Atahualpa
Encyclopedia
Atahualpa, Atahuallpa, Atabalipa, or Atawallpa (March 20, 1497 – July 26, 1533), was the last Sapa Inca or sovereign emperor of the Tahuantinsuyu, or the Inca Empire
, prior to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Atahualpa became emperor upon defeating his older half-brother Huáscar
in a civil war sparked by the death of their father, Inca Huayna Capac
, from an infectious disease which may have been smallpox
.
During the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro
captured Atahualpa and used him to control the Inca empire. Eventually, the Spanish executed Atahualpa, ending the Inca Empire (although several successors claimed the title of Sapa Inca ("unique Inca") and led a resistance against the invading Spaniards). After Atahualpa died, the Incan Empire began to fall apart.
from Cuzco and Pacha a princess from Quito. The union was a politically expedient one, as the southern Ecuadorian Andes had been conquered by Inca Huayna Capac
's father, Inca Túpac Inca Yupanqui
some years earlier. There were still elements of revolt among the people.
The final battle between the warring brothers took place at the Battle of Quipaipan
, where Huáscar was captured and his army disbanded. Atahualpa had stopped in the city of Cajamarca
in the Andes with his army of about 80,000 troops on his way south to Cuzco to claim his throne when he encountered the Spanish led by Pizarro.
In January 1531, a Spanish expedition landed on what is now the northern coast of Ecuador
; led by Francisco Pizarro
. Its 180 men and 37 horses were on a quest to conquer the Inca Empire. The Spaniards advanced to the south and occupied Tumbes, where they found out about the civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa. After receiving reinforcements, Pizarro founded the city of San Miguel de Piura in September 1532 and then marched towards the heart of the Inca Empire with a force of 106 foot-soldiers and 62 horsemen. At that time, Atahualpa and his army were in Cajamarca
; on hearing about the party of strangers advancing through the empire, he sent an Inca noble to investigate them. This envoy stayed for two days in the Spanish camp, studied the weapons and horses, and delivered an invitation to the Spanish to visit Cajamarca to meet Atahualpa. Atahualpa did not consider the small Spanish force a threat so he let them march to meet him, expecting to capture them personally; thus, Pizarro and his men advanced unopposed through some very difficult terrain, arriving to Cajamarca on November 15, 1532.
The town of Cajamarca was mostly empty except for a few hundred acllas; the Spaniards occupied long buildings on the main plaza. Atahualpa and his army had camped on a hill close to Cajamarca; he occupied a building close to the Konoj hot spring
s while his soldiers had erected numerous tents around him. Pizarro sent an embassy to the Inca, led by Hernando de Soto
with 15 horsemen and an interpreter; shortly thereafter he sent 20 more horsemen led by his brother Hernando Pizarro
as reinforcements in case of an Inca attack. During the interview, the Spaniards invited Atahualpa to visit Cajamarca to meet Francisco Pizarro; the Inca promised to go the following day. In the town, Pizarro prepared an ambush to trap the Inca: the Spanish cavalry and infantry occupied three long buildings around the plaza, while some musketeers and four pieces of artillery were located in a stone structure in the middle of the square. The plan was to persuade Atahualpa to submit to the authority of the Spaniards and, if this failed, there were two options: a surprise attack if success seemed possible or to keep a friendly stand if the Inca forces appeared too powerful.
The following day, Atahualpa left his camp at midday preceded by a large number of men in ceremonial attire; as the procession advanced slowly, Pizarro sent his brother Hernando to invite the Inca to enter Cajamarca before nightfall. Atahualpa entered the town late in the afternoon in a litter
carried by eighty lords; with him were four other lords in litters and hammock
s and 5-6,000 men carrying small battle axe
s, slings
and pouches of stones underneath their clothes. The Inca found no Spaniards in the plaza, as they were all inside the buildings; the only one to come out was the Dominican friar Vicente de Valverde with an interpreter. Although there are different accounts as to what Valverde said, most agree that he invited the Inca to come inside to talk and dine with Pizarro. Atahualpa instead demanded the return of every single thing the Spaniards had taken since they landed. According to eyewitness accounts, Valverde then spoke about the Catholic religion but did not deliver the requerimiento
, a speech requiring the listener to submit to the authority of the Spanish Crown and accept the Christian
faith. At Atahualpa's request, Valverde gave him his breviary
but after a brief examination, the Inca threw it to the ground; Valverde hurried back toward Pizzarro, calling on the Spaniards to attack. At that moment, Pizarro gave the signal; the Spanish infantry and cavalry came out of their hiding places and charged the unsuspecting Inca retinue, killing a great number while the rest fled in panic. Pizarro led the charge on Atahualpa but managed to capture him only after killing all those carrying him and turning over his litter. Not a single Spanish soldier was killed.
