Siege of Cuzco
Encyclopedia
The Siege of Cuzco was the May 6, 1536 – March 1537, ten month siege
of the city of Cuzco by the army of Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui
against a garrison of Spanish conquistador
s and Indian auxiliaries
led by Hernando Pizarro
.
A Spaniard expedition led by Francisco Pizarro
had captured the Inca capital of Cuzco on November 15, 1533 after defeating an Inca army headed by general Quisquis. The following month, the conquistador
s supported the coronation as Inca emperor of Manco Inca to facilitate their control over the empire. However, real power rested with the Spaniards who frequently humiliated Manco Inca and imprisoned him after an attempted escape in November 1535. After his release in January 1536, Manco Inca managed to leave Cuzco on April 18 promising the Spanish commander, Hernando Pizarro
, to bring back a large gold statue when in fact he was already preparing a rebellion.
Having realized their mistake, Hernando Pizarro led an expedition against Manco Inca's troops, which had gathered in the nearby Yucay Valley, however, the attack failed as the Spaniards had severely underestimated the size of the Inca army. The Inca emperor did not attack Cuzco at once, instead he waited to assemble his full army estimated at between 100,000 to 200,000 men strong around the city (some sources suggest numbers as low as 40,000); against them there were 190 Spaniards, 80 of them horsemen, and several thousand Indian auxiliaries
. The siege started on May 6, 1536 with a full-scale attack towards the main square of the city; the Inca army succeeded in capturing most of the city while the Spaniards took refuge in two large buildings near the main plaza. The conquistadors managed to fend off Inca attacks from these constructions and mounted frequent raids against their besiegers.
To relieve their position, the Spaniards decided to assault the walled complex of Sacsayhuamán
, which served as the main base of operations for the Inca army. Fifty horsemen, led by Juan Pizarro, and accompanied by Indian auxiliaries broke through the Inca army files, turned around and attacked Sacsayhuamán from outside the city. During the frontal assault against the building's large walls, a stone struck Juan Pizarro in the head; he died days later from the injury sustained. The following day, the Spaniards resisted several Inca counterattacks and mounted a renewed assault at night using scaling ladders. In this way, they managed to capture the terrace walls of Sacsayhuamán while the Inca army held on to the two tall towers of the complex. The Inca commanders, Paucar Huaman and the high priest or Villac Umu, decided to leave the confinement of the towers and fight their way towards Calca, the site of Manco Inca's headquarters, to bring back reinforcements. The attempt was successful and the towers were left under the command of Titu Cusi Gualpa, an Inca noblemen. However, despite Titu's fierce resistance, the Spaniards and their auxiliaries managed to storm the towers so that when the Inca commanders returned, Sacsayhuamán was firmly under their control.
The capture of Sacsayhuamán eased the pressure on the Spanish garrison at Cuzco; the fighting now turned in a series of daily skirmishes paused only by the Inca religious tradition of halting attacks during the new moon
. During this period, the Spaniards successfully implemented terror tactics to demoralize the Inca army, they included an order to kill any woman caught and cutting off the hands of captured men. Encouraged by their successes, Hernando Pizarro led an attack against Manco Inca's headquarters which were now at Ollantaytambo
, further away from Cuzco. However, the expedition Manco Inca managed to defeat the Spanish expedition at the Battle of Ollantaytambo
by taking advantage of the fortifications and the difficult terrain around the site. The Spanish garrison had more success with several raids to gather food from regions near Cuzco; these incursions allowed them to replenish their almost exhausted provisions. Meanwhile, Manco Inca tried to capitalize his success at Ollantaytambo with a renewed assault on Cuzco, however, a Spanish cavalry party had a chance encounter with the Inca army thus ruining any hope of surprise. That same the night the Spaniards mounted a full scale attack which achieved complete surprise and inflicted severe casualties on Manco Inca's troops.
