tell Túpac Yupanqui of the Cañari plans. The proud Túpac Yupanqui was offended and resolved not to return to Cuzco without first subjugating the Cañari. He sent for reinforcements from all of the Inca "empire"; and while they were arriving, he constructed a fortification along the border between the Paltas and the Cañari.
Knowing of these Inca preparations and seeing the works or preparations for war that had begun, morale began to weaken, and the strength with which the first assault was resisted was exchanged with discouragement. They began to look for a peaceful solution and, at last, sent messengers to the Inca, charged with offering to submit to his "empire". The Cañari were famous for being fickle. As such, the Inca did not believe them at first, only after taking measures for his security and demanding, as one of those measures, that Dumma and other leaders send their own children as hostages, did he believe it. Túpac Yupanqui, thus assured, began to travel toward the province of Azuay; but before entering it personally, he sent his most trusted official to arrange for dignified accommodations and to determine the resolve of the Cañari and discover any plans for treachery.
The Cañari received the envoy of the Inca with grand celebration, and in a very short time constructed a palace that would house their new lord; and when he appeared, finally, on their land, they came out to encounter him, giving public and solemn manifestations of sincere respect and of celebration. The Cañaris were loosely assimilated into the vast empire, allowed to manage their own affairs but adopting a new language.
Túpac Yupanqui stayed a long time in the province of Azuay, taking away a considerable number of its native inhabitants and moving them to Cuzco; he constructed bridges on the rivers and ordered the construction of various buildings, as many religious as non-religious, wanting to earnn the affection of the Cañari and have them as subjects. Túpac Yupanqui beautified the city of Tumibamba where his son Huayna Capac
was born.
He gave the order to construct two fortresses: one in Achupallas, and another in Pumallacta. He built in the roughest location of the mountain chain a residence for the convenience of his army and subjugation, without any difficulty, of the Quillacos, who lived in the valley of Guasunos and Alausí
. So ended the conquest of the Cañari and the incorporation of their territory in the Inca "empire".
between Huáscar
and Atahuallpa, the sons of Huayna Cápac, the Cañari chose to support Huáscar, despite being positioned in the northern area inherited by the son and heir Atahuallpa. Initially, Huáscar's generals Atoc
and Hango were successful, defeating Atahuallpa's army and capturing many of his soldiers, including seizure of the large cities Cajamarca
and Tumebamba
.
Aided by his father's loyal generals, Atahuallpa managed to rout the Huáscaran army in the battles of Mullihambato and Chimborazo
. This forced the interlopers back to the south. He captured and executed Huáscar's generals and executed the Cañari supporters once he reached Tumebamba. The Cañari were punished heavily, leaving only 12 thousand of their original population of 50 thousand.
arrived at Tumbes
, he received news that the Cañari were against the government of Atahuallpa. The Cañari hoped the Spanish people
would liberate them from the Incas, and Pizarro included the Cañari among his troops to face Atahuallpa and Inca resistance.
In 1583, Cañari and Spanish soldiers defeated the Inca in the battle of Sacsayhuamán
.
Ethnic group
An ethnic group is a group of people whose members identify with each other, through a common heritage, often consisting of a common language, a common culture and/or an ideology that stresses common ancestry or endogamy...
traditionally inhabiting the territory of the modern provinces of Azuay and Cañar
Cañar Province
Cañar is a province in Ecuador. The capital is Azogues. At the time of census 2005 the province had a population of 221,045. It contains the 16th-century ruins of Ingapirca, the best-known Inca settlement in Ecuador and a product of their conquest of the indigenous Cañari.- Cantons :The province...
in Ecuador
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
; the term also refers to an independent pre-Hispanic
Pre-Columbian era
The pre-Columbian era incorporates all period subdivisions in the history and prehistory of the Americas before the appearance of significant European influences on the American continents, spanning the time of the original settlement in the Upper Paleolithic period to European colonization during...
tribal confederation of the same name, from which the modern people are descended. They are particularly noted for their resistance against the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
. Eventually conquered by the Inca shortly before the arrival of the Spanish, the Cañari would later ally with the Spanish against the Inca. Today, the population of Cañari, which includes many mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
s, numbers only in the thousands.
The general government of the Cañari was a federated monarchy. Each curaca
Curaca
A curaca was an official of the Inca Empire, who held the role of magistrate, about 4 levels down from the Sapa Inca, the head of the Empire. The curacas were the heads of the ayllus . They served as tax collector, and held religious authority, in that they mediated between the supernatural sphere...
or ruler governed his/her tribe independently; but, in great general emergencies, all of the leaders came together to deliberate in a general assembly, presided over by a sir or ruler from Guapondelig
Tumebamba
Tumebamba or Tomebamba, was a former city-state in the Inca federation, held by the ethnic Cañaris people; roughly translating to "entrance of the puma"...
