When did the Incas first begin?

The Inca Empire is believed to have begun in the early 15th century, around the year 1438, when Pachacuti, the ninth Sapa Inca, began a series of military conquests and expansion. The empire rapidly grew to encompass a vast territory across western South America, including parts of present-day Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, and Chile. The Incas developed a highly organized society with advanced agricultural, architectural, and engineering practices. Their civilization continued to flourish until the Spanish conquest in the 16th century.