Spanish Conquest of the Incan Empire

Summary

Hace 500 años, en los Andes nevados, dos imperios colisionaron, marcando el inicio de la conquista de la civilización inca por parte de los españoles. Francisco Pizarro, tras obtener el permiso real, lideró un grupo de 168 hombres hacia el Perú. La enfermedad desconocida, la viruela, debilitó al imperio inca, causando la muerte del Sapa Inca Huayna Capac y su heredero. La lucha por el trono entre sus hijos, Atahualpa y Huascar, desencadenó un caos que facilitó la conquista. En Cajamarca, Pizarro y su pequeño grupo capturaron a Atahualpa, demandando un rescate que el Sapa Inca cumplió. Sin embargo, su muerte traicionada selló el destino del imperio.

Takeaways

• ❄️ Hace 500 años, en los Andes nevados, los conquistadores españoles y el Imperio Inca chocaron en un encuentro que cambiaría la historia.
• ⚔️ Francisco Pizarro recibió permiso real para conquistar Perú en 1529 y se preparó para invadir el Imperio Inca.
• 😷 La viruela, una enfermedad desconocida para los incas, llegó antes que los españoles y mató al 90% de la población, incluyendo al Sapa Inca Huayna Capac.
• 👑 La muerte de Huayna Capac provocó una guerra civil entre sus hijos Atahualpa y Huáscar por el trono del Imperio Inca.
• 🏞️ En 1532, Atahualpa venció a Huáscar, pero los conquistadores españoles, liderados por Pizarro, llegaron a Cajamarca para capturarlo.
• 📜 Pizarro y sus hombres usaron una estrategia similar a la de Cortés en México, capturando a Atahualpa para desestabilizar el imperio.
• 💣 En Cajamarca, los españoles emboscaron y masacraron a los guerreros incas, capturando a Atahualpa.
• 💰 Atahualpa ofreció llenar una habitación de oro y dos veces de plata a cambio de su libertad, pero fue traicionado y ejecutado en 1533.
• 🚶‍♂️ A pesar de la muerte de Atahualpa, la conquista del Imperio Inca no había terminado; los españoles marcharon hacia Cuzco.
• 🔥 Atahualpa, considerado un dios por los incas, fue bautizado antes de ser estrangulado, lo que alteró profundamente a su pueblo.

Q & A

¿Cuándo se produjo la colisión histórica entre los Conquistadores y el Sapa Inca?

La colisión histórica entre los Conquistadores y el Sapa Inca se produjo hace aproximadamente 500 años, en las montañas nevadas de los Andes.

¿Qué tipo de armas se enfrentaron en el choque entre los Conquistadores y los Incas?

En el choque, las armas de los Conquistadores como el arquebuse se enfrentaron a las armas de los Incas, como el guayaca.

¿Quién recibió a Hernán Cortés después de su conquista de México?

El Emperador de la Santa Romana Imperio y Rey de España, Carlos V, recibió a Hernán Cortés en Toledo después de su conquista de México.

¿Cuál fue el regalo que Francisco Pizarro planeaba ofrecer al Rey para impresionarlo?

Pizarro planeaba ofrecer oro, plata, plumas, nativos y criaturas desconocidas fuera de los Andes.

¿Cuándo y por quién se otorgó la licencia real para conquistar el Perú?

El 26 de julio de 1529, Pizarro fue otorgado una licencia real para conquistar el Perú por el Rey de España.

¿Qué enfermedad devastó al imperio Inca antes de la llegada de Pizarro?

La viruela, una enfermedad eurasiática, devastó al imperio Inca antes de la llegada de Pizarro, matando a millones, incluido el Sapa Inca Huayna Capac y su heredero.

¿Cómo se enfrentó el imperio Inca a la llegada de los extranjeros liderados por Pizarro?

El Sapa Inca Atahualpa, en lugar de matar a los extranjeros, decidió conocerlos y a sus 'gigantes carmellos', sintiendo curiosidad y confiando en la superioridad de su ejército.

¿En qué fecha y lugar se produjo el encuentro entre Atahualpa y los Españoles?

El encuentro entre Atahualpa y los Españoles se produjo el sábado 16 de noviembre de 1532 en la plaza central de Cajamarca.

¿Qué documento se le leyó a Atahualpa durante el encuentro y qué significaba?

