Page 141 - Encyclopedia Of World History Vol III

960 berkshire encyclopedia of world history

This engraving from the
eighteenth century
shows the Inca leader
Atahuallpa being taken
by the Spanish in 1533.

that preceded the Spanish in-
vaders, accelerated civil unrest
and caused a war of succession
between his two sons, Huascar
and Atahuallpa (c.1502–1533).
Atahuallpa finally defeated his
brother, but this event was
overshadowed a few days later
by Atahuallpa’s capture on 16
November 1532 by Pizarro.
By the following November,
Atahuallpa and Huascar were
dead and the Spaniards con-
trolled Cuzco. In 1572, the last
vestiges of Inca resistance end-
ed with the capture of the jun-
gle redoubt of Vilcabamba.
At the time of the Inca con-
quest, it appears that the em-
pire was overextended. By the
reign of Huayna Capac,the pace
of imperial expansion had sig-
nificantly slowed and the em-
peror spent much of his time
quelling rebellions in different
parts of the empire.This strain
in keeping the empire together,
as mentioned above, increased
with the wars of succession be-
tween Huascar and Atahuallpa.
proved impossible to defeat for a number of reasons. Huascar was the designated successor to Huayna Capac
They were small, mobile, and politically acephalous. and was supported by the royal lineages in Cuzco. Ata-
Inca military tactics did not work well in tropical forests, huallpa, who controlled the bulk of the seasoned army
and tropical peoples often used guerrilla tactics and did in Quito, at first acknowledged Huascar as the rightful
not mass their troops. There were the risks of disease, heir but refused to visit his half-brother (different moth-
especially Chagas’ disease.There was also little of value ers) in Cuzco. Huascar suspected treason (perhaps
obtained in the Inca’s expeditions into the eastern low- rightfully so, it does appear that Atahuallpa was making
lands. The exotic animals, honey, feathers, and a bit of plans to stake his claim to the throne) and began the
gold that they captured were not worth the effort. war of succession by sending an immense but undisci-
Huayna Capac’s swift death, by an epidemic of smallpox plined force in a failed attempt to capture Quito. For the