Du discours dynastique au corps social. Retour sur la terminologie des groupes aristocratiques incas de Cuzco

Abstract

The existence in Cuzco of social groups supposedly uniting the descendants of the successive Inca sovereigns constitutes an essential datum for the various interpretative models of Inca dynastic history elaborated in the last decades, opposing those who defend an historical interpretation to those with a mythical conception of the narratives and their protagonists. Based on a renewed scrutiny of the classical sources as well as on original documentation, this article aims to reconsider some aspects of the social structure of prehispanic Cuzco, especially the supposed homogeneity of the aristocratic groups. At the same time, it provides an opportunity to redefine partially the framework of the discussion about the nature of Inca dynastic narratives.

Keywords

• ayllu
• panaca
• social structure