Spanning thousands of miles across the rugged Andes, the Inca Empire required a highly efficient communication system to maintain control over its vast territories. Without written language or wheeled vehicles, the Inca relied on the *chasquis*—agile messengers stationed along the royal road network, or *Qhapaq Ñan*. These runners operated in a relay system, passing messages, goods, and administrative orders from one outpost (*tambo*) to the next.
To maximize speed, chasquis were trained from youth for high-altitude endurance and speed. They carried a *pututu* (a conch-shell horn) to signal their arrival and a *quipu* (a knotted string device) containing encoded data. As a runner approached a *tambo*, he would blow the *pututu* to alert the next runner, who would begin running alongside him to memorize the message or receive the *quipu* without stopping. This relay method allowed messages to travel up to 150 miles per day, traversing steep peaks and deep gorges in a fraction of the time a single runner would take.
Although the Spanish conquest in the sixteenth century led to the rapid decline of the Inca state, the legacy of the chasquis endured. The Spanish initially kept the runner network active to send their own official correspondence across the difficult mountain terrain. Today, the ancient pathways of the *Qhapaq Ñan* remain a testament to this remarkable system.
Which choice most effectively concludes the passage by emphasizing the historical significance of the *chasquis*' communication network?
- These trails serve as a physical reminder of how a pre-alphabetic society established one of the most sophisticated postal networks of the ancient world.Cevap
- BModern hikers now travel these scenic routes, they marvel at the stunning vistas of the Andean peaks.
- CBecause the Inca runners had to endure extreme physical conditions; reminding us of their historical importance.
- DRunning along these high-altitude paths, the speed of the messengers is still studied by modern sports scientists.