On November 17 the Spaniards sacked the Inca army camp in which they found great quantities of gold, silver and emeralds. Noticing their lust for precious metals, Atahualpa offered to fill a large room
about 22 feet (6.7 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide up to a height of 8 feet (2.4 m) once with gold and twice with silver within two months. It is commonly believed that the Inca offered this ransom to regain his freedom; however, it seems likelier that he did so to avoid being killed, as none of the early chroniclers mention any commitment by the Spaniards to free Atahualpa once the metals were delivered.
Outnumbered and fearing an imminent attack from the Inca general Rumiñahui
, after several months the Spanish saw Atahualpa as too much of a liability and decided to execute him. Pizarro staged a mock trial and found Atahualpa guilty of revolting against the Spanish, practicing idolatry and murdering Huáscar, his brother. Atahualpa was sentenced to execution by burning. He was horrified, since the Inca believed that the soul would not be able to go on to the afterlife if the body were burned. Friar Vicente de Valverde, who had earlier offered his breviary to Atahualpa, intervened, telling Atahualpa that if he agreed to convert to Catholicism, he would convince Pizarro to commute the sentence. Atahualpa agreed to be baptized into the Catholic faith. He was given the name Juan Santos Atahualpa. In accordance with his request, he was strangled
with a garrote
instead of being burned on July 26, 1533. Following his execution, his clothes and some of his skin were burned, and his remains were given a Christian burial. Atahualpa was succeeded by his brother, the puppet Inca Túpac Huallpa
, and later by another brother Manco Inca.
, the favorite sister of Atahualpa, who had been given to Pizarro in marriage by her brother, married a Spanish cavalier named Ampuero and left for Spain. They took her daughter with them, and she was later legitimized by imperial decree. Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui married her uncle Hernándo Pizarro
in Spain, on October 10, 1537— they had a son, Francisco Pizarro y Pizarro. This son, in turn, married twice and had offspring, the Marqueses de La Conquista. The Pizarro line survived Hernando's death, although it is currently extinct in the male line. Pizarro's third son, by a relative of Atahualpa renamed Angelina, who was never legitimized, died shortly after reaching Spain. Another relative, Catalina Capa-Yupanqui, who died in 1580, married a Portuguese
nobleman named António Ramos, son of António Colaço and wife Violante Fernandes Veloso. Their daughter was Francisca de Lima, who married Álvaro de Abreu de Lima, another Portuguese nobleman, and had issue in Portugal
.
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
, prior to the Spanish conquest of Peru. Atahualpa became emperor upon defeating his older half-brother Huáscar
Huáscar
Huáscar Inca was Sapa Inca of the Inca empire from 1527 to 1532 AD, succeeding his father Huayna Capac and brother Ninan Cuyochi, both of whom died of smallpox while campaigning near Quito.After the conquest, the Spanish put forth the idea that Huayna Capac may have...
in a civil war sparked by the death of their father, Inca Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac was the eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire and sixth of the Hanan dynasty. He was the successor to Tupac Inca Yupanqui.-Name:In Quechua, his name is spelled Wayna Qhapaq, and in Southern Quechua, it is Vaina Ghapakh...
, from an infectious disease which may have been smallpox
Smallpox
Smallpox was an infectious disease unique to humans, caused by either of two virus variants, Variola major and Variola minor. The disease is also known by the Latin names Variola or Variola vera, which is a derivative of the Latin varius, meaning "spotted", or varus, meaning "pimple"...
