Question

Read the following excerpt about the Inca civilization written by Spanish conquistador, Pedro de Cieza de Leon, taken from the book Chronicles of the Incas.
As this kingdom was so vast, in each of the many provinces there were many storehouses filled with supplies and other needful things; thus, in times of war, wherever the armies went they drew upon the contents of these storehouses, without ever touching the supplies of their confederates or laying a finger on what they had in their settlements . . . Then the storehouses were filled up once more with the tributes paid the Inca. If there came a lean year, the storehouses were opened and the provinces were lent what they needed in the way of supplies; then, in a year of abundance, they paid back all they had received. No one who was lazy or tried to live by the work of others was tolerated; everyone had to work. Thus on certain days each lord went to his lands and took the plow in hand and cultivated the earth, and did other things. Even the Incas themselves did this to set an example. And under their system there was none such in all the kingdom, for, if he had his health, he worked and lacked for nothing; and if he was ill, he received what he needed from the storehouses.

Based on the excerpt, what can you conclude about the Inca government?

It provided for its people during emergency situations.
It exploited its poor and needy by overworking them.
It differentiated between the elite and the poor laborers.
It offered rewards to the empire’s hardest workers.
It gave special privileges to the nobility and their allies.

Answer 1

Answer:

It provided for its people during emergency situations.

Explanation:

The text shows that people, besides working for their own livelihoods, worked to fill the city's supply stores, because if there was an emergency situation (such as wars, droughts, natural disasters and diseases) that would prevent people from working , the government would provide whatever they needed by withdrawing supplies from the warehouses.

When the emergency situation was over and people could work again, they would return to the warehouse what they consumed and so the stock would never end.

Answer 2

Answer:

The correct answer is "It provided for its people during emergency situations"

Explanation:

The principal focus of these excerpt is to demonstrate with examples how the Inca government was organized and prepared to deal with an emergency situation, such as a war, by having these storehouses in every province as a way to provide supplies to those in need, whether it´d be the soldiers, or the people from the provinces themselves, who might be going through unusual circumstances. It also talks about the work ethics of the Incas, describing how devoted they were to their labours, however, there is no mention of exploitation or mandatory labor, which is why "option 2" is incorrect. And although a difference is referenced between the lords and peasants, it was only used to exemplify their work ethics, which is why "option 3" is wrong. Finally, it's implied that every Inca was entitled to receive whatever they needed from the storehouses in an emergency situation, as mentioned in the last paragraph "And under their system there was none such in all the kingdom, for, if he had his health, he worked and lacked for nothing; and if he was ill, he received what he needed from the storehouses"; discarding "option 4 and 5".