In the 15th century, the oldest known American civilisation, the Inca…
2025
In the 15th century, the oldest known American civilisation, the Inca Civilisation flourished in the highlands of Peru. They ruled over a varied terrain made up of rain forest and mountains, which were very hard to live in. So, to get around this difficult terrain, they constructed lots of roads. Some were mere dirt roads but mostly they were paved and made of stone. The roads were used for transportation and also for military and religious purposes. All the roads and their majestic buildings were constructed without using animals or even basic technology such as wheels or pulleys. The Incas developed a sophisticated postal system. Chains of runners were used to relay messages. These runners were housed at short distances along the routes so that there was a rapid relay service.
The fast footed runners were deployed in pairs so that there was always somebody on duty. As they had no writing system they could transmit only verbal messages. The messages had to be learnt by heart and passed on from one person to the other. It was like an early form of Chinese whispers. Land was allotted by the state to the peasant families. They tilled these lands to fulfil their needs. In exchange they were required to provide labour to the state in the form of working in fields reserved for the Inca administration, building roads and bridges, or serving in the army. Nobles and their courts were exempt from paying this labour tax. In spite of being so wealthy and sophisticated culturally, the Incas did not have any market. It might be because life was difficult to sustain in their environment. To ease their lives, all their innovations were directed towards agriculture. Economics or trade took a backseat. In other words, the Inca Empire was optimised to prevent starvation rather than to foster trade.
The Incase built lots of roads. What is so amazing about these roads?
- A.
They were built of stones and were paved.
- B.
Not even the basic technology was used to build the roads.
- C.
People used them to get around the varied terrain.
- D.
They were used for trading and sending messages.
Attempted by 6 students.
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: B
Correct answer: Not even the basic technology was used to build the roads.
Explanation –
The passage states that the Incas constructed many roads and majestic buildings without using animals or even basic mechanical technology such as wheels or pulleys. Given the difficult terrain of mountains and rainforests, building an extensive paved road network under those conditions is the remarkable fact the question asks for.
They built roads across very difficult terrain (mountains and rainforests).
They paved many of these roads with stone without using animals or basic technologies such as wheels or pulleys.
Because of these facts, the most amazing feature is the method and scale of construction despite the lack of animals and simple mechanical aids.