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- Who are the Qullas (Collas)?
- The Inca conquest
- Spanish conquest
- Political organization (Authorities )
- Economic organization
- The Qullas (Collas) at the present time
- Qulla (Colla) surnames
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After the the disappearance of Taypikala (Tiwanacu) Empire were dispersed many dominions around the Lake Intikjarka: the Canas, Canchis, Carangas, Charcas, Collaguas, Lupacas, and Pacases or Qullas (BERTONIO, 1603:10).
They lived from the north of the lake Intikjarka (Titicaca) until salar Uyuni, near Lake Poopó. To the Southwest until the heads of the rivers that go down to the costs of the Pacific ocean; and to the East until the subtropical valleys of the Yungas.
The Lupacas lived in the region of Urkusuyo (from aymará, " urku ", 'male’, "suyu", 'side') of the lake Intikjarka (Titicaca). The Pacases or Qullas (Collas) lived in the region Umasuyo of the lake (from aymara, " uma ", 'water’).
The Inca conquest
The Pacase or Qulla people together with the Lupacas were invaded by the Incas to the head of Capac Yupanqui. The Canas ones, the Canchis, Qullas, Carangas, Charcas and others were conquered by this Inca in the year 1450. Mayta-Capac entered to the government of the Monarchy after his father's Lloque-Yupanqui death. Being of 51 year-old age, held the County of Tia-Huanaca, where he made build big urban constructions, he forced obedience the towns of the County of Coc-yaviri, of Cauquicura, of Mallama, Huarina, Cuchuna, Laricaja, Sancavan and the town of Collas, after having defeated in a bloody battle in the called spot Huaichu; this is the way he extend his Empire until Caracollo to theSouth, for the West Mayta-Capac conquered the Counties of Chumpivillca, Allca, Taurisma, Cota-huahu, Puma tampu y Parinacocha, and to the East until the beautiful plains of Chuqui-yapu; and lands of people like Aruni and Collahua.(ALCEDO).
But the Qullas (Collas) were not totally defeated, but rather they reached an agreement with the Inca leaders, it is for that reason that Qullas even speak their own language: the aymará.
All these dominions like the Canas, Canchis, Collas, Carangas, Charcas and all south land were known by de Incas with an only name: Qullasuyu, because the Qullas were the last ones and more difficult to conquer in this region of the South (Coc-yaviri) and, also, the term “qulla” derives from the aymara word "k'ullu" that means 'hard', 'brave', 'awkward’. The Qullas were known with this name by the Inca leaders for the capacity to resist the invasion.
When the Inca ruler from Cuzco reached an agreement with the Qullas, he was able to incorporate the entire Qullasuyu rather easily. The Ayllus of the region, simply switched alleigances to the Inca, whose peoples had also borrowed the communal arrangement from the Qullas centuries before.
The Qullasuyu extended from its center on the shores of Lake Intikjarka (Titicaca), through the Andean plateau, into the lower valleys, and lowlands of Western Bolivia, as well as parts of Northern Chile, Argentina, and Peru. Lowland peoples such as the Guarani's and some Amazonic tribes are descendants from more nomadic Collas who pushed into that area.
The unifier was the Aymara language, and the family/community agricultural system, the "Ayllu", which started with familiar and tribal clusters, and which was ruled from above in a complex and interwoven system.
The rulers from Cuzco, built roads through the Qullasuyu, and pushed at the frontier trying to conquer lowland tribes, and populating these regions with Qullas, whom were pushed out of parts of the Altiplano and subsituted by Quechua speakers. A good part of what became Alto Peru (and Bolivia) after the Spanish conquest is simply imposed over the borders that the Inca had defined, which was essentially the Qullasuyu with some added territory. It simply reflects the natural movements of peoples out of the Andes, incorporating lowlands and tropical regions.
Spanish conquest
Since 1535 the Spaniards conquered the Peru-Bolivian highlands under command of Diego of Almagro. When they arrived, the Qullas—previously conquered by the Inca Empire—even spoke the Aymará language like priest Bertonio says: "Many parish priest of Company, and myself among them, we have learned the Aymara language in the town of Iuli that is from Chucuyto or Lupaca county;..., and heard a lot of confessions from diverse people like Canas, Canchis, Pacafes, Carancas, Quillaguas, &c. easily we understood and we were understood of all those Indians, because they all were Aymaraes, just differing this or that word;...". (BERTONIO, 1612).The Spaniards in the process of the conquest catellanized the name "Qulla" to "Colla".
