Inca Atahualpa
* Click Image to Enlarge

Dating back as early as the 12th century you can still find some remains of the beginnings of the Inca Empire high in the Andean Highlands. However, most of their greatness was achieved during the 14th and 15th centuries when the last of the Inca rulers governed. Manco Capac was the first of the Inca rulers, beginning in the 12th century. In total 11 rulers reigned over this famous empire. Pachacutec the 9th of the Inca rulers was responsible for developing their territory into its renowned greatness, and conquering the surrounding territories, such as the Chancas and most of the central Andes between Lakes Titicaca and Junin. Atahualpa was the last to rule over a unified empire, at which time the Spaniards started invading and seizing territories. Thus the Spanish conquest began.

Spanish Conquest

In 1532, at the peak of Inca power, Francisco Pizarro and his band of Spanish conquistadors captured the Inca king Atahualpa while he was retreating in the city of Cajamarca. They threatened to kill Atahualpa if he did not convert to Christianity and so Atahualpa bribed Pizzaro, or at least thought he did, with gold and silver so as to save his life and his empire. Pizzaro tricked him, took the gold and silver, and Atahualpa’s life, in spite of the bribe. This tragically began the end of the Inca civilization.

Independance

By the late 18th century, Spain’s imperial glory was fading. The flow of treasure had dried up, the Spanish monarchy was decadent, and Europe was in a revolutionary ferment. In 1780, an Inca descendant, Tupac Amaru II, led an Indian uprising in southern Peru. The rebellion was crushed, along with the remnant of native aristocracy; when independence arrived 40 years late, the Indians were more powerless than ever.

Native-born South American of Spanish descent (criollos) led the independence movement, starting in Venezuela and Argentina. In 1821 General San Martin seized Lima and drove the Spanish forces into the highlands. Armies led by Venezuelan Simon Bolivar, continued the struggle, finally defeating the Spanish in 1824 Frost, P. (2008). Insight Pocket Peru