At the base of the social pyramid of the Inca Empire was the ayllu, a clan of families living together in a restricted area and
sharing land, animals, and crops. Everyone belonged to an ayllu; one was born into it and died within it. The commune could be
small or large; it could even be a town. No individuals owned land; land was owned by the ayllu, or later the emperor, and was
only loaned to each member for his use. Each autumn the land was divided again; the allotments were increased or decreased
depending upon the size of the family. Planting and harvesting were communal.
At the age of twenty a man was expected to marry. If he did not, a mate was selected for him by the chieftain. Marriage for the
workers was strictly monogamous, but all members of the ruling class had more than one wife.
Some women had a chance to leave the ayllu and better their life. These were the ``chosen women,'' who were selected
because of their beauty or special talents and taken to Cusco or one of the provincial capitals. There they were taught weaving,
cooking, and the rituals of the Sun, the state religion. Many of the ``chosen women'' became wives of officials, and some
became concubines of the Inca himself.