WI: A Lasting Wari Empire

[Oba]

Being that Wari were in many ways to the Inka like the Etruscans and Greeks were to the Romans, what would the effect of a Wari that was the/one of the main power(s) in the Andes when Pizarro came?

I have been thinking a lot about the Wari lately for several reasons: They are in many ways much like the Inka in their road system and economic system in that they invented the Mit'a system of labor taxes and widely used Andean-style storehouses as well as significantly advancing the Khipu beyond earlier models; they were much earlier (Middle Horizon) than the Inka, thus giving them enough time to assimilate and stabilize their empire if it survived in an ATL; they were a large state; and they vanished, from what I know, without any good known cause.

The largest problem is Tiwanaku to the south; it would have to go without significant cost to Wari, either through war, possibly with superior Wari technology, or simply collapse. With a Wari conquest of Tiwanaku, the Nasca would be relatively easy to assimilate and Wari would have centuries to develop before the Europeans came.

What do you all think about this theory/question?

 

[Oba]

Does anyone think Tiwanaku may have been more likely to endure instead of Wari; I chose Wari because Tiwanaku was in many ways not as developed: Tiwanaku lacked the khipu and did not have as well developed a road system as Wari (though they did have some very advanced raised field agriculture); Tiwanaku was also less expansionary than Wari for various reasons.

 

[fortyseven]

I don't know anything about them but it's a good timeline idea.

 

[Oba]

I don't know anything about them but it's a good timeline idea.

Wikipedia has a decent sized article on them and here is an old BBC story about their capitol.

About your suggestion of making a TL about the Wari: I would love to but I have yet to finish my (pretty bad) "Civilizations in Lands of Plenty" TL about an Indigenous Californian civilization; I might abandon it for this idea but I will need to do more research so I do not have another poorly written TL that I never finish.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

It does bother me to see a very good idea for a timeline which sounds a little bit similar to how 9 Fanged Hummingbird is going for in terms of a strong enough indigenous empire to resist the Europeans. If you feel that you can't continue the Californian one, maybe you can cancel it or postpone all future updates and work towards something that you're familiar with.

 

[tallwingedgoat]

Both the Wari and Tiwanaku collapsed about 500 years before the rise of the Inca. I think had they existed continuously for five more centuries they would probably be somewhat more advanced than the Incas by the time of contact. They would also likely have merged into one civilization by then.

 

[Oba]

It does bother me to see a very good idea for a timeline which sounds a little bit similar to how 9 Fanged Hummingbird is going for in terms of a strong enough indigenous empire to resist the Europeans. If you feel that you can't continue the Californian one, maybe you can cancel it or postpone all future updates and work towards something that you're familiar with.

I am just saying that I think my California TL is too poorly written, poorly researched and far-fetched; I would be very interested to hear your opinion and that of others.

 

[Cuāuhtemōc]

I am just saying that I think my California TL is too poorly written, poorly researched and far-fetched; I would be very interested to hear your opinion and that of others.

What about it is poorly written? I mean it's your first try and all but it doesn't mean it's bad. Far-fetched, nah. If you feel this way, go on and do something else that you know of. A Wari Empire that manages to become much more advanced than the old Inca empire would be pretty cool to see.