kingdom · South America

Chincha Kingdom

1000 CE – 1476 CE (approx.) · capital La Centinela

A wealthy lordship of Peru's south coast whose merchants and seafarers traded spondylus shell and whose lord was carried in a litter alongside Atahualpa.

Origins

The Chincha valley on the south coast of Peru became the centre of a powerful lordship from around 1000, after the decline of Wari influence. Its capital at La Centinela, with adobe pyramids and plazas, dominated the valley.

Rule and society

Chincha society was highly specialised, with tens of thousands of farmers, fishermen and merchants according to a 16th-century account. Its merchants traded by sea northwards to Ecuador for spondylus shell and inland by llama caravan for copper from the highlands. Chincha's wealth earned it a privileged position under the Incas: at Cajamarca in 1532, the lord of Chincha was the only lord besides Atahualpa carried in a litter, and he was killed in the attack.

Decline and legacy

Chincha was incorporated into the Inca Empire around 1476 under Túpac Inca Yupanqui, and the Incas built a palace at La Centinela. After the Spanish conquest the population collapsed from disease, falling to a small fraction within decades.

Connections (1)

  • Chincha Kingdom was a vassal of Inca Empire1476 CE – 1533 CE

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Cite this page
APA
The Epoch Institute. (2026). Chincha Kingdom. In The Epoch Institute States Register. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chincha-kingdom
MLA
“Chincha Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register, The Epoch Institute, 2026, https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chincha-kingdom. Accessed .
Chicago
The Epoch Institute. “Chincha Kingdom.” The Epoch Institute States Register. 2026. https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chincha-kingdom.
Harvard
The Epoch Institute (2026) ‘Chincha Kingdom’, The Epoch Institute States Register. Available at: https://the-epoch-institute.org/state/chincha-kingdom (Accessed: ).

Last reviewed October 2026Random state ↻