Information AboutAtahualpa |
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Atahualpa ( Quechua ''Atawallpa'' or ''Ataw Wallpa'', literally "happiness fowl", a totemic bird) (c. 1502 – 1533 ) was the 13th and last emperor of the Tahuantinsuyo , or Inca empire, who defeated his older half-brother Huáscar in a civil war sparked by his father Inca Huayna Capac succumbing to Smallpox . Backed by strong generals and a large army, Atahualpa was able to defeat Huáscar after many years of brutal battles. On his way back to Cusco to claim his recently won throne, Atahualpa stopped in the Andean city of Cajamarca with his army of over 80,000 troops. By this time the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro had established the city of Piura , the first Spanish settlement in Peru on July of 1532. After two months on the march, Pizarro had arrived at Cajamarca with just 168 men under his command and sent Hernando De Soto , friar Vicente De Valverde and native interpreter Felipillo to speak with Atahualpa about the Spanish presence. ]] Through the interpreter, Valverde delivered the " Requirement ," indicating that Atahualpa and his people must convert to Christianity , and if he refused he would be considered an enemy of the Church and of Spain. Atahualpa refused the Spanish presence in his land by saying he would "be no man's tributary". The Spanish envoys returned to Pizarro, who prepared a surprise attack against Atahualpa's army in what became the Battle Of Cajamarca on November 16 , 1532 . According to Spanish law, Atahualpa’s refusal of the ''requirement'' allowed the Spanish to officially declare war on the Inca people. When Atahualpa coldly asked the priest Valverde by what authority did he and his people have to say such things, Valverde offered him a Bible saying that the authority derived from the words in It. He read it and then asked that if this was it why did it not speak to him.He then threw to the ground. That gave the Spaniards the excuse they needed. Then the Spanish opened fire. Over six thousand unarmed Inca soldiers were killed over the course of two hours, and the Spanish imprisoned Atahualpa in the Temple of the Sun. Atahualpa still could not believe the Spanish intended to take control of his kingdom. He thought if he gave them the gold and silver they sought they would leave/In exchange for his release, he agreed to fill a large Room With Gold and promised the Spanish twice that amount in silver. Although he was stunned by the offer, Pizarro had no intention of releasing the Inca because he needed the ruler's influence over the native people to maintain order in the surrounding country or, more to the point, he meant to depose Atahualpa, placing the entire empire under the rule of Spain 's King Charles I (Holy Roman Emperor Charles V), with himself as viceroy. Still outnumbered and fearing an imminent attack from the Inca general Rumiñahui , after several months the Spanish saw Atahualpa as too much of a liability and chose to have him executed. Pizarro staged a mock trial and found Atahualpa guilty of revolting against the Spanish, practicing idolatry and murdering Huáscar, his own brother. Atahualpa was sentenced to execution by burning. He was horrified, since the Inca believed that the soul would not be able to go on to the afterlife if the body were burned.Friar Vicente De Valverde , who had earlier offered the bible to Atahualpa, intervened again, telling Atahualpa that if he agreed to convert to Christianity he would convince the rest to commute the sentence. Atahualpa agreed to be baptized under Christian faith. He was given the name Juan Santos Atahualpa and, in accordance with his request, was strangled instead of being burned. Atahualpa died on August 29, 1533 . Atahualpa was succeeded by his brother, the puppet Inca Tupac Huallpa , and later by another brother Manco Inca Yupanqui . Legacy Atahualpa's disastrous handling of the Spanish invasion notwithstanding, his actions leading up to the time of the invasion did contribute to the fall of the empire. One could see the parallel with Harold Godwinson 's feud with his brother Tostig , which lead to the civil war and the Battle Of Stamford Bridge as well as the Battle Of Hastings as it severely weakened their positions in a time of crisis. However given that there were less than 200 Spaniards and 1000 Native allies, it is easy to understand why Atahualpa did not immediately sense the threat. Unlike Montezuma who may have seen the Europeans as representatives of a returning deity, he quickly saw them as human beings and intruders to be dealt with at their leisure. For all their weapons and horses he knew he had more than enough soldiers to handle Pizarro . In fact Atahualpa was planning to speak with them and then arrest them. He planned to put Pizarro and his officers to death. He would retain the needed specialists, such as the horsebreaker, blacksmith, and gunsmith to equip his army. In short he was planning on having Pizarro for lunch but Pizarro had him for breakfast. See also External links Further reading
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