Becoming Inca: The Acllauasi and the Imperial Politics of Educating Andean Girls

In Andean history, women often wielded considerable power in political, religious, economic and domestic life. With the rise of the Inca state, female authority was recognized as both an important force to be harnessed for imperial needs, as well as a potential threat to Inca male authority. Hence, the Acllauasi was created. These “houses of the chosen women” were places in which Andean females could be properly educated into the Inca way of life. In these schools, young girls from diverse backgrounds were indoctrinated into Inca culture, learning about Inca religious beliefs and rituals, as well as elaborate performances, songs, and dances. They also became important producers of valued Inca commodities, in the form of the sacred corn beer and cumpi cloth. When their education was complete, these females of diverse ethnicities had been molded into perfect Inca women, many of who could be handed out as imperial gift brides to important men serving the Inca state. In this paper, I will examine the acllauasi and how this system of curating females for imperial service differed from that of boys who were educated in schools in the Imperial capital. A study of the acllauasi highlights the ways in which Andean female authority was recognized for its power, while also being considered a potential threaten to the Inca state that had to be carefully controlled and manipulated.