“In pre-conquest Peru, Andean women were part of a highly structured society, and held a complementary role to their male counterparts. However, after the Spanish conquest, women had to navigate through an entirely different society.”
“At the top of the feminine hierarchy was the Quoya, or queen. As the Inca, or king’s primary wife, she bore the title “Queen of all women.” Far from a mere consort, the Quoya held political power, could inherit land, and oversaw some of the feminine religious orders. The king’s secondary wives, though well respected, had less power than the Quoya. Below the Quoya and secondary wives were spouses of noblemen and royal administrators. Next in line were acllas—or chosen women. Similar to the vestal virgins of ancient Greece, acllas were chosen for their beauty and purity to become priestesses of the Sun and other deities, and made up an integral part of Incan religious institutions.”
“After the conquest, this carefully ordered social structure was replaced with a wholly patriarchal Spanish model. The Quoya was dethroned, and the acllas order was destroyed, considered pagan by the Catholic Spanish.” (Hunt, 2016)
During this period, Peruvian women suffered a drastic change. The lifestyle they were used to, went through a complete shift in such an aggressive way that forced them to step back and give up every role they used to have in society, from following their religion or costumes to the abdication of a title. In a way, women used to be respected and have political power. The Quoya could rule and make important decisions, but not any more. In the case of the Acllas, they had to let go of the main purpose they were raised for their entire lives. After the conquest, women had to reshape in a completely new Spanish model, a new religion to believe in and a new space to fill in society that was just so different. Of course, they weren’t the only ones harmed by this event, but it did make them have to stay head down for a really long time.
“In the pre-conquest years, every woman belonged to an allyu, women lost their allyus altogether, either by moving to urban areas for work, or by becoming romantically involved with a Spaniard. Single mothers became common, especially those of Spanish-fathered mestizo children. Considered illegitimate unless claimed by their European fathers, mestizo children were a sign of shame, even if fathered by rape. In urban areas, these single mothers often formed makeshift families, sharing income and child-care responsibilities. Though a far cry from pre-conquest allyus, these social units provided women with security and structure in uncertain times.” (Hunt, 2016)
Although the Inca Empire was socially structured according to roles and power, the Spanish social structure made women take a role to preserve descendants, while men had to be slaves and labour without being paid. Furthermore, in the Peruvian culture there wasn't real racism until the Spaniards came; once the “races” mixed, the society got divided by the amount of Spain, Inca, or African blood each person had. This resulted in a larger quantity of single mothers because Spaniards, who had affairs with native women, didn’t recognize their children in order to avoid being pushed down into the social classes. That’s the reason why being a single mother and having to support the family without any man, who were important just because they were the ones allowed to work, was hard and exhausting. Being a woman in that time meant only dedicating yourself to the house and children, without the option of really participating in society or having a voice of opinion.
Bibliography
- Hunt, S. A. (2016). Women of the Incan Empire: Before and After the Conquest of Peru.
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