mishqui-yacu, sweet water - IFAD

colonists from the Peruvian heartland who settled in occupied territories.
They maintained their ties with their original homeland,
thus forming a nucleus loyal to the state in the midst of foreign
ethnic groups. The imperial policy speeded up the process of
Cañari acculturation, evidenced by the fact that by the arrival of
the Spaniards the Cañaris already spoke Quichua, the language of
the Inca conquerors. The Inca presence is still visible through the
remains of the mighty Ingañan, the paved Inca highway that cuts
through desolate plains high up in the Andes. Within the Cañar
river basin, the Ingañan passes close by the village of Ingapirca,
which lies beneath a combined fortress and temple. An impressive
structure, built with Inca stone masonry techniques using 'cushionshaped'
boulders, Ingapirca is well preserved and Ecuador's most
prestigious Inca site. It was probably built in connection with earlier
Cañari structures, perhaps the political and cult centre of
Hatun Cañar.
The Cañari people continued to suffer under Spanish rule. The
remaining Cañari leaders opted for an alliance with the new
invaders. On their way to conquer Quito, three thousand Cañari warriors
joined the Spanish forces of Benalcázar. The Spaniards noted
their allies’ exceptional bravery and later stated they would have
been lost without their help and efficient guidance. The Cañaris
fought alongside the Spanish throughout the conquest of Ecuador.
The last big campaign they carried out for the Spaniards was the
quelling of huge rebellions in Lita and Quilca in 1554. Nevertheless,
Cañaris received scant recognition from the Spanish for their help.
Already in 1544, many thousands had been forced to work in the gold
and silver mines of their former territory. In 1578, the Spaniards
ruthlessly suffocated a desperate Cañari rebellion. During that campaign
the Spanish forces were helped by descendants of the same
Incas they formerly had fought against with Cañari support. 9 At present,
an estimated 40 000 Quichua-speaking Cañaris are scattered
throughout the province of Cañar. 10
19
7
8
9
10
It was the Inca Topa Yupanqui that attacked the Cañari lands around 1463. With the
fall of Quito in 1492, he finished the conquest of what is now the Ecuadorian Highlands.
The Spanish conquest began in 1530; by 1549, the Spaniards had subjugated
all ethnic groups of the present Highlands.
Pérez et al. (1998), p. 29.
For a summary of Cañari history, see Moreno Yánez (1996), pp. 96-100.
Perrottet (1994), p. 220.