Conquest of the Inca Empire

The conquest of the Inca Empire is undoubtedly one of the most colourful stories of the conquest of the South American continent. In 1532, an expedition of 168 men landed near the destroyed city of Tumbes. It was led by Francisco Pizarro, a fifty-four-year-old conquistador who had received permission from the Spanish Crown to continue exploring and conquering hitherto unknown regions of the New World. By coincidence, he entered the territory of Peru at a time when the Inca Empire was torn by a fratricidal struggle between members of the ruling dynasty. In Cajamarca, he first met Atahualpa, who had seized control of the empire. However, their confrontation ended in bloodshed and the Inca’s capture. Although the captured ruler offered the Spanish an unprecedented sum in gold and silver, he was eventually executed by the conquistadors. Pizarro and his men occupied the capital city of Cuzco, thus completing the subjugation of the most powerful empire in the New World. How could a few hundred men take control of an empire of 10 million inhabitants, which had no equal in the “Indies”? Was it the heroism, bravery, and physical, technological, and intellectual superiority of the Europeans that brought the mighty empire to its knees? Did the Incas really give up all resistance and submit to an “inevitable” fate?