The Inca Empire used sequestered women as a tool of statecraft
In short: To build an empire without money, the Inca relied on a system of reciprocity. They achieved this by selecting girls from conquered lands to become aclla—women who served as living symbols of status, skilled laborers, and ritual bridges between the central government and the periphery.
The aclla (or 'Chosen Women') were sequestered from ages 8 to 10. Selected primarily from high-status families in conquered provinces, they were sent to acllawasi—complexes housing up to 200 women. There, they underwent four years of rigorous training in religion, weaving fine textiles, brewing chicha (beer), and food preparation. This specialized labor was not merely domestic; it formed the foundation of Inca hospitality and served as a primary means of redistributing wealth and cultural identity across the territory.
The system functioned as a sophisticated mechanism for political hegemony. By gifting an aclla to a provincial leader, the Inca conferred significant social status and power upon that man, while simultaneously binding his family to the central state. If an aclla was married to a local leader, her family might receive land and command over laborers. This created a web of mutual obligation: the families gained prestige, and the Inca government secured the loyalty of newly conquered regions through a shared ritual bond.
The role of the aclla also carried heavy religious weight. The most 'perfect' women were sent to Cuzco to serve the sun or become secondary wives of the emperor. Some were even selected for capacocha—human sacrifices intended to link the center of the empire to its edges. One notable account describes Tanta Carhua, who was sacrificed after being honored in Cuzco; her death ritually asserted her father's new role as a nexus between his home region and the capital. Unlike European nuns, acllas were required to remain celibate—a unique Inca demand that distinguished them from other labor groups like the yanakuna.
While some scholars view them as mere commodities, their influence was nuanced. They may have served as scribes or held specific titles for different religious duties. Ultimately, they were essential instruments of a non-monetary economy, where textiles and ritual services functioned as the primary currency of imperial stability.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: Aclla
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