From the beginning of Pachacuti's reign, the Spanish chroniclers were generally in agreement. We can therefore get a much more accurate picture of [G 11 / Inca] history from this time onwards. From 1438 to the time of the conquest we can say that this was the historical empire as opposed to the legendary empire of previous years.
Pachacuti was a conqueror whose success and will to dominate and expand his kingdom led to him being compared with military leaders such as Napoleon, Genghis Khan and Alexander the Great. Between 1438, when Pachacuti became emperor, and 1493, when his son Topa Inca died, the Inca Empire expanded from the limited area of the Cuzco valley to include some 350,000 square miles and 3,000 miles of coastline.
Much of this expansion was under Topa Inca, Pachacuti's son. However, it was Pachacuti who initiated [L3 203 / the imperialist policy] of annexing land beyond the needs of the Inca and bringing the conquered tribes into the Inca empire. Within 25 years, Pachacuti conquered most of the central Andes between Lake Titicaca and Lake Junin in [L3 204 / a series of brilliant military campaigns]. He may also have been responsible for initiating the custom of the [L3 208 / mita].
