reference to the abundance of
gold and
silver which existed during the realm of the
Incas, the rulers of a
vast empire in
South America from the 11th century to the early 1500s. During the Incan
empire, the
use of
gold and
silver were reserved for the emperor (called the Inca,
absolute ruler and
thought of as a
god), the temples and the upper nobility. These extensive
gold and
silver deposits became a
target of the Spanish imperial ambitions during the early 16th century.
—PDC 2 Approved Glossary