(called Tumebamba
Tumebamba
Tumebamba or Tomebamba, was a former city-state in the Inca federation, held by the ethnic Cañaris people; roughly translating to "entrance of the puma"...
after the conquest of the Inca), who exercised certain jurisdiction over the others.
The rulers practised polygamy
Polygamy
Polygamy is a marriage which includes more than two partners...
and the first male child succeeded the father in governing the tribe. The leaders were not equal in power or riches; because of this they all had alliances, protecting some against the oppression of others.
Túpac Yupanqui conquered the Huancabambas, the most southern of the Cañari allies.
Origins
The word Cañari comes from "kan" meaning "snake" and "ara" meaning "macawMacaw
Macaws are small to large, often colourful New World parrots. Of the many different Psittacidae genera, six are classified as macaws: Ara, Anodorhynchus, Cyanopsitta, Primolius, Orthopsittaca, and Diopsittaca...
". According to some linguists, it means the Cañari believed their ancestors were the snake and the macaw. Another explanation is that they considered these animals sacred, as is demonstrated by stories and designs. Within the great Cañari family, there were groups with their own cultures. One of these was the Peleusis, which was located in the area of the modern city of Azogues
Azogues
Azogues is the capital of the province of Cañar in Ecuador. The population of Azogues is 27,866. Azogues is known for its Panama hat industry; the hats are produced primarily for export. The city is the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Azogues....
and had hegemony over neighbouring tribes.
According to a traditional story, the location of the Pelusis was founded by the caciques Tenemaza and Carchipulla. These surnames still exist in the province.
Territory
The Cañari were a group or confederacy of united tribes who formed a people; they inhabited the area from the limits of Azuay to Saraguro, from the GualaquizaGualaquiza
Gualaquiza is a town in the Morona Santiago province of Ecuador. It is the seat of the Gualaquiza Canton.- Sources :*World-Gazetteer.com*http://www.volunteeringecuador.info/morona-santiago/gualaquiza.html...
mountains to the Narajal beaches and the coasts of the Jambelí canal. Within the Cañari territory, the most important areas were Cañaribamba, Cojitambo, Chobshi, Shabalula, Molleturo
Molleturo
Molleturo is a town and parish in Cuenca Canton, Azuay Province, Ecuador. The parish covers an area of 853.4 km² and according to the 2001 Ecuadorian census it had a population total of 5,221....
, Coyoctor, Culebrillas, Yacubiñay, Guapondelig
Tumebamba
Tumebamba or Tomebamba, was a former city-state in the Inca federation, held by the ethnic Cañaris people; roughly translating to "entrance of the puma"...
and Hatun Cañar
Ingapirca
Ingapirca is a town in Cañar Province, Ecuador and the name of an Incan archeological site just outside the town. The town was named after the Inca palace and temple site....
. After the Inca Conquest, the newcomers renamed the last two Tumebamba and Ingapirca, respectively. Located in the present-day provinces of Azuay, Cañar
Cañar
Cañar may refer to:* Cañar Province, Ecuador* Cáñar, Spain...
, and El Oro
El Oro
El Oro may refer to:*El Oro Province, a province in Ecuador*El Oro Municipality, Mexico State, a municipality of Mexico State, Mexico*El Oro Municipality, Durango*El Oro District, a district of Antabamba, Peru...
in what is modern Ecuador, ruins
Ruins
Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction...
and archeological remains of Cañari or Inca culture are left in many of those locations.
Túpac Yupanqui renamed Guapondelig
Tumebamba
Tumebamba or Tomebamba, was a former city-state in the Inca federation, held by the ethnic Cañaris people; roughly translating to "entrance of the puma"...
as Tumebamba. He had the palace of Pumapungo
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
constructed, from which he governed the northern sector of the Inca empire. Years later, Huayna Cápac
Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac was the eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire and sixth of the Hanan dynasty. He was the successor to Tupac Inca Yupanqui.-Name:In Quechua, his name is spelled Wayna Qhapaq, and in Southern Quechua, it is Vaina Ghapakh...
returned to the north of the empire to put down the rebellion of the northern tribes,
The largest known ruins of the Cañari-Inca confederation are:
- IngapircaIngapircaIngapirca is a town in Cañar Province, Ecuador and the name of an Incan archeological site just outside the town. The town was named after the Inca palace and temple site....
(CañarCañarCañar may refer to:* Cañar Province, Ecuador* Cáñar, Spain...
provinceProvinceA province is a territorial unit, almost always an administrative division, within a country or state.-Etymology:The English word "province" is attested since about 1330 and derives from the 13th-century Old French "province," which itself comes from the Latin word "provincia," which referred to...
