Episodes

  • The Inca Coya: Power and Politics of the Queen of Tawantinsuyu

    The Inca Coya: Power and Politics of the Queen of Tawantinsuyu
    Jun 23 2026
    In Tawantinsuyu, the Sapa Inca ruled supreme — but alongside him stood the Coya, the queen with real political and religious power. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the role of the Inca queen, focusing on figures like Mama Anahuarque, wife of Pachacuti, who was not only a consort but a leader in her own right: she oversaw the aclla wasi, managed imperial estates, and even led military campaigns in some accounts. We discuss how the Coya was chosen, her ceremonial duties during Inti Raymi, and how Spanish chroniclers like Juan de Betanzos and Garcilaso de la Vega portrayed her. We also examine the case of Coyas who wielded influence during succession crises, such as Mama Ocllo, wife of Huayna Cápac, and the controversial role of Coya in the Inca civil war. This episode sheds light on the often-overlooked power of women in the Inca Empire, challenging the male-centric narrative of conquest. Join us for a conversation that reveals the political acumen, ritual authority, and enduring legacy of the Inca Coya. #IncaCoya #MamaAnahuarque #MamaOcllo #Tawantinsuyu #SapaInca #IntiRaymi #AcllaWasi #JuanDeBetanzos #GarcilasoDeLaVega #IncaWomen #Coricancha #IncaCivilWar #HuaynaCapac #Pachacuti #IncaEmpire #Andes #Quechua #History Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    6 mins
  • Inca System of Roads

    Inca System of Roads
    Jun 22 2026
    Discover the engineering and logistics of the Qhapaq Ñan, the 40,000-kilometer road network that held the Inca Empire together. Lucas and Luna discuss how the roads were built without the wheel, the role of chaski runners for rapid communication, and the administrative centers that controlled the flow of tribute. Learn about the road's integration with the ceque system of sacred lines, and how the Spanish later used these same roads for their conquest. #QhapaqNan #IncaRoads #chaski #mita #Tawantinsuyu #Cusco #SapaInca #Andes #IncaEngineering #RoadNetwork #preColumbian #IncaEmpire #CiezaDeLeon #HuaynaCapac #ceque #History #FexingoHistory #IncaCommunication Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins
  • The War of the Two Brothers: Inca Civil War

    The War of the Two Brothers: Inca Civil War
    Jun 22 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the devastating Inca Civil War between the brothers Huáscar and Atahualpa, which erupted after the death of their father Huayna Cápac around 1525. They discuss the political machinations in Cusco and Quito, the key battles like the Battle of Chillopampa and the Battle of Quipaipán, and how Atahualpa's general Quizquiz ultimately triumphed. The conversation also covers the war's impact on the empire's stability, the role of the Cañari people as allies of Huáscar, and how the conflict weakened Tawantinsuyu just before the Spanish arrival. Lucas explains the Inca succession crisis, the division of the empire into two factions, and the brutal aftermath where Atahualpa ordered the massacre of Huáscar's family and supporters. They also touch on the differing accounts from Spanish chroniclers like Pedro de Cieza de León, Juan de Betanzos, and Garcilaso de la Vega, and the challenge of separating fact from propaganda. The episode ends with a reflection on how internal strife paved the way for conquest. #IncaCivilWar #Huáscar #Atahualpa #HuaynaCápac #Tawantinsuyu #BattleOfQuipaipán #Quizquiz #Cañari #Cusco #Quito #IncaSuccession #PedroDeCiezaDeLeon #JuanDeBetanzos #GarcilasoDeLaVega #Andes #History #FexingoHistory #IncaEmpire Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Inca Expansion Under Tupac Inca Yupanqui

    Inca Expansion Under Tupac Inca Yupanqui
    Jun 21 2026
    In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the reign of Tupac Inca Yupanqui, the tenth Sapa Inca who expanded Tawantinsuyu to its greatest territorial extent. They discuss his conquest of the Chimú Empire, the only serious rival to Inca power on the coast, and his campaigns deep into the Amazon and present-day Chile and Argentina. Lucas explains the strategic use of mitmaq resettlement, the construction of the Qhapaq Ñan road network in newly conquered regions, and the administrative reforms that integrated diverse peoples into the empire. The conversation touches on Tupac's architectural legacy, including the fortress of Sacsayhuaman and the royal estate at Chinchero, as well as his mysterious death, possibly by poisoning. They also consider the Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León's accounts of Tupac's reign and the ongoing debate among historians about the extent of Inca expansion before the arrival of Europeans. #IncaEmpire #TupacIncaYupanqui #SapaInca #Tawantinsuyu #ChimuEmpire #ChanChan #QhapaqÑan #Mitmaq #Sacsayhuaman #Chinchero #PedroCiezaDeLeon #IncaExpansion #Andes #IncaConquest #AmazonCampaign #ChileCampaign #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    7 mins
  • Inca Empire Unlikely Ally The Cañari People Resistance

