Writing Pre-Hispanic History in Viceregal Peru: The Dynastic Iconography of the Inca Kings

Abstract

This essay discusses the ways in which the indigenous elites of viceregal Peru fabricated Inca history through visual representations of their kings, giving shape to an Andean identity that adapted to the ideological demands of the colonial society while at the same time defying them. Images of the Inca dynasty were an essential part of the indigenous Peruvians’ attempt to challenge, intellectually and socially, the definition of Andeans as “Indians,” a colonial legal concept that signified cultural inferiority. In this process the indigenous noblemen, especially those living in Lima, who presented themselves as representatives of a united “Andean front” refashioned the official iconography of the Inca dynasty. This had been created in the 1570s under the auspices of Viceroy Francisco de Toledo who portrayed the Incas as devil-worshipping, tyrannical sovereigns in order to legitimize the Spanish conquest. Audacious neo-Incan effigies were created with specific references to Christian and classical iconographic prototypes, such as the Resurrected Christ, Saint John the Baptist, and Saint Michael the Archangel in order to present the Indian nation as a viable political and Christian community.