The Inca Empire was home to an estimated 12 million people at the time of European contact. However, within a few decades of the Spanish conquest, the population had declined by as much as 90%. This was due to a number of factors, including disease, warfare, and starvation.
Cultural destruction
The Spanish conquerors made little effort to understand or preserve Inca culture. They destroyed temples, burned books, and forced the Inca people to convert to Christianity. This resulted in the loss of much of Inca history and tradition.
Economic disruption
The Spanish imposed a new economic system on the Inca Empire, which was based on mining and agriculture. This led to the displacement of many Inca people from their traditional lands and livelihoods.
Social stratification
The Spanish created a new social hierarchy in the Inca Empire, which placed Europeans at the top and indigenous people at the bottom. This led to discrimination and exploitation of the Inca people.
Lingering resentment
The Inca people never forgot the Spanish conquest and the atrocities that were committed against them. This resentment has persisted for centuries and is still a source of tension between indigenous people and the Peruvian government today.
The fall of the Inca Empire had a profound impact on the indigenous peoples of the Americas. It led to a demographic collapse, cultural destruction, economic disruption, social stratification, and lingering resentment. These effects are still felt today, centuries after the Spanish conquest.