.
During the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire
The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. This historic process of military conquest was made by Spanish conquistadores and their native allies....
, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
captured Atahualpa and used him to control the Inca empire. Eventually, the Spanish executed Atahualpa, ending the Inca Empire (although several successors claimed the title of Sapa Inca ("unique Inca") and led a resistance against the invading Spaniards). After Atahualpa died, the Incan Empire began to fall apart.
Pre-conquest
Atahualpa was the offspring of Inca Huayna CapacHuayna Capac
Huayna Capac was the eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire and sixth of the Hanan dynasty. He was the successor to Tupac Inca Yupanqui.-Name:In Quechua, his name is spelled Wayna Qhapaq, and in Southern Quechua, it is Vaina Ghapakh...
from Cuzco and Pacha a princess from Quito. The union was a politically expedient one, as the southern Ecuadorian Andes had been conquered by Inca Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac
Huayna Capac was the eleventh Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire and sixth of the Hanan dynasty. He was the successor to Tupac Inca Yupanqui.-Name:In Quechua, his name is spelled Wayna Qhapaq, and in Southern Quechua, it is Vaina Ghapakh...
's father, Inca Túpac Inca Yupanqui
Tupac Inca Yupanqui
Topa Inca Yupanqui , translated as "noble Inca accountant," was the tenth Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire, and fifth of the Hanan dynasty. His father was Pachacuti, and his son was Huayna Capac. Topa Inca belonged to the Qhapaq panaca....
some years earlier. There were still elements of revolt among the people.
The final battle between the warring brothers took place at the Battle of Quipaipan
Quipaipan
Quipaipan is the name of the plains west of Cusco in Peru, famous for the Battle of Quipaipan in 1532 which decided the fate of the Inca Empire....
, where Huáscar was captured and his army disbanded. Atahualpa had stopped in the city of Cajamarca
Cajamarca
Cajamarca may refer to:Colombia*Cajamarca, Tolima a town and municipality in Tolima DepartmentPeru* Cajamarca, city in Peru.* Cajamarca District, district in the Cajamarca province.* Cajamarca Province, province in the Cajamarca region....
in the Andes with his army of about 80,000 troops on his way south to Cuzco to claim his throne when he encountered the Spanish led by Pizarro.
Spanish conquest
Ecuador
Ecuador , officially the Republic of Ecuador is a representative democratic republic in South America, bordered by Colombia on the north, Peru on the east and south, and by the Pacific Ocean to the west. It is one of only two countries in South America, along with Chile, that do not have a border...
; led by Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro
Francisco Pizarro González, Marquess was a Spanish conquistador, conqueror of the Incan Empire, and founder of Lima, the modern-day capital of the Republic of Peru.-Early life:...
. Its 180 men and 37 horses were on a quest to conquer the Inca Empire. The Spaniards advanced to the south and occupied Tumbes, where they found out about the civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa. After receiving reinforcements, Pizarro founded the city of San Miguel de Piura in September 1532 and then marched towards the heart of the Inca Empire with a force of 106 foot-soldiers and 62 horsemen. At that time, Atahualpa and his army were in Cajamarca
Cajamarca
Cajamarca may refer to:Colombia*Cajamarca, Tolima a town and municipality in Tolima DepartmentPeru* Cajamarca, city in Peru.* Cajamarca District, district in the Cajamarca province.* Cajamarca Province, province in the Cajamarca region....
; on hearing about the party of strangers advancing through the empire, he sent an Inca noble to investigate them. This envoy stayed for two days in the Spanish camp, studied the weapons and horses, and delivered an invitation to the Spanish to visit Cajamarca to meet Atahualpa. Atahualpa did not consider the small Spanish force a threat so he let them march to meet him, expecting to capture them personally; thus, Pizarro and his men advanced unopposed through some very difficult terrain, arriving to Cajamarca on November 15, 1532.