Political organization
The Kuraca
Or, “Cacique” in Spanish language. He was the maximum authority of the marka and head of the Amuyt'a or Assembly of Mallkus or Jilak'ätas.Besides the function of administration of justice, they also have government's functions. He was the responsible for the economic security of their marka. In this service it was helped by the mallkus or jilak'ätas according to the zone (Urinsaya, Anansaya) of each Ayllu or community.
This authority used to be chosen in the person that had experience in the two cultures, the Qulla and the conquerors—the Spanish—culture.
This authority disappeared with the creation of the Republic.
Jilak'äta or Mallku
Person designated by the community based on the Principle of Rotation so that he takes charge of the government of the community or ayllu during an entire year, at least once in his life, mandatory.
Jilak'ätas or Mallkus © Photograph by La Razon newspaper.
This function it is a political-religious career, a scale of borrowed services to the community, accompanied by a moral testimony demonstrated in the practical life to infuse respect and power.
The Jilak'äta’s or Mallku’s main function is direct and governs its ayllu or community, presiding over the meetings and taking the initiative in works of the same one.
Among their attributions are:
- To represent to the community.
- To summon or to direct the meetings of the community.
- To watch over the boundaries of the territory.
- To look after the good behavior of the other authorities.
- To witness the acts of the other lower authorities.
- To name to the kamana authority according to the corresponding shift.
- To administer Community Justice.
The Kamana
Person that takes care of the community farms and has authority to administer justice in agricultural matter. He is designed by de the Jilak'äta or Mallku.The duration of their functions it is approximately of four months or the lapse between the sow and the crop.
Jilak'ätas or Mallkus and other authorities of Achacachi. © Photograph by La Razon newspaper.
Economic organization
In each one of the colla communities, the territorial patrimony comprehends: 1. - Individualized Parcels. That a man can heir, but a woman almost never can receive some inheritance. 2. - Communal lands. Considering the magnitude of possessed land, traditionally people are divided in original, aggregates, semi aggregates and simply welcomed. The economic activities of collas, are based on agriculture and the rudimentary cattle ranch. In the high and cold regions, the main activity is the pasturing of auquénids. In the intermediate regions, the main activity is the agriculture, divided at three stations: harvests, sowing and an intermediate one to throw grains and to dehydrate some tubercles like potatoes converting to chuño (dehydrate potato). The generalized sowings, in addition to potato, are: the quinua, the cañahua, habas and the barley. The cattle is concentrated in the raising of auquénids, ovine and, in smaller scale, bovines and pigs.The Qullas (Collas) at the present time
At the present time the Collas lives approximately:Peru. According to the census of the INEI-Peru 1993 there are approximately 300.000 Peruvian Qullas. They are concentrated in the Departments of Puno, Moquegua and Tacna.
Chile. The census of the INE-Chile 1992 throws approximately 50.000 Chilean Qullas inhabitants concentrated in the regions I and II (Tarapacá and Antofagasta)
Bolivia. According to the census of the INE-Bolivia 1992 there are 1.237.658 Bolivian Qullas inhabitants. For the most part concentrated in the Departments of La Paz, Oruro, Potosí and Cochabamba.
In Bolivia, according to the anthropologist Xavier Albo, the main qulla regions are:
- In the department of La Paz, the counties Tamayo, Saavedra, Camacho, Muñecas, Manco Kapac, Omasuyos, Larecaja, Los Andes, Murillo, Ingavi, Nor Yungas, South Yungas, Pacajes, Aroma, Loayza, Inquisivi and Villarroel.
- In Oruro, Sajama, Carangas, Cercado, Atahuallpa, Litoral, Saucarí, Dalence, Poopó, Cabrera and Abaroa counties.
- In Potosí, for the counties Ibañez, Bustillos, Bilbao, Charcas, Chayanta, Quijarro, Frias, Campero and Campos.
- In Cochabamba, are the counties Tapacarí and Ayopaya.
- In Chuquisaca, the county Oropeza.
