Chimu Empire: Map & History
Chimor was the political grouping of the Chimú culture.
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Chimor was the political grouping of the Chimú culture. The culture arose about 900 CE, succeeding the Moche culture, and was later conquered by the Inca emperor Topa Inca Yupanqui around 1470, fifty years before the arrival of the Spanish in the region. Chimor was the largest kingdom in the Late Intermediate Period, encompassing 1,000 kilometres of modern-day Peruvian coastline.
Modern Countries Once Part of Chimu Empire
At its mapped extent, Chimu Empire covered territory in 2 present-day countries. The period shown is when the mapped borders include that country, and the note says how much of it.
States and Provinces
Largest Present-Day Cities in Its Territory
Each opens on the live map inside Chimu Empire's borders of that time.
Derived by testing mapped cities against this polity's dated territorial polygons, so the list is indicative and follows the borders in the source dataset.
Chimu Empire in Depth
History
The early pottery is also characterized by realistic modeling and painted scenes.
The Chimú appeared in the year 900. Chimor, also known as the Kingdom of Chimor, had its capital "at the great site now called Chanchan, between Trujillo and the sea, and we may assume that Taycanamo founded his kingdom there. His son, Guacri-caur, conquered the lower part of the valley and was succeeded by a son named Nancen-pinco who really laid the foundations of the Kingdom by conquering the head of the valley of Chimor and the neighboring valleys of Sana, Pacasmayo, Chicama, Viru, Chao and Santa."
The Chimú expanded to include a vast area and many different ethnic groups. The first valleys seem to have joined forces willingly, but the Sican culture was assimilated through conquest.
Economy
Chan Chan could be said to have developed a bureaucracy due to the elite's controlled access to information. The economic and social system operated through the import of raw materials, where they were processed into prestige goods by artisans at Chan Chan. The elite at Chan Chan made the decisions on most other matters concerning organization, monopolizing production, storage of food and products, and distribution or consumption of goods.
The majority of the citizens in each ciudadela were artisans. In the late Chimú, about 12,000 artisans lived and worked in Chan Chan alone. They engaged in fishing, agriculture, craft work, and trade. Artisans were forbidden to change their profession and were grouped in the ciudadela according to their area of specialisation.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia: Chimor (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Chimu Empire: Key Facts
| Capital | Chan Chan |
|---|---|
| Official language | Quingnam |
| Form of government | absolute monarchy |
| Founded | 850s CE |
| Dissolved | 1470s |
Preceded by
- Wari
Succeeded by
Facts from Wikidata Q581741 (CC0).
Chimu Empire Map Over Time
Dated world maps on which Chimu Empire appears, with the other states of the time.
Chimu Empire Timeline
Key historical inflections from foundation to peak territorial expansion
Expansion to peak recorded area of 97,568 km² in 1424 CE.
Chimu Empire: Frequently Asked Questions
When did the Chimu Empire exist?
The Chimu Empire is dated to 1188 CE – 1481 CE, in the High & Late Middle Ages era.
What was the capital of the Chimu Empire?
The capital of the Chimu Empire was Chan Chan.
How large was the Chimu Empire at its peak?
At its peak in 1424 AD the Chimu Empire covered about 97,568 km².
How did the map of the Chimu Empire change over time?
The Chimu Empire appears on 3 dated world maps in the atlas, from 1200 CE to 1400 CE. Each shows its borders in that year next to the other states of the time.
Other Sovereign Realms
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