Qullasuyu

Qullasuyu, also spelled Qullasesuyu or Collasuyu, was the southern division of the Inca Empire (Tahuantinsuyu). The name combines Qulla, a term referring to the southern Andean populations (often associated with the Aymara-speaking communities), with suyu, the Quechua word for a region or province.

Geographically, Qullasuyu covered the southern Andean highlands, including the Titicaca basin and surrounding areas of the southern central Andes. In historical accounts it encompassed parts of present-day southern Peru and western Bolivia, with extensions toward the southern borders of the empire in nearby regions.

Administratively, each suyu was governed by a governor appointed by the Sapa Inca and subdivided into provinces and ayllus. Infrastructure such as roads and storehouses (qullqas) supported the imperial mit'a labor and tax system, facilitating integration of diverse groups within the southern frontier.

Historically, Qullasuyu emerged as a defined division during the Inca expansion in the 15th century and played a central role as the empire extended its southern reach. It included multiple ethnic groups and contributed to the empire's mining, agriculture, and trade networks. The region remained a recognized unit in colonial-era sources after the Spanish conquest.

Today, Qullasuyu is used by historians to describe the southern sector of the Inca realm, helping to explain administrative organization and regional variation within Tahuantinsuyu. Its intended geographic scope overlaps parts of present-day Bolivia and Peru, and it denotes a core area in the southern Andean world.