    Inca Empire Unlikely Ally The Cañari People Resistance
    Jun 21 2026
    The Inca Empire, Tawantinsuyu, was built on conquest and assimilation. But not all conquered peoples accepted Inca rule quietly. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the story of the Cañari people of modern-day Ecuador — fierce warriors who resisted the Inca advance under Tupac Inca Yupanqui, were resettled as mitmaq across the empire, and later became crucial allies of the Spanish conquistadors against Atahualpa. How did a single ethnic group shift from enemy to subject to collaborator? We trace their origins, their reputation as archers and tacticians, their role in the Inca civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa, and their tragic fate after the Spanish conquest. Along the way, we examine Inca resettlement policy (mitmaq), the fluid loyalties of the civil war, and the long shadow of colonial violence. This is a story of survival, adaptation, and the human costs of empire. #Inca #Tawantinsuyu #Cañari #Ecuador #Andes #Mitmaq #IncaCivilWar #Huáscar #Atahualpa #SpanishConquest #TupacIncaYupanqui #HuaynaCápac #IndigenousResistance #Ethnohistory #ColonialAndes #FexingoHistory #History #Podcast Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins
  • Inca Canals: How the Andes Were Watered

    Inca Canals: How the Andes Were Watered
    Jun 20 2026
    Lucas and Luna explore the Inca mastery of water management in the high Andes. From the intricate canals of Tipón that cascade through carved stone channels to the underground filtration galleries of Nazca, they uncover how the Inca engineered water distribution across rugged mountain terrain. Learn about the role of the mit'a labour tax in constructing aqueducts that spanned valleys, the sacred springs (pukio) that fed both crops and rituals, and the sophisticated hydraulics at Machu Picchu that supplied fountains and terraces year-round. The conversation touches on Inca cosmology—how water linked the underground world of the dead (ukhu pacha) with the surface world of the living (kay pacha)—and the practical challenges of moving water through a landscape of steep slopes and seasonal extremes. They also discuss the Spanish chronicler Pedro Cieza de León's observations of Inca irrigation, the difference between Inca and earlier Tiwanaku water systems, and the controversies over whether certain structures were purely functional or ritual. A subtle donation appeal ties water scarcity in the Andes to the value of listener support. #Inca #Andes #HydraulicEngineering #Tipón #MachuPicchu #QhapaqÑan #Pachacuti #Cusco #irrigation #canals #mita #CiezaDeLeon #Pukio #IncaCosmology #Agriculture #AndesWater #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    10 mins
  • Inca Oracle of Catequil: Prophecy and Silver at Huamachuco

    Inca Oracle of Catequil: Prophecy and Silver at Huamachuco
    Jun 20 2026
    In the shadow of the Andes, the shrine of Catequil at Huamachuco was one of the most powerful oracles in the Inca Empire. This episode explores the oracle's role in imperial politics—how it guided conquests, legitimized rulers, and was eventually destroyed by Atahualpa during the civil war. We discuss the huaca's silver mine connection, the ritual of capacocha, and the Spanish chronicler Agustín de Zárate's account of the oracle's destruction. Discover how Catequil's prophecies shaped Tawantinsuyu's expansion and why Atahualpa saw it as a threat. #Catequil #Huamachuco #IncaOracle #Tawantinsuyu #Atahualpa #capacocha #IncaReligion #Huaca #AgustinDeZarate #IncaCivilWar #AndeanReligion #SilverMines #Prophecy #IncaEmpire #Andes #History #FexingoHistory #Inca Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins
  • Inca Bridge Building: Qhapaq Ñan's Suspension Engineering

    Inca Bridge Building: Qhapaq Ñan's Suspension Engineering
    Jun 19 2026
    The Inca Empire's 25,000-mile road network, the Qhapaq Ñan, included some of the most daring engineering feats of the pre-Columbian Americas: woven grass suspension bridges spanning deep Andean gorges. In this episode, Lucas and Luna explore the construction, maintenance, and cultural significance of these bridges, focusing on the famous Q'eswachaka bridge near Cusco, which is still rebuilt annually using ancient techniques. They discuss the mit'a labor system that kept bridges operational, the role of bridge keepers or chaka camayoc, and the spiritual offerings made to Apus (mountain spirits) for safe passage. The conversation touches on specific bridges like the one over the Apurímac River, the largest in the empire, and how Spanish conquistadors both admired and feared these structures. They also examine the social and military implications: bridges controlled movement, trade, and invasion routes. Finally, they reflect on the legacy of Inca bridge-building as a UNESCO World Heritage site and its influence on modern engineering. #IncaBridges #QhapaqÑan #Qeswachaka #AndesEngineering #IncaEmpire #SuspensionBridges #Cusco #Apurimac #MitA #ChakaCamayoc #Apus #IncaRoads #PreColumbian #EngineeringHistory #WorldHeritage #AncientTechnology #History #FexingoHistory Keep every episode free: buymeacoffee.com/fexingo
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    5 mins