The Inca Empire began in which year and had which city as its capital?

• A. Began in 1438; Cuzco
• B. Began in 1200; Lima
• C. Began in 900; Quito
• D. Began in 1500; Bogota

Answer: (A)

The main idea here is when the Inca Empire truly formed and where it held its power. The empire’s rise occurred in the central Andes under Pachacuti, with rapid expansion around 1438. This marks the moment it transformed from a regional kingdom into a large imperial state. Cusco, in the Valley of the Sacred Path, served as the capital—the political and ceremonial center from which the Inca administered the vast territory, organized labor, and directed governance and religious life.

That’s why the statement you’re looking for is the one that places the beginning around 1438 and identifies Cusco as the capital. Other dates and cities don’t fit with how historians describe the Inca’s early expansion and core seat of power, since Lima, Quito, and Bogota were not centers of Inca rule, and those dates don’t align with the period of rapid Inca imperial expansion.