A Betrayal that Destroyed an Empire
Conquistador Francisco Pizarro (circa 1471 – 1541) attacked the Incan Emperor Atahualpa at a conference. That initiated the destruction of a native empire, and its replacement by a vast Spanish domain. In 1525, Atahualpa had inherited the Incan Empire’s northern half, while his brother Huascar got the southern half. Five years later, Atahualpa attacked Huascar, and by 1532, defeated him and reunited the empire. His reign proved brief, however, for Pizarro showed up soon thereafter. Pizarro had landed in Peru in 1532. He established a small colony, then set off to conquer with a small force of about 200 men. En route, he was met by an envoy from Atahualpa, inviting him to visit him at his camp. There, the Incan emperor rested with 100,000 soldiers after his recent victory and reunification of the empire.
Pizarro set off to meet Atahualpa with 110 infantry and 67 cavalry, armored and armed with steel, plus three arquebuses and two small cannon. A meeting was arranged for November 16th, 1532, in the town of Cajamarca’s plaza. On the night of the 15th, Pizarro outlined to his men an audacious plan to seize Atahualpa, in emulation of Cortes’ seizure of the Aztec Emperor Montezuma a few years earlier. Atahualpa failed to prepare adequate safeguards against possible treachery. He left his army camped outside Cajamarca, and arrived at the town’s plaza on a fine litter carried by 80 prominent courtiers, and trailed by about 5000 nobles and officials. The entourage were richly dressed in ceremonial garments, and unarmed except for small ceremonial stone axes. Atahualpa should have been more cautious: Pizarro was itching for an excuse to start a dispute and escalate it into violence.