Se le leyó el Requerimiento a Atahualpa, un documento que informaba a los pueblos nativos de la América de que España tenía el derecho divino de conquistar estas tierras en nombre de Dios.

¿Cómo reaccionó Atahualpa al ser leído el Requerimiento y a la oferta de una Biblia?

Atahualpa, horrorizado y considerando un acto de blasfemia, escupió y apartó el libro, lo que llevó a los Españoles a atacar.

¿Cómo y por qué fue ejecutado finalmente Atahualpa?

Atahualpa fue ejecutado el 26 de julio de 1533 en Cajamarca. A pesar de haber cumplido con su promesa de llenar una habitación de oro y plata, los Españoles consideraron que había perdido su utilidad y era una amenaza, por lo que lo ejecutaron tras bautizarlo para evitar que su cuerpo fuera quemeado.

Outlines

00:00

🏔️ El encuentro entre imperios en los Andes.

Hace 500 años, en las remotas montañas de los Andes, se produjo una colisión histórica entre dos imperios: el de los conquistadores españoles y el Imperio Inca. Mientras Hernán Cortés regresa a España tras su éxito en México, Francisco Pizarro busca impresionar al rey con historias sobre el rico y misterioso territorio de Perú. El 26 de julio de 1529, Pizarro obtiene una licencia real para conquistar Perú y recluta a un grupo de hombres, incluidos sus hermanos, para emprender el viaje. Mientras tanto, en el Imperio Inca, el Sapa Inca Huayna Capac enfrenta una plaga mortal desconocida que devastará a su pueblo. La pequeña viruela, traída por los europeos, diezma a la población, y el Imperio entra en caos tras la muerte de Huayna Capac y su sucesión disputada entre sus hijos Atahualpa y Huascar. La guerra civil desangra al Imperio Inca mientras Pizarro se prepara para su invasión.

05:03

⚔️ La trampa de Cajamarca.

El 16 de noviembre de 1532, Atahualpa, el nuevo Sapa Inca, se encuentra con un pequeño grupo de conquistadores españoles en Cajamarca. A pesar de contar con una fuerza de 50,000 soldados, Atahualpa no anticipa una batalla, sino una reunión ceremonial. Sin embargo, Pizarro y sus hombres, siguiendo el ejemplo de Cortés, planean capturar a Atahualpa para paralizar al Imperio Inca. Tras un tenso encuentro en el que un fraile español lee un ultimátum (Requerimiento) a Atahualpa, el Sapa Inca desestima el libro religioso y, al ser insultado, ordena su lanzamiento al suelo. Este acto provoca que los españoles, al mando de Pizarro, inicien un ataque devastador. La plaza se convierte en un campo de batalla y, con una serie de disparos y cañonazos, los soldados incas entran en pánico, siendo derrotados rápidamente. Atahualpa es capturado, y el Imperio Inca queda desorientado y sin líder.

10:08

💰 El rescate y la traición.

A pesar de su cautiverio, Atahualpa ofrece una enorme cantidad de oro y plata a los conquistadores españoles como rescate, en un intento por ganar su libertad. Durante meses, los incas envían tesoros colosales a Cajamarca, llenando una habitación de oro y plata que luego se funde en lingotes. La recompensa total asciende a 1.3 millones de pesos de oro, lo que equivale a unos 400 millones de dólares actuales. Sin embargo, mientras el rescate se entrega, más tropas españolas llegan, lo que deja claro que se trata de una invasión y no de una simple conquista. Cuando Atahualpa cumple con su promesa, Pizarro y sus hombres deciden que ya no necesitan al Sapa Inca y, por el contrario, lo consideran un obstáculo. El 26 de julio de 1533, Atahualpa es ejecutado en la plaza de Cajamarca, después de aceptar la conversión al cristianismo para evitar una muerte más cruel. Tras su muerte, los conquistadores se preparan para avanzar hacia Cuzco, pero el destino del Imperio Inca aún está por definirse.

Keywords

💡Conquistador

Un conquistador era un explorador y soldado español que participaba en la conquista de América. En el video, Francisco Pizarro es un ejemplo de conquistador que, con permiso real, lideró una expedición para conquistar el imperio Inca. Los conquistadores buscaban territorios y riquezas, como el oro y la plata del Perú.

💡Sapa Inca

El Sapa Inca era el título del emperador del Imperio Inca, considerado no solo el gobernante supremo sino también una divinidad. En el video, Atahualpa, el último Sapa Inca, es capturado por los españoles durante una reunión en Cajamarca, lo que lleva al colapso del imperio.