After 10 months of vicious fighting in Cuzco, with low-morale playing factor, Manco Inca decided to raise the siege at Cuzco and withdraw to Vilcabamba
. It is suggested by some that this action threw away his only real chance to rebuff the Spaniards from Tawantinsuyu, however, it was probably the only realistic choice he had considering the arrival of Spanish reinforcements from Chile led by Diego de Almagro
. Upon facing victory and the availability of expanding his own reign into Peru, Almagro seized the city once having achieved victory for Spain and had Hernando and Gonzalo imprisoned. Gonzalo managed to escape, however, to later face Almagro in a personal triumph at the battle of Las Salinas
.
Siege
A siege is a military blockade of a city or fortress with the intent of conquering by attrition or assault. The term derives from sedere, Latin for "to sit". Generally speaking, siege warfare is a form of constant, low intensity conflict characterized by one party holding a strong, static...
of the city of Cuzco by the army of Inca Emperor Manco Inca Yupanqui
Manco Inca Yupanqui
Manco Inca Yupanqui was one of the Incas of Vilcabamba. He was also known as "Manco II" and "Manco Cápac II" . Born in 1516, he was one of the sons of Huayna Cápac and came from a lower class of the nobility.Túpac Huallpa, a puppet ruler crowned by conquistador Francisco Pizarro, died in 1533...
against a garrison of Spanish conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s and Indian auxiliaries
Indian auxiliaries
Auxiliary Indians or indios auxiliares is the term used in old Spanish chronicles and historical texts for the indigenous peoples who were integrated into the armies of the Spanish conquerors with the purpose of supporting their advance and combat operations during the Conquest of America...
led by Hernando Pizarro
Hernándo Pizarro
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas was a Spanish conquistador and one of the Pizarro brothers who ruled over Peru...
.
A Spaniard expedition 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:...
had captured the Inca capital of Cuzco on November 15, 1533 after defeating an Inca army headed by general Quisquis. The following month, the conquistador
Conquistador
Conquistadors were Spanish soldiers, explorers, and adventurers who brought much of the Americas under the control of Spain in the 15th to 16th centuries, following Europe's discovery of the New World by Christopher Columbus in 1492...
s supported the coronation as Inca emperor of Manco Inca to facilitate their control over the empire. However, real power rested with the Spaniards who frequently humiliated Manco Inca and imprisoned him after an attempted escape in November 1535. After his release in January 1536, Manco Inca managed to leave Cuzco on April 18 promising the Spanish commander, Hernando Pizarro
Hernándo Pizarro
Hernando Pizarro y de Vargas was a Spanish conquistador and one of the Pizarro brothers who ruled over Peru...
, to bring back a large gold statue when in fact he was already preparing a rebellion.
Having realized their mistake, Hernando Pizarro led an expedition against Manco Inca's troops, which had gathered in the nearby Yucay Valley, however, the attack failed as the Spaniards had severely underestimated the size of the Inca army. The Inca emperor did not attack Cuzco at once, instead he waited to assemble his full army estimated at between 100,000 to 200,000 men strong around the city (some sources suggest numbers as low as 40,000); against them there were 190 Spaniards, 80 of them horsemen, and several thousand Indian auxiliaries
Indian auxiliaries
Auxiliary Indians or indios auxiliares is the term used in old Spanish chronicles and historical texts for the indigenous peoples who were integrated into the armies of the Spanish conquerors with the purpose of supporting their advance and combat operations during the Conquest of America...
. The siege started on May 6, 1536 with a full-scale attack towards the main square of the city; the Inca army succeeded in capturing most of the city while the Spaniards took refuge in two large buildings near the main plaza. The conquistadors managed to fend off Inca attacks from these constructions and mounted frequent raids against their besiegers.
To relieve their position, the Spaniards decided to assault the walled complex of Sacsayhuamán
Sacsayhuamán
-External links:* BBC Article...
