By 1532, the Inca Empire<\/a> was embroiled in a civil war that had decimated the population and divided the people\u2019s loyalties. Atahualpa, the younger son of former Incan ruler Huayna Capac, had just deposed his half-brother Huascar and was in the midst of reuniting his kingdom when Pizarro arrived in 1531, with the endorsement of Spain\u2019s King Charles V. On his way to the Incan capital, Pizarro learned of the war and began recruiting soldiers still loyal to Huascar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pizarro met Atahualpa just outside Cajamarca, a small Incan town tucked into a valley of the Andes. Sending his brother Hernan as an envoy, Pizarro invited Atahualpa back to Cajamarca for a feast in honor of Atahualpa\u2019s ascendance to the throne. Though he had nearly 80,000 soldiers with him in the mountains, Atahualpa consented to attend the feast with only 5,000 unarmed men. He was met by Vicente de Valverde, a friar traveling with Pizarro. While Pizarro\u2019s men lay in wait, Valverde urged Atahualpa to convert and accept Charles V as sovereign. Atahualpa angrily refused, prompting Valverde to give the signal for Pizarro to open fire. Trapped in tight quarters, the panicking Incan soldiers made easy prey for the Spanish. Pizarro\u2019s men slaughtered the 5,000 Incans in just an hour. Pizarro himself suffered the only Spanish injury: a cut on his hand sustained as he saved Atahualpa from death.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Realizing Atahualpa was initially more valuable alive than dead, Pizarro kept the emperor in captivity while he made plans to take over his empire. In response, Atahualpa appealed to his captors\u2019 greed, offering them a room full of gold and silver in exchange for his liberation. Pizarro consented, but after receiving the ransom, Pizarro brought Atahualpa up on charges of stirring up rebellion. By that time, Atahualpa had played his part in pacifying the Incans while Pizarro secured his power, and Pizarro considered him disposable. Atahualpa was to be burned at the stake\u2014the Spanish believed this to be a fitting death for a heathen\u2014but at the last moment, Valverde offered the emperor clemency if he would convert. Atahualpa submitted, only to be executed by strangulation. The day was August 29, 1533.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Fighting between the Spanish and the Incas would continue well after Atahualpa\u2019s death as Spain consolidated its conquests. Pizarro\u2019s bold victory at Cajamarca, however, effectively marked the end of the Inca Empire and the beginning of the European colonization<\/a> of South America. Source<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n\n\n Killed in the name of christianity.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Thank you for reading today's post. \r\nHave an InterStellar Day! ~PrP <\/p><\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" 221116 10:37 – Atahualpa Atahualpa was the Incan Emperor in 1532. How he became emperor is interesting too, but I’ll save that for another day. On this date in that year, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro’s actions would facilitate the … Continue reading ![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.orderlyrandomness.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/Atahualpa.webp\")
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