Felipe Huaman Poma de Ayala

At a time when the Inca Empire was marked by the Spanish conquistadors, a remarkable personality emerged: Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala, born around 1535 and also known as Huamán Poma. A noble Quechua descendant, he took on the role of historian and chronicler, documenting the sufferings of his countrymen under the yoke of Spanish rule. His impressive work, the illustrated chronicle "Nueva corónica y buen gobierno," remains an unflinching documentation of the times. Guaman Poma came from a royal family in present-day Ayacucho, Peru, and was a direct descendant of the important indigenous conqueror Huaman-Chava-Ayauca Yarovilca-Huanuco. Although he learned the Spanish language in his youth, the nuances of his writing style attest to his deeply rooted Quechuan identity. In 1615, however, when he himself claimed to be "eighty years old," his text suggests a possible birth date of around 1550. Guaman Poma's multifaceted life is reflected in his active roles as interpreter, ecclesiastical assistant, and clerk to a Spanish judge. However, after the loss of his property around 1600, he began his crucial journey across the country that would lead to the creation of his magnum opus.

Guaman Poma's royal ancestry, his Huaman family, was held in high esteem within the Inca Empire. This warrior family and landowners revered a wild bird native to the high altitudes of the Peruvian Andes, similar to a falcon. Nevertheless, after the Spanish conquest, they were the subject of merciless persecution. They were considered a threat that could disrupt order, and therefore their property was confiscated and divided. The family largely dispersed throughout Peru and Ecuador, but some stories say that their direct descendants are always ready to take over the empire and restore order. In the first part of his chronicle, Guaman Poma recorded his journey to the City of Kings, Lima, to report to the Spanish king. He depicted how, although poor and poorly dressed, he made this journey. Unfortunately, the document never reached the king. However, this chronicle is an incomparable testimony of the past in which Guaman Poma called for a "good government" based on Inca structures, European technology and Christian theology that would meet the needs of the Andean peoples. The king, who in his eyes was a descendant of God, would never have allowed such injustices had he known about them.

The original manuscript of the "Nueva corónica y buen gobierno" is now in the Royal Library in Copenhagen. It is almost 1200 pages long and contains over 400 drawings depicting the daily life of the indigenous population, colonial exploitation and historical moments of the Inca civilization. The manuscript, which lacks paragraphs, chapters, or clearly defined sections, is an impressive document that tells the story from a unique perspective - that of an indigenous nobleman who lived under Spanish colonial rule. Guaman Poma de Ayala remains a significant figure in the history of Peru and all of Latin America, as he was not only a witness, but also a performer and critic of the times.

Felipe Huaman Poma de Ayala

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Artworks by Felipe Huaman Poma de Ayala

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61 artworks found