💡Tawantinsuyu

Tawantinsuyu era el nombre que los incas daban a su imperio, que significa 'la tierra de las cuatro partes'. Este término refleja la organización territorial del imperio Inca, que estaba dividido en cuatro regiones. La caída del Tawantinsuyu tras la llegada de Pizarro marca un punto clave en el video.

💡Hernán Cortés

Hernán Cortés fue el conquistador español que lideró la conquista del Imperio Azteca en México. En el video, se menciona que regresó a España con grandes riquezas, lo que inspiró a Francisco Pizarro a buscar su propia fortuna en Perú, demostrando la influencia que Cortés tuvo en otras expediciones de conquista.

💡Peste

La peste hace referencia a las enfermedades desconocidas para los incas, como la viruela, que diezmó a la población nativa. En el video, la viruela llegó antes que Pizarro, debilitando al Imperio Inca y matando al Sapa Inca Huayna Capac, lo que facilitó la conquista española.

💡Cajamarca

Cajamarca es la ciudad en la que se produjo el encuentro entre Atahualpa y los conquistadores españoles en 1532. En el video, esta plaza se convierte en el escenario de la emboscada de Pizarro, donde Atahualpa es capturado, marcando un giro decisivo en la conquista del imperio.

💡Requerimiento

El Requerimiento era un documento legal leído por los conquistadores a los nativos, exigiendo su sumisión al cristianismo y al rey de España. En el video, el fraile Valverde presenta este texto a Atahualpa, quien lo rechaza, lo que provoca el ataque de los españoles.

💡Atahualpa

Atahualpa fue el último Sapa Inca del imperio. Capturado por Pizarro en Cajamarca, ofreció llenar una habitación con oro y plata para obtener su libertad. Sin embargo, los españoles lo ejecutaron después de recibir el rescate, lo que simboliza el fin del poder incaico en el video.

💡Viruela

La viruela es una enfermedad traída a América por los europeos, que devastó a la población nativa. En el video, se menciona que la viruela mató al Sapa Inca Huayna Capac y a millones de incas, debilitando al imperio justo antes de la llegada de Pizarro, facilitando la conquista.

💡Riquezas

Las riquezas, especialmente el oro y la plata, fueron uno de los principales motivos de la conquista española. En el video, se destaca cómo Atahualpa ofreció un inmenso rescate de oro y plata para obtener su libertad, pero una vez que los españoles obtuvieron estas riquezas, lo ejecutaron igualmente.

Highlights

500 years ago, atop the Andes, two empires clashed: the Conquistadors and the Inca Empire.

In 1528, Hernán Cortés returned from Mexico with treasures, impressing King Charles V.

Francisco Pizarro, Cortés' cousin, sought royal permission to conquer the Inca Empire.

Pizarro received a royal license in 1529 to conquer Peru and set sail in 1530 with his brothers.

Smallpox, a foreign disease, arrived before Pizarro and decimated the Inca Empire, killing 90% of the population.

The Sapa Inca Huayna Capac and his heir succumbed to smallpox, throwing the empire into a civil war between his sons, Atahualpa and Huascar.

In 1532, Atahualpa's forces defeated Huascar, and he awaited news of the victory in Cajamarca.

Atahualpa decided to meet the 168 Spanish foreigners causing havoc on the coast, unaware of the looming threat.

Pizarro planned to capture Atahualpa, paralyzing the Inca Empire by cutting off its leadership.

Atahualpa entered the square of Cajamarca with 6,000 unarmed men, expecting a peaceful meeting.

The Spanish ambushed the Inca, massacring thousands and capturing Atahualpa, starting the fall of the empire.

Atahualpa offered Pizarro a room filled with gold and silver in exchange for his freedom.

Despite the ransom being paid, the Spanish realized they could not release Atahualpa and executed him in 1533.

Atahualpa's death marked a turning point, shaking the worldview of the local people as their ruler and god was killed.

The Inca Empire's collapse began, but the Spanish conquest was far from over as they marched toward Cuzco.

Transcripts

500 years ago, atop the snowcapped Andes, in a still barely mapped continent, thousands

of meters above sea level, two new empires smashed into each other, in a historical collision

that reverberates into the modern day.

Conquistador and Sapa Inca, men from different worlds, will clash.

