Indigenous Incan Socialism is a documented economic model. El Inca Garcilaso de la Vega wrote "Royal Commentaries of the Incas", one of the earliest histories of the Inca Empire, which detailed its capacity for Native Socialism ๐งต 1/
The Inca idea of "wealth" wasn't tied to money, but family. When the Inca demanded tribute they wanted labor, not gold, such as asking the community to build a road. Those who were "wealthy" were those with bigger families because they would complete their part before others. 2/
There was even a law that the "wealthy" had to give their labor to help someone with a small or no family finish their part of the project. And the tribute was not measured by how much time it took, but only by its completion. Thus the Incas weren't dependent on money 3/
The law also made special exceptions for children and sick, disabled, and elderly folks. During tribute time, the elderly, sick, and children were exempted from the tax. Disabled folks who are blind and mute worked according to their ability. All work was valuable. 4/
Regarding land ownership, all peoples were given a standard plot of land ("tupu" in quechua) to feed them and their partners. More was added based on how many children they had. But there was also state-run lands that fed the "poor" and soldiers first, before the Inca. 5/
To the "poor" (waqcha in Quechua), the state divided plots of land for them only. These lands would be tilled first and communally before all others. In one instance, a chief from Chachapoyas faced capital punishment for tilling his crops before the crops for the poor. 6/
With Incan socialism, the Native peoples of the Andes approached the Socialist ideal "To each according to their ability. To each according to their need." By building an economy without money poverty, nor starvation, the Incas surpassed the European economies of then and now. 7/
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