The Role of Technology in the Overthrow of the Inca

Ashwin Dev
Mr. Roddy
IHSS
8 November 2018
The Role of Technology in the Overthrow of the Inca
Most people might think that guns were the most effective weapon because it was the most technologically advanced weapon at the time of the Spanish conquest of the Incas, however the book mentions that guns played a minor role (pg. 73). Due to how difficult it was to load and fire a gun at that time, steel swords and other sharp weapons were more effective. The Incas had weapons that were capable of killing Spaniards, however the weapons they had were just less technologically advanced. The Spaniards were able to take advantage because they actually sharpened their weapons whereas the Incas had blunt clubs that caused them to hardly ever cause damage to the Spaniards. On top of more advanced weapons, the Spaniards had steel and chain mail armor as well as helmets which were able to prevent the Inca's clubs from having any effect on the Spaniards. It is also mentioned in the book, that the armor the Inca's used wasn't really sufficient in terms of protecting themselves against the sharp weapons that the Spaniards used (pg. 74).
The remaining technology-related factor that gave the Spaniards an advantage over the Inca was their use of cavalry. Cavalry units were able to "easily pass sentries" that the Incas had, as well as "ride down and kill Indians on foot" (pg. 74). Cavalry with an addition of the Spaniard's weapons and armor is what was able to cause the defeat of the Incas who simply just had less technologically advanced weapons and armor.

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