The arquebus and huaraca will meet and Tawantinsuyu, the Land of Four Parts Together will be undone.

In 1528 Hernán Cortes had just returned from Mexico bringing tales of conquest along with

unimaginable treasures.

The Holy Roman Emperor and King of Spain Charles the 5th received him and his riches in Toledo.

As Cortés impressed the royal court, another veteran of the New World had arrived at the

city.

It was Francisco Pizarro, the second cousin of Cortés.

Pizarro had arranged to meet the King and planned to impress him with gifts.

Gold, silver, feathers, natives, and bizarre creatures unknown outside of the Andes.

Pizarro told his King of the magical land of Peru, home to a native Empire that Pizarro

assured him could be conquered in his name.

On the 26th of July 1529, Pizarro was issued a royal license to conquer this new land and

named the Governor of Peru.

Armed with a royal permission, Pizarro set off recruiting potential conquistadors.

He returned to his hometown of Trujillo, gathered his four brothers, Juan, Francisco, Gonzalo,

and Hernando, and then set sail for the Americas in January 1530.

The Sapa Inca, Huayna Capac had recently subdued much of what is now Ecuador when reports began

trickling in.

Strange men had traded with the city of Tumbez.

Alongside these reports came others, that were much more horrific.

Chasquis runners arrived daily informing the Sapa Inca that a disease had appeared in the

north and was killing thousands.

Nothing like it had ever been seen before Plagues were unknown to the Inca so this strange

sickness, known to us as smallpox, ravaged the population.

The Eurasian disease was not brought by Pizarro however, as it arrived slightly before he

did, creeping in from North and Central America.

In the following years, up to 90% of the Empire would succumb to the disease.

Sometime around 1527 the Sapa Inca Huayna Capac and his heir died from smallpox along

millions of their subjects.

Two years before Pizarro had petitioned the King of Spain, Eurasian germs had initiated

the conquest for him.

With the succession now unclear and the realm devastated, the sons of Huayna Capac both

tried to claim the throne and tossed the Empire into chaos.

Atahualpa, who possessed much less territory than Huascar, controlled his dead father’s

veteran legions and slowly pushed down from Quito towards Cuzco.

During the final bloody climax of the war in 1532 Huacar’s remaining armies were smashed

outside of Cuzco and he was captured by Atahualpa’s generals.

Atahualpa has camped over 900 kilometers away in the town of Cajamarca, with a small portion

of his army, awaiting news of the battle.

Even with the Inca’s exceptional highway and their tireless chasquis, it would take

five days for word of the victory to reach Atahualpa.

There, in Cajamarca Atahualpa planned his eventual coronation as the supreme ruler of

the Inca world.

He was eager to get word from his generals and set off on his victory march towards his

new capital.

But there was just one small detail that he needed to deal with at the moment.

Reports were coming in from his chiefs that a small band of 168 foreigners, some of whom

were riding giant llamas, was causing havoc on the coast and it appeared they were now

marching straight for Cajamarca.

Atahualpa was curious and rather than have these men killed he decided to see them and

their strange llamas himself.

What could 168 do against his 50,000 soldiers?

He had agreed to meet the Spaniards in the central plaza of Cajamarca.

This was a ceremonial meeting between his vast empire and some lowly visitors.

So on Saturday, November 16, 1532, Atahualpa entered the square at Cajamarca followed by

6,000 of his barely armed men.

A battle was not expected.

Atahualpa was quite confident, as just the day before he heard of his victory at Cuzco

and the capture of his rival brother Huascar.

So, this was a day of celebration.

Once he had his meeting with this odd band of foreigners, he could march south and have

his glorious coronation.

Pizarro and his men had planned to emulate Cortés: they would capture Atahualpa, thus

cutting off the head of the Inca Empire and paralyzing it.

Atahualpa as Sapa Inca was Supreme ruler of the Empire and it could not function without

him.

Pizarro had hidden his men in the buildings surrounding the square and stationed the artillery

and arquebuses on the far side of the square ready to fire.

Like too many fans in a tiny football stadium, the Inca troops crowded into the square, which

had only two narrow exits.

Not a single Spaniard could be seen.

As the sun began to set, nothing could be heard in the square except for a slight breeze.

The fear inside the stone buildings was incalculable.

Pedro Pizarro said, “I heard that many Spaniards urinated on themselves without noticing it

from sheer terror.”

Eventually, two men appeared from the buildings and approached Atahualpa.

