francisco pizaro and the inca conquest rev 1

Dave Martin History 140 Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Francisco Pizarro and the Inca Conquest

In the fall of 1532, the five Pizarro brothers, 15 survivors of

Pizarro’s first expedition, those who crossed the line in the

sand, and some home town friends left Panama and returned

to Peru. They were a Family of Conquistadors as closely knit as

a Mafia clan. Pizarro’s small private army consisted of 62

horses, 152 foot soldiers and some natives.

They were after gold, silver, jewels and anything else of value

they might confiscate including the Great Inca himself.

Atahualpa was the Royal leader of 5-10 million people, an

empire stretching from Ecuador to Chili. Pizarro must have

been impressed as he traveled from Tumbes to Cajamarca and

finally to Cuzco on the Inca Royal Road. This road was lined on both sides with an adobe wall and

manned by relay stations, small forts spaced at regular intervals which housed the Kings Royal

messengers.

Atahualpa told the people to feed the Spanish. Pizarro

taught Spanish to two Indians so they could translate for

him.

The Incas revered their mountain ancestors and

worshiped the Sun. The Spanish saw Inca religion as Devil

Worship and used it as an excuse for a War of Aggression

to save Inca souls.

In early November, Pizarro left the Pacific coast and

marched inland and up into the Andes. The road led to the

City of Cajamarca where Pizarro had heard that Atahualpa was camped. Atahualpa never really saw the

Spanish as much of a threat, though the Inca’s had never seen horses. After all, they were only a few.

Pizarro was a middle aged, illiterate soldier, “Tough as Old Boots”. He was very cagy and he understood

that the Inca Empire was an early Bronze Age civilization and that with Steel and Guns he could strike

where it really hurt.

The Spaniards followed a narrow, steep path up the mountain peaks. It still exists

with its Inca steps to this day. Pizarro’s Secretary wrote: “Steep pass, when they got

to the top, it was defended by a fortress surrounded by stone walls built on a hill

with very steep rocks on either side.” All the Incas had to do was roll rocks down on

them. One of Pizarro’s brothers led the expedition. After five days march through the

mountains, they came out at the city of Cajamarca.


Pizarro’s Secretary: “The Campfires of the enemy were a terrifying site. Like brilliantly star studded sky.

Few of us slept that night. We just talked about what we should do. All were full of fear, for we were so

few and so deep into the land and with no hope of rescue.” Atahualpa’s army was guessed at 30,000.

Atahualpa was relaxing in the hot springs outside of Cajamarca. Pizarro’s advance party met Atahualpa

and told him that Pizarro loved him dearly and would fight for him against his enemies. Atahualpa

smiled at them as if he didn’t think much of them.

Atahualpa told them they could stay in the town. When the Spanish entered the town, they found it

deserted. They occupied a building on the square and wanted to see what the Inca would do.

Atahualpa’s spies had been watching them all the way. His chief spy reported back. “They are not gods.

They get sick and die. They mate with women. They eat food.”

The Inca decided to kill them all except for three of them. They would keep the Horse Breaker, the

Blacksmith and the Barber. These they deemed as useful. They saw men looking pale and sickly going

into the Barber’s tent and coming out, refreshed and full of vigor. So these captives they would castrate

and keep as slaves to perform their valuable work.

“Atahualpa wanted to have Pizarro for lunch but Pizarro had Atahualpa for breakfast.”

Atahualpa was young, in his 30’s. He wore a cloak made

from the skins of Vampire Bats with the Royal Inca tassel

on his forehead. His people welcomed him with a lilting

song still sung today at festivals.

Atahualpa sat on his throne in the center of the square.

Pizarro’s priest made a speech about Christ, the Pope and

how the Inca needed to abandon their false religion and

join the Catholic Church. The Inca were of course insulted

by this. “I follow my religion, the undying sun and the

ancient gods of the Incas. What is your authority for your religion?” The priest handed Atahualpa the

Bible and told him it speaks to them of their religion. “Why doesn’t it speak to me?” and he threw it on

the ground.

Pizarro uses this action as his pretense to attack. The Spanish open fire from all the buildings

surrounding the square killing hundreds of people and capturing Atahualpa. Inca sticks and fans were no

match for Spanish guns and steel. In the end, over 6000 people

were killed, Atahualpa was captured alive and taken in chains to

a prison nearby. This prison still exists.

