Atahualpa
The last Inca´s Son of the Sun (1500-1533)

Atahualpa was born in Cuzco and died in Cajamarca, Peru.
Together with his father, Huayana Capac, Ruler of the Inca-Empire,
he conquered Quito.
After the death of his father, in1525, he took over the the northern region of the Empire.
1527: Civil war against his brother, Huascar, Ruler of Cuzco.
1532: Atahualpa wins the battle of Quipaypan and marched into Cuzco,
he announces himself as Ruler over the land.

In 1532 an extremely small group of Spaniards overwhelmed the Lord of Cuzco within a few months.
The superior European weapons helped in the defeaat of Tahuantinsuyus.
More so, the conquerer Francisco Pizarro found a not so strongEmpire, but a region involved in a
successive bloody war between the King´s sons Huascar and Atahualpa.

The civil war rocked the social, political and economic foundations of the Empire.
Following his quick conquest and the size of the region, seen from the military side,
it was a weak conquest. The unhappiness of the overthrown peasants rapidly caused the
breakdown of the Empire. Many took sides with the Spaniards, as they hoped to have
their independence again.

But there were many other factors involved in the fall of Tahuantinsuyu.
Within a decade of Pizarros landingeuropean diseases, such as pocks and measels,
proved deadly for the local peasants, it moved south from Mexico and Caribbean.
A few years before Atahualpa met his fate with Pizarro, an epidmic (probably pox) broke out
in the Inca region. One of the first victims was Atahualpa´s father Huayana Capac.

The Inca Army was only lightly armoured, their strenght lay in their numbers and Agility.
Due to forced marching they quickly reached all parts of the region.
Symbolism and ritualism also played a part in the slaughter of the Incas.
The Spaniards used this to their advantage, as the Inca´s only fought at the beginning
of the full moon and ended at the beginning of the new moon, to show respect to the moon god.

The Incas could not understand the tactic of ambushing ued by the Conquistadores.
As the Inca foot soldiers in Camarca, in the highlands of north peru, first clashed with
the Spanish soldiers, their cotton padded armour were no match for to the lances and spears
made of Toledo steel of the Spaniards. The Spaniards fought at times on horses, a creature that
the Incas had never seen before and were terrified of.

In 1533 Atahualpa was murdered by Francisco Pizarro. In return for his life, Atahualpa offered
Pizarro a prision cell full to the ceiling with gold and silver.
This room, known as the Ransom Money Room, is still be seen in Cajamarca today.
Before his execution, the son of the Sun was christened in the name of the church.
Many people like Atahualpa were christened against their will and then murdered.

Work done in 1997