Colla Kingdom

Origins

The Colla, or Qolla, emerged as a leading power of the northern Titicaca basin around the 12th century, after the fall of Tiwanaku. Their capital was Hatuncolla, near modern Puno, and their territory covered much of the plain between the lake and the Cordillera.

Rule and society

The Colla were ruled by powerful lords who controlled large herds of llamas and alpacas, a source of wool, meat and transport. They built fortified hilltop settlements and are known for chullpas, tall stone burial towers such as those at Sillustani, where elites were laid to rest. Colla lords fought the Lupaca Kingdom for control of the basin.

Decline and legacy

Around 1450 the Colla lord was defeated by the Lupaca and then by the Incas under Pachacuti. The Colla rebelled several times against Inca rule. Their name survived in Collasuyu, the southern quarter of the Inca Empire, and in the term Kolla for highland peoples of Bolivia.