) - PumapungoCuenca, EcuadorCuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
(Azuay province) - Chobshi (Azuay province)
- Yacubiñay (El OroEl OroEl Oro may refer to:*El Oro Province, a province in Ecuador*El Oro Municipality, Mexico State, a municipality of Mexico State, Mexico*El Oro Municipality, Durango*El Oro District, a district of Antabamba, Peru...
province)
Of these four, Ingapirca is the best known. Pumapungo is not well known, although it is located in the centre of the city of Cuenca
Cuenca, Ecuador
Cuenca is the capital of the Azuay Province. It is located in the highlands of Ecuador at about 2500 m above sea level...
, behind the Museo del Banco Central. Chobshi and Yacubiñay have not been studied intensely or excavated by professional archeologists.
Culture
The Cañari people were supposed to have had a matriarchal society. This was one of the principal reasons the Inca were able to use marriage to subjugate them. By marrying a female leader, the Inca gained de facto power over the Cañari.The Cañari used a lunar calendar and built temples in circular or moon-like shapes. At Ingapirca
Ingapirca
Ingapirca is a town in Cañar Province, Ecuador and the name of an Incan archeological site just outside the town. The town was named after the Inca palace and temple site....
, examples of round Cañari buildings can be seen juxtaposed against rectangular Inca buildings. The site also has stone "calendars". These devices are stones with holes drilled in them in various positions at various angles. The holes are filled with water to reflect celestial bodies. Each one reflects at different times giving dates.
As many as ten Cañari dialects may have survived into the current century. Any surviving speakers are few and far between, and almost no information seems to be available about the languages or how to speak them. Most indigenous people in Ecuador claim to speak Kichwa
Kichwa
Kichwa is a Quechuan language, and includes all Quechua varieties spoken in Ecuador and Colombia by approximately 2,500,000 people...
or Spanish.
Túpac Yupanqui
The Inca brought a numerous army, battle hardened and well disciplined; and the Huancabambas escaped terrified to the mountains and hills where some died of hunger rather than submit to the Inca.The triumph over the Paltas was even more complete because they surrendered themselves and were incorporated into the Inca "empire". Notwithstanding such docility, Túpac Yupanqui took some thousands of them and sent them far from their territories to the remote provinces of Collao
Collao
Collado is a parish in Siero, a municipality within the province and autonomous community of Asturias, in northern Spain. The parish is located on Highway AS-113....
, and settled the land of the Paltas with mitimaes
Mita (Inca)
Mit'a was mandatory public service in the society of the Inca Empire. Historians use the hispanicized term mita to distinguish the system as it was modified by the Spanish, under whom it became a form of legal servitude which in practise bordered slavery.Mit'a was effectively a form of tribute to...
from other provinces. The fortresses, which had been prepared the highlands of Saraguro, did not help them at all because the presence of Inca troops in the valley made them know that all resistance would be useless.
Having vanquished and subjugated the Paltas, Túpac Yupanqui continued the conquest of the Cañari. The Cañari were numerous and had been for much time before silently preparing for the defense of their lands and their independence: they had celebrated a union of all the leaders and elected Dumma as chief and had, moreover, a considerable army. Túpac Yupanqui thought that he should not lose time or give the Cañari space to fortify more: he thus rushed his troops and attacked the enemies, expecting to defeat them by surprise; but he was mistaken because the Cañari were aware of the attack and had occupied all the difficult passes. The battle was, thus, intense and the Inca retreated hastily toward Saraguro, seeing that the defeat of tribes as astute as they were bellicose was not so easy as he had imagined.
The defeat of the Inca inspired new bravery in the Cañari and, combining valor with strategy, they communicated secretly with the Paltas, inciting them to rebel against the Inca: such a risky enterprise unnerved the Paltas and, after consulting with their wisemen what to do, they resolved to tell Túpac Yupanqui of the Cañari plans. The proud Túpac Yupanqui was offended and resolved not to return to Cuzco without first subjugating the Cañari. He sent for reinforcements from all of the Inca "empire"; and while they were arriving, he constructed a fortification along the border between the Paltas and the Cañari.
Knowing of these Inca preparations and seeing the works or preparations for war that had begun, morale began to weaken, and the strength with which the first assault was resisted was exchanged with discouragement. They began to look for a peaceful solution and, at last, sent messengers to the Inca, charged with offering to submit to his "empire". The Cañari were famous for being fickle. As such, the Inca did not believe them at first, only after taking measures for his security and demanding, as one of those measures, that Dumma and other leaders send their own children as hostages, did he believe it. Túpac Yupanqui, thus assured, began to travel toward the province of Azuay; but before entering it personally, he sent his most trusted official to arrange for dignified accommodations and to determine the resolve of the Cañari and discover any plans for treachery.
