Collasuyo

The Collasuyo (from Quechua: Qulla suyu‘Region of the Rows’) (Imara: Qullasuyu pronunciation (?·i)) was the greatest and most southern of his inca Empire or Tahuantinsuyo. Together with the Contisuyo they formed the part of the empire called Urinsaya. It was subdivided in two parts on both sides of Lake Titicaca, the Urcosuyo to the west and the Umasuyo to the east.

It extended south of Cuzco (Peru), from the Andes and the Bolivian altiplano, to the north bank of the Maule River (Chile), and from the Pacific coast to the northwest western plains of (Argentina).

The nerve center of Collasuyo was located in the Andean highlands, around Lake Titicaca, one of the most densely populated regions of the Andes since the time of the Tiahuanaco state.

The name Qullasuyu comes from the Aymara-speaking inhabitants of a series of independent kingdoms on the Titicaca plateau with strong cultural ties, which were known to the Incas under the generic name of qullas (collas) because the Ayllu qulla (Colla Kingdom), around the northern shore of Titicaca, was for the Incas the most significant of these kingdoms at the time of the beginning of the of the great territorial expansion of the Inca Empire. Qulla in Quechua also means "land of the wise".

The Aymara kingdoms were formed by the original inhabitants, who currently occupy a large part of the Bolivian altiplano, part of the southern Peruvian territory, after the decline of the Tiahuanacota state and before the Spanish colony, (which in the middle of the century XV) had a large territory. The Aymara kingdoms, with strong cultural ties of brotherhood between them, were called by the Incas with the generic name of "qulla", whose meaning in the Quechua language means "wise man" and "Qullasuyu" comes from the Quechua term "Land of the wise".

Around the year 1450 they were invaded by the warrior forces of the Inca Pachacútec, who conquered the highlands after great battles, although despite the Inca conquest, the aillus aimaras, before their rebellion, managed to maintain their culture, traditions and their aimara language. They resisted the imposition of the Quechua language of the Inca empire.

Wamanis

Each suyu was divided into wamanis or provinces. Qullasuyu included the wamanis of:

• Arica or Arika
• Canche or Kanche
• Caranga or Karanka
• Caruma
• Cavina or Kawina, whose inhabitants were "incas with privileges"
• Chicha
• Collagua
• Coquimbo
• Lipe
• Locumba
• Lupaqa
• Pacajes o Pacasa
• Qolla Urcosuyu or Qulla Urqusuyu
• Sama
• Tambo or Tampu
• Ubina
• Humahuaca
• Chicoana or Sikuani
• Quire Quire o Kiri-Kiri
• Tucumán or Tucma
• Chile or Chili

The Qullasuyu in Bolivia

Wiphala del Qullasuyu, a modern flag used by current indigenist groups.

Currently, the name Qullasuyu has been used by certain native indigenous social movements and peasants from the highlands of Bolivia, where it brings together indigenous Aymaras from the highlands and Quechuas from the valleys of that country. These social movements have a political social group called the National Council of Ayllus and Markas del Qullasuyu (CONAMAQ), which actively participates in Bolivian politics, currently an organization with political affinity to the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS). Some personalities Recognized in Bolivia who were part of CONAMAQ are: Nelson Condori, Rafael Quispe and Gualberto Cusi.