;)
The Incan Empire covered nearly 5,500 km and is said to be the biggest native state
to rise in the Western Hemisphere. Cuzco was the capital and home of the Sun,
the god Inti, whose essence is said to be made of gold. The Empire was founded in
the 11th c. when Manco Capac established Cuzco. Although the Andean region at the
time was populated by a number of different groups of people with various languages
who worshipped different gods, these people shared a common agricultural heritage.
After Manco Capac founded the Empire the civilization slowly grew to an approximately twelve-mile radius surrounding Cuzco under seven different rulers. Viracocha Inca became the eighth ruler and named Urcon, one of his many sons, to be his successor. Pachacuti, another of Viracocha's sons however had a vision that he was the chosen heir to the empire. His vision was of Inti, the god of the Sun, who revealed to Pachacuti the lands that he would soon conquer. In 1438 Cuzco came under attack by the Chancas, and Viaconcha and Urcon fled the city with the most valued soldiers. Pachacuti stayed, brought the remaining soldiers together and defended the Incan capital. Legend has it that at a crucial point in the battle, Pachacuti summoned the power of the stones to help fend off the Chancas. Pachacuti forced his father to abdicate and took the throne for himself.
Pachacuti expanded the empire under many campaigns. His innovations in warfare and a shift from basic looting to military campaigns as a means of spreading Inca culture and religion, brought Pachacuti the glory of a great and expanding empire. During the times of Pachacuti and his son and heir, Topa Inca Yupanqui, the Incan Empire flourished under a strong, centralized government. The amazing architecture and heritage of the present day Andeans is testament to this. Elaborate road and water systems developed. Temple and forts were constructed of large stones with such amazing skill that Incan architecture is still today world famous. Without a written language, the Incas developed a method of recording events and numbers in a series of knotted, colorful stings tied to a main cord called quipus. Quechua became the spoken language of the empire under Pachacuti.
Unfortunately, much more is known of the end of the Incan Empire because it was written and recorded by the Spanish. The downfall of the empire begins in the mid 1520s when Huaynacapac, the grandson of Pachacuti, dies of an unknown disease before naming his heir. In addition, his most likely successor, Ninan Cuyuchi dies of the same disease. This disease was most likely small pox, which was ravaging the Inca population and had been brought to parts of South American by the Spanish. Two of Huaynacapac's remaining sons, Huascar and Atahualpa, begin a civil war in a struggle for the throne. Although the priests name Huascar successor, the army favors Atahualpa. The civil was ends with the capture of Huascar and the storming of Cuzco by Atahualpa and his soldiers.
In 1532, while the civil war raged, Pizarro arrived back in the town of Tumbes, now decimated by war. Five years earlier this town, Pizarro had seen all that exemplified the wealth in gold, glory and greatness of the Incan Empire. Motivated by greed he had returned to the land of the Inca with support from King Charles V to find great opportunity. After spending five months looting the coast and acquiring information on the state of Incan affairs with his small legion of roughly 200 men, Pizarro marches inland. During this time Atahualpa and his men are recovering at Cajamarca, only two weeks march from Pizarro.
;)
Atahualpa, advised by councilors that Pizarro and his men were "peaceful", sends a
welcome group to invite the Spaniards to Cajamarca. To show his strength as the
Inca, Atahualpa positions his army along the hills of Cajamarca, much to the surprise
and fear of the Spanish. Pizarro sets camp in the main square of the city and lures
Atahualpa (with the help of De Soto and horsemen) to a meeting. Atahualpa, planning
his own strategy to capture the Spanish (intending to sacrifice them to Inti) and
their horses (to breed) waits until the end of the day of the intended meeting and
arrives in grand flourish in ceremonial array.
With only 5000 of his men, dressed also in ceremonial garb and unarmed, Atahualpa is approached by a single friar with a cross in one hand and a Bible in the other. Using a translator, Atahualpa understands that the Spanish are insisting he convert to their religion. The Inca, contrasting the flimsy book of paper to his sacred stones declares that the Bible, "says nothing to me" and throws it to the ground. The friar with the power of the church and therefore absolution tells Pizarro he is free to "throw yourselves upon them forthwith."
Using cannons, horses and steel blades, 6000 Incan troops died in and around Cajamarca in a mere two-hour period. No Spanish soldiers met the same fate. Atahualpa was captured and finally killed while Spanish continued their conquest through the Incan Empire. Pizarro seemed to understand that trying to rule with Inca without an Inca was difficult if not impossible. Having allowed Atahualpa to live and rule for a time after his capture, the conquistadors killed him for political reasons and the Spanish named a surviving son of Huaynacapac, Manco ruler of the Incas. Manco is compliant at first but abuse and disregard for Incan custom from Gonzalo (Pizarro's brother who took control of Cuzco while Pizarro is establishing a new capital in Lima) drive Manco to escape from Cuzco. Manco rallied his people to revolt against the Spanish and a siege is set on Cuzco. The battle lasts nearly a year, and the Spanish successfully repelled Manco at Sacsahuaman when their reinforcements arrived. At the end of this conflict, many Incans dispersed although Manco and 20,000 followers traveled to the jungle to establish the city of Vilcabamba. There the Incas reigned for another 35 year fiercely fighting the Spanish by 'guerrilla' means. When Manco died he was succeeded by his sons, including the last Inca known as Tupac Amaru. In 1572 the Spanish marched on Vilcabamba and destroyed the last stronghold of the Incan Empire. Tupac Amaru was captured, taken back to Cuzco and beheaded in the town-square.