The town of Cajamarca was mostly empty except for a few hundred acllas; the Spaniards occupied long buildings on the main plaza. Atahualpa and his army had camped on a hill close to Cajamarca; he occupied a building close to the Konoj hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
s while his soldiers had erected numerous tents around him. Pizarro sent an embassy to the Inca, led by Hernando de Soto
Hernando de Soto (explorer)
Hernando de Soto was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who, while leading the first European expedition deep into the territory of the modern-day United States, was the first European documented to have crossed the Mississippi River....
with 15 horsemen and an interpreter; shortly thereafter he sent 20 more horsemen led by his brother Hernando Pizarro
Hernándo Pizarro
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas was a Spanish conquistador and one of the Pizarro brothers who ruled over Peru...
as reinforcements in case of an Inca attack. During the interview, the Spaniards invited Atahualpa to visit Cajamarca to meet Francisco Pizarro; the Inca promised to go the following day. In the town, Pizarro prepared an ambush to trap the Inca: the Spanish cavalry and infantry occupied three long buildings around the plaza, while some musketeers and four pieces of artillery were located in a stone structure in the middle of the square. The plan was to persuade Atahualpa to submit to the authority of the Spaniards and, if this failed, there were two options: a surprise attack if success seemed possible or to keep a friendly stand if the Inca forces appeared too powerful.
The following day, Atahualpa left his camp at midday preceded by a large number of men in ceremonial attire; as the procession advanced slowly, Pizarro sent his brother Hernando to invite the Inca to enter Cajamarca before nightfall. Atahualpa entered the town late in the afternoon in a litter
Litter (vehicle)
The litter is a class of wheelless vehicles, a type of human-powered transport, for the transport of persons. Examples of litter vehicles include lectica , jiao [较] , sedan chairs , palanquin , Woh , gama...
carried by eighty lords; with him were four other lords in litters and hammock
Hammock
A hammock is a sling made of fabric, rope, or netting, suspended between two points, used for swinging, sleeping, or resting. It normally consists of one or more cloth panels, or a woven network of twine or thin rope stretched with ropes between two firm anchor points such as trees or posts....
s and 5-6,000 men carrying small battle axe
Battle axe
A battle axe is an axe specifically designed for combat. Battle axes were specialized versions of utility axes...
s, slings
Sling (weapon)
A sling is a projectile weapon typically used to throw a blunt projectile such as a stone or lead "sling-bullet". It is also known as the shepherd's sling....
and pouches of stones underneath their clothes. The Inca found no Spaniards in the plaza, as they were all inside the buildings; the only one to come out was the Dominican friar Vicente de Valverde with an interpreter. Although there are different accounts as to what Valverde said, most agree that he invited the Inca to come inside to talk and dine with Pizarro. Atahualpa instead demanded the return of every single thing the Spaniards had taken since they landed. According to eyewitness accounts, Valverde then spoke about the Catholic religion but did not deliver the requerimiento
Requerimiento
The Requerimiento "requirement" as in "demand") was a written declaration of sovereignty and war, read by Spanish military forces to assert their sovereignty over the Americas...
, a speech requiring the listener to submit to the authority of the Spanish Crown and accept the Christian
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
faith. At Atahualpa's request, Valverde gave him his breviary
Breviary
A breviary is a liturgical book of the Latin liturgical rites of the Catholic Church containing the public or canonical prayers, hymns, the Psalms, readings, and notations for everyday use, especially by bishops, priests, and deacons in the Divine Office...
but after a brief examination, the Inca threw it to the ground; Valverde hurried back toward Pizzarro, calling on the Spaniards to attack. At that moment, Pizarro gave the signal; the Spanish infantry and cavalry came out of their hiding places and charged the unsuspecting Inca retinue, killing a great number while the rest fled in panic. Pizarro led the charge on Atahualpa but managed to capture him only after killing all those carrying him and turning over his litter. Not a single Spanish soldier was killed.
