Empire · 900–1470 · Northern South America
Chimú Empire (Chimor)
Also known as Chimú Empire, Chimú
The Chimú kingdom, called Chimor, arose around 900 in the Moche valley on Peru's desert north coast, where the Moche civilisation had flourished earlier. Its capital, Chan Chan, was the largest adobe city in the Americas, made up of walled royal compounds, each built by a king who was buried in it with his treasures.
Chimú engineers dug long irrigation canals to water the desert, and its craftsmen were skilled goldsmiths and weavers. From the 14th century the Chimú conquered neighbouring valleys until they controlled about 1,000 kilometres of coast, from near the Ecuadorian border to near Lima. Around 1470 the Inca under Topa Inca Yupanqui conquered Chimor, reportedly by cutting its water supply, and carried its king and many artisans off to Cusco.
- Years
- 900–1470
- Capital
- Chan Chan
- Greatest extent
- 1450, about 100,000 km²
- Region
- Northern South America
About 1,000 km of the north Peruvian coast (rough estimate)
Legacy
Chan Chan is a World Heritage Site, and Chimú metalworkers shaped the gold-working traditions of the Inca court.
Rulers
- Tacaynamo c. 900 (legendary)
Founder in Chimú tradition, said to have arrived by sea
- Ñançenpinco c. 14th century (traditional)
Remembered as the conqueror who expanded Chimor
- Minchançaman c. 1460s – 1470
Last independent king, taken to Cusco by the Inca
Realms on the map
- Chimu Empire 1188–1481
- Chimor 911–1187