[ES] El estudio de la controversia sobre el imperio inca y del uso de sus fuentes muestra que, contrariamente a lo que tanto se ha repetido, la controversia ha tenido una vida propia, independiente del uso de textos concretos. Tres series de datos parecen decisivos en este sentido: (1) la contingencia temporal de las fuentes, que contrasta con la larga historia de la polémica; (2) la discrepancia entre los investigadores sobre la fiabilidad de los textos; y (3) la falta de correspondencia entre el uso que se ha hecho de ellos y el paradigma de los dos modelos que definen el debate.

[EN] Contradicting a frequently repeated argument on the subject, the analysis of the debates on the Inca empire and the sources quoted in them suggests that this controversy has had a life of its own, the use of sources following from it rather that determining it. As this 2nd part of the paper reveals, (1) sources have been increasingly available, which contrasts with the long history of the controversy; (2) differences among scholars on the reliability of sources are significant; and (3) there is a mismatch between the sources used and the paradigm which defines the debates.

Peer reviewed