Prison and execution
Ransom Room
The Ransom Room is a small room located in Cajamarca, Peru. It is considered by most Peruvian historians to be the place where the Inca Empire came to an end with the capture and eventual execution of the Inca Emperor Atahualpa.When Francisco Pizarro arrived in Cajamarca on November 15, 1532, he...
about 22 feet (6.7 m) long and 17 feet (5.2 m) wide up to a height of 8 feet (2.4 m) once with gold and twice with silver within two months. It is commonly believed that the Inca offered this ransom to regain his freedom; however, it seems likelier that he did so to avoid being killed, as none of the early chroniclers mention any commitment by the Spaniards to free Atahualpa once the metals were delivered.
Rumiñahui (Inca warrior)
Rumiñahui, Ruminavi, Rumiñagui, or alternatively Rumiaoui, born late 15th century, died June 25, 1535, was an Inca warrior who, after the death of Emperor Atahualpa, led the resistance against the Spanish in the northern part of the Inca Empire in 1533.Born in Pillaro in the modern province of...
, after several months the Spanish saw Atahualpa as too much of a liability and decided to execute him. Pizarro staged a mock trial and found Atahualpa guilty of revolting against the Spanish, practicing idolatry and murdering Huáscar, his brother. Atahualpa was sentenced to execution by burning. He was horrified, since the Inca believed that the soul would not be able to go on to the afterlife if the body were burned. Friar Vicente de Valverde, who had earlier offered his breviary to Atahualpa, intervened, telling Atahualpa that if he agreed to convert to Catholicism, he would convince Pizarro to commute the sentence. Atahualpa agreed to be baptized into the Catholic faith. He was given the name Juan Santos Atahualpa. In accordance with his request, he was strangled
Strangling
Strangling is compression of the neck that may lead to unconsciousness or death by causing an increasingly hypoxic state in the brain. Fatal strangling typically occurs in cases of violence, accidents, and as the auxiliary lethal mechanism in hangings in the event the neck does not break...
with a garrote
Garrote
A garrote or garrote vil is a handheld weapon, most often referring to a ligature of chain, rope, scarf, wire or fishing line used to strangle someone....
instead of being burned on July 26, 1533. Following his execution, his clothes and some of his skin were burned, and his remains were given a Christian burial. Atahualpa was succeeded by his brother, the puppet Inca Túpac Huallpa
Tupac Huallpa
Túpac Huallpa , original name Auqui Huallpa Túpac, was a puppet Inca Emperor of the conquistadors in 1533, during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire led by Francisco Pizarro.-Life:...
, and later by another brother Manco Inca.
Legacy
After Pizarro's death, Inés YupanquiQuispe Sisa
Quispe Sisa was the daughter of the Inca ruler Huayna Capac and the curaca Contarhucho. She was baptized as Inés Huaylas Yupanqui when she was given in marriage at a young age to Francisco Pizarro by her brother Atahualpa. In 1534, she gave birth to Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui and Gonzalo Pizarro...
, the favorite sister of Atahualpa, who had been given to Pizarro in marriage by her brother, married a Spanish cavalier named Ampuero and left for Spain. They took her daughter with them, and she was later legitimized by imperial decree. Francisca Pizarro Yupanqui married her uncle Hernándo Pizarro
Hernándo Pizarro
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas was a Spanish conquistador and one of the Pizarro brothers who ruled over Peru...
in Spain, on October 10, 1537— they had a son, Francisco Pizarro y Pizarro. This son, in turn, married twice and had offspring, the Marqueses de La Conquista. The Pizarro line survived Hernando's death, although it is currently extinct in the male line. Pizarro's third son, by a relative of Atahualpa renamed Angelina, who was never legitimized, died shortly after reaching Spain. Another relative, Catalina Capa-Yupanqui, who died in 1580, married a Portuguese
Portuguese people
The Portuguese are a nation and ethnic group native to the country of Portugal, in the west of the Iberian peninsula of south-west Europe. Their language is Portuguese, and Roman Catholicism is the predominant religion....
nobleman named António Ramos, son of António Colaço and wife Violante Fernandes Veloso. Their daughter was Francisca de Lima, who married Álvaro de Abreu de Lima, another Portuguese nobleman, and had issue in Portugal
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
.
External links
- Francisco de Xeres. Narrative of the Conquest of Peru