Spanish Conquest of the Inca

The Inca empire continued to grow after Pachacutech's death in 1471, under the leadership of his son Tupac Inca Yupanqui.  Huayna Capac followed him in 1493. While able to maintain the kingdom, he was not able to expand it. He was also unable to pass the empire on in peace.  

After Huayna Capac’s death in 1527, his sons Huascar and Atahualpa split the empire and fought each other for total control.  The former ruled Cusco, and with Cusco came the loyalty of many people. But they were not great warriors.

Atahualpa’s domain, near the city that is now Quito in Ecuador, had followers with significant battle experience. With that came victory for Atahualpa. In 1532. Huáscar and his Cusco domain fell to his brother.  

But Atahualpa’s victory was short-lived. The Europeans had discovered the ‘New World’, bringing smallpox, the common cold and superior fighting skills and weaponry.  Inca slingshots, and arrows were of little use against Pizarro's Spanish warriors in armor. The division between the two Inca brothers was an added advantage that Pizarro could exploit.

Atahualpa, hoping to save his nation, arranged to meet Pizarro in 1532.  The Inca emperor anticipated a meeting, not a battle: he took only a portion of his thousands of warriors with him, and they arrived unarmed.   

Pizarro, however, had planned a battle.  His armed conquistadors killed the unarmed Inca warriors, Pizarro took Atahualpa captive, and the Spanish troops continued toward Cusco. 

Atahualpa’s feared that his just-defeated brother in Cusco might form an alliance with the Spanish, so from captivity, he was able to order Huascar’s assassination. Then the prisoner-king offered to pay Pizarro for his freedom with the gold and silver from Cusco’s ‘Gold Courtyard’ --the Coricancha.  Pizarro chose to take the ransom and kill the captive in 1533. 

Pizarro then appointed Manco Inca to serve as his puppet ruler.  Manco was not a very good puppet. He had supported Huascar in opposing Atahualpa, and he quickly became disenchanted with Spanish rule. In 1536, Manco organized an attack on the Spanish in Cusco. Initially he fought from the fortress of Sacsayhuaman, but the Spanish captured it. Manco retreated to Ollantaytambo, and then into the jungle.   

Capturing Sacsayhuaman enabled the Spanish to retain control of Cusco. Manco continued his attempts to drive out the Spanish and regain the empire, but ultimately was killed in 1544. The Spanish domination expanded, bringing an end to the Inca Empire.

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