Vincente de Valverde, a Dominican friar, and an inexperienced native translator.

The friar read following to Atahualpa.

“I request and require you... to recognize the Church as your Mistress and as Governess

of the World and Universe…

And if you do not do this... with the help of God we shall come mightily against you,

and we shall make war on you everywhere and in every way that we can, and we shall subject

you to the yoke and obedience of the Church and His Majesty, and we shall seize your women

and children, and we shall make them slaves, to sell and dispose of as His Majesty commands.

And we shall do all the evil and damage to you that we are able.

And I must insist that the deaths and destruction that result from this will be all your fault!”

This was the Requerimiento, a document read aloud to the native people’s of the New

World.

Informing them of Spain’s divine right to conquer these lands in the name of God.

Valverde then approached Atahualpa and offered him a bible.

Atahualpa had heard reports of the men’s fascination with these objects, but he had

no way to contextualize what this was or how to interact with it.

He had had enough with these foreigners now and their disrespect for the Inca diplomatic

customs.

Atahualpa scolded Valverde and the Spanish for stealing from warehouses and killing Inca

chiefs and proceed to toss the book aside.

Valverde, horrified at this perceived act of extreme blasphemy sprinted towards the

stone buildings, shouting, “Come out!

Come out, Christians!

Come at these enemy dogs who reject the things of God!”.

The square again fell silent.

With loud roars the cannons and arquebuses soon fired directly into the mass of warriors,

spewing out smoke and metal shrapnel.

Inca soldiers, shocked by the sounds, soon saw beasts riding towards them.

The Spanish war cry “Santiago” was screamed as men rushed out of the buildings.

A massacre ensued, as the panic-stricken Inca force tried to retreat out of the tiny square.

Dazed masses of soldiers ran for the narrow exits.

It was impossible to escape: thousands died trampled under their comrades or horses.

Chopping through the men holding the royal litter Pizarro and his men grabbed Atahualpa

and dragged him back into one of the stone buildings.

Just that morning he was basking in a victory that took four years to complete, Atahualpa

was now, at sunset, prisoner to an unknown group of people.

The Inca Empire, which only just finished a destructive civil war was now involved in

the highest stakes hostage situation of all time.

The survivors of the massacre ran from the square and the rest of the Inca army now leaderless

dispersed into the countryside.

Atahualpa noted the excitement the Spaniards had at finding gold trinkets amongst the wreckage.

He concluded that these were pirates from some faraway land.

If he could give them enough gold, then they would return to their ships and begone.

He told Pizarro that in exchange for his life and freedom he would fill the room they were

in with gold and twice over with silver.

Atahualpa delivered on his promise.

For months the greatest treasures and artifacts of the Inca empire poured into Cajamarca.

The room was filled, and everything was melted down into ingots, which is why gold or silver

Inca artifacts are so rare today.

In the end, the gold totaled 1.3 million pesos de oro, or around 400m 2018 US Dollars, to

be divided between between168 men and the King of Spain.

As the ransom poured in so did more Spanish troops.

Diego de Almagro, Pizarro’s business partner, arrived with an extra 153 men.

The fact that more Spaniards have arrived made it clear that this was an invasion force.

These men were here to stay.

After the Inca fulfilled their promise, it became obvious to Pizarro and his men that

Atahualpa had outlived his usefulness and was now only a liability.

If he were rescued they would not be able to defeat the resistance he would organize.

On July 26th, 1533, Atahualpa was brought into the main square of Cajamarca and was

tied to a wooden stake.

The native population gathered around in awe at what was happening.

Atahualpa was not only the supreme ruler of the Empire but also their god.

Watching this happen must have shaken the entire world-view of the local people.

Valverde, the same friar that offered him a bible month before, came to him and offered

to be baptized.

If he rejected this offer, he would be burned alive.

No fate could be worse for Atahualpa.

If his body were not perfectly preserved like previous Emperor’s, then he would not pass

on correctly to the afterlife.

He accepted and was quickly baptized.

Still, he was then strangled to death as a Christian.

The conquistadors soon left Cajamarca and began the long trek to Cuzco.

As the square and that lonely stake in its center faded into the distance, Pizarro and

his men must have felt confident that this wealthy empire was already in their hands.

But the conquest of the Inca was far from over.

Thank you for watching this video in our series on the Pre-Columbian Civilisations.

The next episode will cover the Collapse of the Inca Empire.

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