6. Pizarro and Panama

Flowchart nodes

• Pizarro's arrival in Peru, 1532

• The Inca Empire - the emperor Huayna Capac

• Significance of Huayna Capac's death  - 1528, outbreak of smallpox killed thousands of Incas and then Capac himself  - He left his empire to his 2 sons Atahuallpa and Huascar - This resulted in civil war and Atahuallpa won and Huascar was killed

• Francisco Pizarro realised the civil war gave him a chance to seize power.  He arrived in Peru in April 1532 and approached Atahuallpa's camp on 15 November 1532

• When invited by Atahuallpa to take a drink, the Spanish poured in away and threatened the Incas by riding their horses near them. Atahuallpa invited Pizarro to meet him the next day in the town square at Cajamarca, where they would be given lodgings 

• Battle of Cajamarca - 16 November 1532

• The Spanish arrived early and hid in the square. 

• Atahuallpa was offered a Bible by the Friar but threw it on the ground and said his Inca God was better

• The Spanish attacked from their hiding places and thousands of Incas were killed and Atahuallpa was taken prisoner

• The murder of Atahuallpa, 1533

• The Spanish agreed to ransom Atahuallpa for a room full of gold and double of silver. he gave it but the Spanish still did not release him.  They put him on trial for treason and executed him

• Pizarro puts Manco on the throne He was the 3rd son of Huayna Capac and was a puppet king to the Spanish

• Manco escaped the Spanish and led an Incan Revolt. He assembled an army and attacked the Spanish base at Cuzco

• The Siege of Cuzco, 1536-37

• 10 000 Inca warriors faced 150 Spanish and 1000 native allies

• The Inca warriors broke into the town and attempted to burn buildings to drive the Spanish back but they put out the fires

• The Spanish used their cavalry to attack the Inca warriors

• The Spanish captured the fortress of Sacsahuaman from the Incans and then they besieged 

• The siege ended when Spaniards exploring Chile returned

• Manco withdrew and established a separate kingdom

• Impact of the conquest

• Pizarro governed Peru until his death in 1541

• Disease (eg measles and smallpox) reduced the Incan empire by 93 percent

• Conquest led to the destruction of Inca civilisation and many were reduced to slavery

• The conquistadores took gold, silver and other items - shipping some back to Spain

• Inca Empire was settled by Spaniards (conquistadores and merchants who wanted to make money)

• Conquistador revolt in Peru, 1544

• New Laws were unpopular with the encomenderos as they reduced their power 

• This led to a revolt led by Gonzalo Pizarro (Francisco Pizarro's brother)

• The rebellion was successful and Gonzalo ruled for 2 years. However, the arrival of Spanish army led to his execution and restoration of Spanish authority 

• La Paz was built to commemorate ending of Pizarro's revolt - Administrative centre of Spanish empire - Demonstrated Spain was highest authority - Spanish viceroy placed here -City was close to trade routes and high up so less vulnerable to attack - Establishment represented the peak of conquistador conquest