Flags
Various banners in a variety of colours were used during the rebellion. On one occasion 4 flags were carried by 3,000 rebels indicating possibly that each battalion-sized unit carried one. The most common field colour was red as it was the traditional colour of the Incas. The personal banners of Tupac Amaru apparently carried the coat of arms of the Incas. These coats of arms had been granted by the Spanish Crown to much of the senior Inca nobility so it is reasonable to expect that other aristocratic rebel leaders had their own banners with their own coat of arms, also probably with a red field in most cases. However, white and yellow, grey and white, black, and green flags are also mentioned, possibly indicating rebel leaders of non-Inca descent or local patron saints. Another common flag had a white background bearing a cross to symbolise the rebels' Christianity.
Uniforms
Most of the rebels were Indian peasants who wore their traditional civil clothing, which at this time was mostly in the sober brown colours of alpaca wool. However, it is known that early in the rebellion articles of captured European civilian clothing were worn by some of Tupac Amaru's Indian followers as trophies. On occasion they also reportedly wore a cross in their headgear, presumably to emphasise their christianity and to distinguish them from the loyal Indians fighting for the Spanish. It would not be too fanciful to assume that this cross might have been in Inca red. Presumably loyal Indians wore a similar distinction in their headgear but it is not known what. It may have been a white cockade because when the Militia Regiment of Cordoba in northern Argentina was formed in 1785 with a view to countering such revolts its essentially civilian uniform included such a'white cockade.
Uniforms in Tupac Amaru's army were extremely rare. A group of black rebels from Pampajasi are known to have worn articles of militia uniform taken from Spanish dead and presumably others also did so. However, they must have been rare. It is known that Tomasa Tito Condemayta equipped and uniformed a hundred men, probably mestizos like him, but the exact form of this uniform is unknown. It is surmised that it may generally have followed slightly out-of-date Spanish fashion as the rebel leaders were very Hispanicised, but evidence is lacking. It can be reasonably assumed that the main rebel leaders achieved some degree of uniformity amongst their personal bodyguard. It is also likely that the greatest degree of uniformity was displayed up until the capture of Tupac Amaru.
Arms: Indians were very tightly controlled by the Spanish in the weapons they were normally allowed to possess. In order of numerical importance the rebels' (and probably loyal Indians') weapons were slings, "garrotes"(?), wooden pikes and lances, and various more primitive weapons; "galgas" (?), bone daggers, hand thrown stones, bolas, "cocobolos" (?) etc. Edged steel weapons were rare; only a few captured machetes, sabres, swords, daggers and bayonets.
The few firearms were used by people of mixed race or who had been allowed some access to modern weapons by the Spanish. It is not unreasonable to suppose that these formed the semi-uniformed bodyguards of the various leaders. The firearms included muskets, carbines, a few pistols and shotguns normally used for hunting.
More Revolt of the Tupac Amaru: 1780-1782
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