At this point, Atahualpa makes an offer to ransom himself. He

tells Pizarro if they would set him free, he would fill the room

with gold. He ends up giving the Spanish over seven tons of gold

in this room. Why he thought the Spanish would honor this


agreement I can’t imagine. The Spanish were ruthless; they took what they wanted, desecrated temples,

and raped women. They murdered anyone who got in their way.

Atahualpa thought that if he gave the Spaniards the gold they would simply go away. To gather the gold,

Atahualpa ordered his people to allow the Spaniards to travel freely through his empire. Pizarro set out

on the greatest plundering raid in history.

When they were through, Pizarro put Atahualpa on trial for treason. Again, how could an enemy be

treasonous? Pizarro needed to get rid of the leaders, anyone who might oppose his take over. The

Pizarro brothers and their friends were the jury. The only verdict they could possibly arrive at? Guilty!

The Inca must die. So they cut his head off.

The Indians have a saying, Pachacuti (sp?), “The world turned upside

down.” Pizarro’s men traveled across Peru looting the greatest shrines

in the Americas. Hernando Pizarro, the youngest brother marched

straight into the holiest of temples, Pachacamac on the Pacific Coast,

only to find a plain wooden idle. They thought it was proof of Devil

Worship. Other temples in Peru were literally covered in gold and the

Spaniards stripped all they found. Pizarro marched to Cuzco, the

richest of all the Inca cities, the Inca capital. They looted everything

they found. Ultimately, they sent over seven tons of gold back to

Spain. They ballasted their ships with gold. Now Pizarro fully controlled

Peru. He put Atahualpa’s half brother Manco, on the throne.

The Pizarro’s abused the Inca, raped Manco’s wife and abused the women of the Inca Royal court.

Discontent spread. Talk of a war of liberation was wide spread. Manco summoned his leaders, his words

recorded by his son, Titu Cusi Yupanqui.

“I summoned you all here because we now know clearly who these foreigners are. They’re not worthy

people sent by God but children of the devil. We’ve endured 1000 insults; they’ve treated us like dogs,

while swearing to be our friends. Now I want you to send your messengers throughout the whole

country and summon all your forces

to gather here in Cuzco in twenty

days time to attack them. Make sure

that the bearded ones hear nothing

about this. And we will kill every last

one of them. Then perhaps we’ll

waken from this nightmare.”

When the army arrived, Pizarro took

refuge in a fortress. He sent frantic

pleas for help from Mexico. Three relief columns were wiped out. Pizarro fought a desperate battle in

which Juan Pizarro was killed. But in the end, the Spaniards out gunned the Inca.


Pizarro took reprisals against the civilians, women and children, who were helping Manco’s army. A

massive exodus followed. All who could flee fled north into

the Andes to the sacred valley in the Inca heartland.

Machu Picchu was the

city in the clouds.

Manco boasted he

had made this the

strongest fortress in

all Peru. They built

housing and water

channels for all the

refuges. The Pizarro brothers launched their next attack here.

They fought through the narrow lanes of the town. Then they

attacked the fortress. They sent a force of commandos to the top

of the fortress to fight their way down in order to seize the

fortress.

Armando Pizarro led the assault up the steep steps while the Incas rained down missiles. Manco urged

on his warriors by riding a white Spanish horse across the top of the walls. The Indians hit Pizarro from

every side. For the first time the Spanish were defeated in a pitched battle. However, Manco knew the

Spanish were pouring into the ports. Colonists would flood the valleys and partition Peru. He decided

the Inca would have to move across the Andes into the jungle to avoid the Spaniards.

But the Pizarro brothers wanted revenge and stuck to

his trail. They followed Manco across the high Andes,

loosing men and horses to freezing weather. They

followed them down the trails, down the mountains

and into a well planned ambush. The Incas rolled

boulders down on the Spaniards. There are still piles of

rocks on the upper trail. Still, the Pizarro’s didn’t give

up. They followed the Inca through the jungle to they’re

new city. When they arrived, they had missed the Inca

again. Manco had slipped off into the jungle never to be

seen again.

Before he left, Manco told his people; “Do what they tell you. Worship their god. But when they are

asleep, when they aren’t looking, remember our gods.”


The end for Francisco Pizarro

was a cross between Cesar’s

assignation and a mob killing.

He was stabbed to death by a

rival family.

Chaos was replaced with

order as the King of Spain

appointed a new Viceroy to

Peru. As with the other

Spanish possessions, gold and silver, tobacco and potatoes were

exported to trade for spices, porcelain, silk and slaves, creating the

Columbian Exchange and making Spain the wealthiest Empire on earth.

francisco pizaro and the inca conquest rev 1

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