, which served as the main base of operations for the Inca army. Fifty horsemen, led by Juan Pizarro, and accompanied by Indian auxiliaries broke through the Inca army files, turned around and attacked Sacsayhuamán from outside the city. During the frontal assault against the building's large walls, a stone struck Juan Pizarro in the head; he died days later from the injury sustained. The following day, the Spaniards resisted several Inca counterattacks and mounted a renewed assault at night using scaling ladders. In this way, they managed to capture the terrace walls of Sacsayhuamán while the Inca army held on to the two tall towers of the complex. The Inca commanders, Paucar Huaman and the high priest or Villac Umu, decided to leave the confinement of the towers and fight their way towards Calca, the site of Manco Inca's headquarters, to bring back reinforcements. The attempt was successful and the towers were left under the command of Titu Cusi Gualpa, an Inca noblemen. However, despite Titu's fierce resistance, the Spaniards and their auxiliaries managed to storm the towers so that when the Inca commanders returned, Sacsayhuamán was firmly under their control.
The capture of Sacsayhuamán eased the pressure on the Spanish garrison at Cuzco; the fighting now turned in a series of daily skirmishes paused only by the Inca religious tradition of halting attacks during the new moon
New moon
In astronomical terminology, the new moon is the lunar phase that occurs when the Moon, in its monthly orbital motion around Earth, lies between Earth and the Sun, and is therefore in conjunction with the Sun as seen from Earth...
. During this period, the Spaniards successfully implemented terror tactics to demoralize the Inca army, they included an order to kill any woman caught and cutting off the hands of captured men. Encouraged by their successes, Hernando Pizarro led an attack against Manco Inca's headquarters which were now at Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo
Ollantaytambo is a town and an Inca archaeological site in southern Peru some 60 kilometers northwest of the city of Cusco. It is located at an altitude of 2,792 meters above sea level in the district of Ollantaytambo, province of Urubamba, Cusco region...
, further away from Cuzco. However, the expedition Manco Inca managed to defeat the Spanish expedition at the Battle of Ollantaytambo
Battle of Ollantaytambo
The Battle of Ollantaytambo took place in January 1537, between the forces of Inca emperor Manco Inca and a Spanish expedition led by Hernando Pizarro during the Spanish conquest of Peru. A former ally of the Spaniards, Manco Inca rebelled in May 1536, and besieged a Spanish garrison in the city...
by taking advantage of the fortifications and the difficult terrain around the site. The Spanish garrison had more success with several raids to gather food from regions near Cuzco; these incursions allowed them to replenish their almost exhausted provisions. Meanwhile, Manco Inca tried to capitalize his success at Ollantaytambo with a renewed assault on Cuzco, however, a Spanish cavalry party had a chance encounter with the Inca army thus ruining any hope of surprise. That same the night the Spaniards mounted a full scale attack which achieved complete surprise and inflicted severe casualties on Manco Inca's troops.
After 10 months of vicious fighting in Cuzco, with low-morale playing factor, Manco Inca decided to raise the siege at Cuzco and withdraw to Vilcabamba
Vilcabamba, Peru
Vilcabamba was a city founded by Manco Inca in 1539 and was the last refuge of the Inca Empire until it fell to the Spaniards in 1572, signaling the end of Inca resistance to Spanish rule.- History :...
. It is suggested by some that this action threw away his only real chance to rebuff the Spaniards from Tawantinsuyu, however, it was probably the only realistic choice he had considering the arrival of Spanish reinforcements from Chile led by Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro
Diego de Almagro, , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador and a companion and later rival of Francisco Pizarro. He participated in the Spanish conquest of Peru and is credited as the first European discoverer of Chile.Almagro lost his left eye battling with coastal...
. Upon facing victory and the availability of expanding his own reign into Peru, Almagro seized the city once having achieved victory for Spain and had Hernando and Gonzalo imprisoned. Gonzalo managed to escape, however, to later face Almagro in a personal triumph at the battle of Las Salinas
Battle of Las Salinas
The Battle of Las Salinas was a military conflict and decisive confrontation between the forces of Hernando and Gonzalo Pizarro against those of rival conquistador Diego de Almagro, on April 26, 1538, during the Conquest of Peru...
.