The Cañari received the envoy of the Inca with grand celebration, and in a very short time constructed a palace that would house their new lord; and when he appeared, finally, on their land, they came out to encounter him, giving public and solemn manifestations of sincere respect and of celebration. The Cañaris were loosely assimilated into the vast empire, allowed to manage their own affairs but adopting a new language.
Túpac Yupanqui stayed a long time in the province of Azuay, taking away a considerable number of its native inhabitants and moving them to Cuzco; he constructed bridges on the rivers and ordered the construction of various buildings, as many religious as non-religious, wanting to earnn the affection of the Cañari and have them as subjects. Túpac Yupanqui beautified the city of Tumibamba where his son Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac was the eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire and sixth of the Hanan dynasty. He was the successor to Tupac Inca Yupanqui.-Name:In Quechua, his name is spelled Wayna Qhapaq, and in Southern Quechua, it is Vaina Ghapakh...
was born.
He gave the order to construct two fortresses: one in Achupallas, and another in Pumallacta. He built in the roughest location of the mountain chain a residence for the convenience of his army and subjugation, without any difficulty, of the Quillacos, who lived in the valley of Guasunos and Alausí
Alausí
Alausí is a town in the Chimborazo province of Ecuador.- History :During the Spanish conquest of Ecuador, the city was named by Sebastián de Belalcázar as San Pedro de Alausí, giving the city the name of the saint of the day, coinciding with the founding of the city of Quito. Later the founding of...
. So ended the conquest of the Cañari and the incorporation of their territory in the Inca "empire".
Huáscar and Atahuallpa
During the civil warCivil war
A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same nation state or republic, or, less commonly, between two countries created from a formerly-united nation state....
between Huáscar
Huáscar
Huáscar Inca was Sapa Inca of the Inca empire from 1527 to 1532 AD, succeeding his father Huayna Capac and brother Ninan Cuyochi, both of whom died of smallpox while campaigning near Quito.After the conquest, the Spanish put forth the idea that Huayna Capac may have...
and Atahuallpa, the sons of Huayna Cápac, the Cañari chose to support Huáscar, despite being positioned in the northern area inherited by the son and heir Atahuallpa. Initially, Huáscar's generals Atoc
Atoc
Atoc was a general and brother of the Inca emperor Huáscar. After the death of Huáscar's father, Huayna Capac, Atoc was sent north to quell the separatists under Huáscars half-brother Atahualpa. Atahualpa was defeated in the battle of Chillopampa Plains and captured, but managed to escape and set...
and Hango were successful, defeating Atahuallpa's army and capturing many of his soldiers, including seizure of the large cities Cajamarca
Cajamarca
Cajamarca may refer to:Colombia*Cajamarca, Tolima a town and municipality in Tolima DepartmentPeru* Cajamarca, city in Peru.* Cajamarca District, district in the Cajamarca province.* Cajamarca Province, province in the Cajamarca region....
and Tumebamba
Tumebamba
Tumebamba or Tomebamba, was a former city-state in the Inca federation, held by the ethnic Cañaris people; roughly translating to "entrance of the puma"...
.
Aided by his father's loyal generals, Atahuallpa managed to rout the Huáscaran army in the battles of Mullihambato and Chimborazo
Battle of Chimborazo
The Battle of Chimborazo was among the first confrontations in the War of the two brothers, a struggle between Huáscar and Atahualpa for power over the Inca Empire. Atahualpa won, having the more capable generals; he drove Huáscar back onto the defensive....
. This forced the interlopers back to the south. He captured and executed Huáscar's generals and executed the Cañari supporters once he reached Tumebamba. The Cañari were punished heavily, leaving only 12 thousand of their original population of 50 thousand.
Spanish conquest
When Francisco PizarroFrancisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
arrived at Tumbes
Tumbes
Tumbes is a city in northwestern Peru, on the banks of the Tumbes River. It is the capital of the Tumbes Region, as well as of Tumbes Province and Tumbes District. Located near the border with Ecuador, Tumbes has 94,702 inhabitants. It is served by the Cap...
, he received news that the Cañari were against the government of Atahuallpa. The Cañari hoped the Spanish people
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
would liberate them from the Incas, and Pizarro included the Cañari among his troops to face Atahuallpa and Inca resistance.
In 1583, Cañari and Spanish soldiers defeated the Inca in the battle of Sacsayhuamán
Sacsayhuamán
-External links:* BBC Article...
.
External links
- Pueblo Cañari
- Cañari
- Andes cultures Ecuador-travel.info