This short biography of Contarhuacho is a taster for a book I am planning entitled, 'Biographies of Inca Women'. I would love to receive feedback on whether a book of that sort would be of interest to you and if so, which Inca women you would like m...
Born in Tocash (Peru) in c.1500. Her place and exact year of death are both unknown (post-1536).
Curaca or female cacique of great importance and a secondary wife of Huayna Capac, Contarhuacho (or Contarguacho) was born in Tocash in the province of Huaylas, Peru, in about 1500. No information about her mother is known, but her father, Pomapacha, was the curaca of Hanan Huaylas. Documents of the time also mention another of her relatives: her nephew, who was later baptised and called Antonio Poma.
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At the time of her birth, Huaylas had been part of the Inca Empire for about 40 years. Pachakutik conquered Huaylas in the 1460s. Since then, it had formed part of the Inca empire, but Pomapacha had maintained his role and a certain amount of his power. Quechua was the first language of the Huaylas people (called Huailinos), but they had their own local traditions as well. For instance, they worshipped their own huacas (sacred objects, persons or places), such as Tanta Carhua, daughter of the curaca Caque Poma. At the age of 10, Tanta Carhua was sacrificed to become a huaca by being buried alive on a local hill, probably around the time that Pachakutik conquered the area.
