Incas Organize Labor Through Ayllus
Describe how Inca ayllus organized communal family labor and how the mit'a tax system provided the state with labor to grow food for the emperor and army in Grade 7 history.
Key Concepts
Incan society was built upon the ayllu , a community of families who lived and worked together. Members of an ayllu shared land, animals, and crops. This system functioned like a large extended family that took care of its own members from birth until death.
Commoners paid taxes through labor in a system called the mit'a. They worked on state lands to grow food for the emperor, priests, and the army. This communal work ensured that everyone in the empire was provided for and that the state had the resources it needed to function.
Common Questions
What was the ayllu in Inca society?
The ayllu was a community of extended family groups who lived and worked together as the basic unit of Inca society. Members of an ayllu shared land, animals, and crops, functioning like a large extended family that cared for its members from birth to death. The ayllu provided social security, community identity, and economic cooperation.
How did the mit'a labor tax system work?
Under the mit'a system, commoners paid their taxes not with money but with labor—working on state lands to grow food for the emperor, priests, and the military. This communal work was rotated among ayllu members so no single household bore the burden continuously. The state used this labor to produce surplus food stored in warehouses throughout the empire.
How did the ayllu and mit'a ensure everyone in the Inca Empire was provided for?
The combination of ayllu communal support and mit'a state labor created a welfare system that ensured all Inca subjects had basic necessities. Surplus food produced through mit'a labor was stored and redistributed during famines or crises. The elderly, sick, and disabled were supported by both their ayllu community and state resources.