[4] In the mid-15th century the Collas possessed a vast territory, one of the largest of the Aymara kingdoms, which at the time the 9th Sapan Inka Pachakutiq Yupanqui Qhapaq the Intipchurin ("son of the sun"), conquered along with other political entities in the region.

[5] Often described as a powerful, unified state,[5] archeological data indicates a more politically fragmented landscape, covered by defensive forts, called pukaras.

[6] According to Charles Stanish, the Late Intermediate Period, which lasted from 1000 to 1450, was marked by politically fragmented segmentary societies, which associated with regional ethnic identities based on supposed kinship ties, creating large social-territorial structures.

[2] According to Thérèse Bouysse-Cassagne, the vast Colla territory "was gradually divided into different chiefdoms when the empire collapsed, without all its prestigious waka and traditions having been completely destroyed".

[11] The establishment of pukaras, defensive structures situated in high altitudes and far from sources of water, suggests that armed conflicts within Colla territory were frequent.

Other than Hatunqulla, other, semi-autonomous, centres of political power existed, mainly situated in the eastern Uma half of the territory, notably Azangaro, Callavaya, Moho, Chuquicache, Oruro and Asillo.

[7] These small socio-territorial units are dispersed through the two halves of Colla territory, and are composed of various ayllus (local communities), called hatas in this region, one of which ruled over the others.

[7][18] The Urco half contained the "nations" or "provinces" of Hatuncolla, Caracoto, Juliaca, Nicasio, Lampa, Cabana, Cabanilla, Mañazo, Ullagachi, Paucarcolla, Capachica and Coata.

[7] Umasuyu was composed of the "nations" Azangaro, Asillo, Arapa, Ayaviri, Saman, Taraco, Caquijana, Chupa, Achaya, Caminaca, Carabuco, Cancara, Moho, Conima, Ancoraimes, Huaycho, Huancasi,[19] Huancané, Achacachi,[20] and Copacabana.

Around 1000, the civilisation centred around the ancient city of Tiwanaku disappeared,[2] maybe because of ecological conditions, and parts of the population undertook migrations between 1050 and 1150, starting from the lake Titicaca bassin and spreading throughout the entire altiplano and pacific coast.

[1] However, according to the anthropologist Elizabeth Arkush, archeological findings near lake Titicaca deny the concept of a consolidation process for a Qolla state.

[6] The Qollas inherited important religious traditions of a feline aquatic sun, Viracocha, represented by the sacred lake Titicaca and it's islands, notably Isla del Sol, where state activity had started under Tiwanaku around 650 and increased between 800 and 950.

Between 1000 and 1275, the Qollas abandoned their isolated residences in the mountains, establishing themselves in defensive agro-pastoral complexes, and, while a local elite started to emerge, focused on communitarian work.

The colla chiefdom was organised in a segmentary manner, where a hierarchical system of groups, lineages and semi-autonomous local entities existed, that were attached to political centres.

According to her, the military chiefs, called sinchis, conserved a state of permanent conflict in order to acquire an important position in local hierarchies, by redistributing the war booty to the community.

Other potential causes were the efficiency of pukara forts — Colla chiefs having been incapable of long sieges or surprise attacks —, and the chiefdom's segmentary organisation, which encouraged inter-group rivalries.

[2] At the level of large chiefdoms, the Collas maintained rivalries, possibly linked to cultural and linguistic differences, with the Lupaqas, to the south, and the Canas and Canchis, to the north.

The Qolla chiefdoms of Capachica and Coata were the owners of several Titicaca islands, notably the Isla del Sol, Taquile and Amantani.

[5] The conquest of the Colla chiefdom gave an imperial stature to the Inca state, and significantly increased the reputation of the emperor Pachacuti.

From there, Inca armies advanced into the Callahuaya chiefdom, on the south-eastern border of the Colla polity, and concluded an alliance with the eastern Puquina speaking peoples.

Tupac Yupanqui appointed his uncle Sucsu (or Socso) as governor of Qullasuyu and priest of the sun, banned Qollas from important state festivals, and implanted a policy of discovering mines, which were linked to the cult of Viracocha.

[23] The human sacrifices or capacocha conducted in the mines and near lake Titicaca strengthened political alliances and were part of social, religious and economic "reciprocity" in the Inca state.

[34] The peoples of the eastern parts of the Qolla, Cana, Pacaje and Kallawaya chiefdoms were recruited to work in the Larecaja and Carabaya mines.

According to Thérèse Bouysse-Cassagne, the Incas appropriated the aquatic Titicaca Sun, in order to establish a link between the Inkas and Tiwanaku, by claiming to have originated from the Isla del Sol before migrating to Cusco.