Atahualpa: Who Was The Last Inca Emperor?

We are in the city of Cajamarca. The city is located in the valley of Cajamarca and is surrounding all the mountains, especially that mountain over there, that is the Chicuana mountain. The Spaniards in 1532 arrived to the city, the city that witnessed the fall of the Inca Empire. On the 26th of July, 1533, a rope was tightened around the neck of a man in his early thirties in the central plaza in Cajamarca, in what is now Peru. The general who ordered his execution is said to have shed a tear as the life drained from the condemned's body. On paper, the man died a Catholic by the name of Francisco, but he had been forced to change both his name and religion just hours before his death. A decision the man, a mighty emperor ripped from his throne, made to ensure that his own death could be undone, so he might be resurrected to rule over his people once more. In less than a century, his people had built the biggest empire ever known in the Americas at that time, and his death signaled the end of that great empire. This is the story of the death of the last Inca emperor, Atualpa. Our tale begins here, in the mountains outside of Cusco. One origin story for the Incas, passed down through Peruvian oral history, tells of three caves. Out of the center cave emerged Manco Capac. With an enchanted golden staff, Manco Capac would lead his people, ultimately guiding them to Cusco. Here his staff sank into the ground. This place would be their home. Three caves at the start of the Inca's story, and at their story's end, the number three would make another appearance. Juana Capac, the 12th Inca emperor, told his sons that the sun god, Inti, had informed him that he would be the last ruler of the Incas. At this time, strangers had landed on the shores to the north, and Juana Capac believed that their arrival would bring the Incas to an end. The omens were not good. Buzzards had attacked and killed an eagle, and according to the priests, a new moon had risen with three halos. One red, one black, and one of smoke. Red for war amongst Juana Capac's descendants, black for the death of Inti, the demise of the sun itself, and smoke, signaling the end of the empire altogether. Civil war and the demise of the Incas was indeed on the horizon. Yet in one respect, Juana Capac was wrong. He would not be the last to hold the title of Sapa Inca. That dubious honor would go to his son, Atahualpa, and it would be his death on the 26th of July, 1533, that would bring the age of the Inca empire to its close. The city of Atahualpa's death is also the birthplace of local historian Manuel Portal Cabellos. He has been guiding tourists through Cayamaca for over 40 years, and at 77, he shows no signs of stopping. He's also the author of several books on the Incas, including Gold and Tragedy of the Incas. The Inca empire was a very successful one, with near 200 different nations that were forming the Inca empire. Prior to the arrival of Columbus, the Inca empire was the largest of its kind in the Americas. They referred to their own land as Tehuantinsuyu, the land of the four united quarters. Their empire was 4,200 kilometers in size, stretching up to the Ecuadorian-Colombian border in the north, central Chile to the south, the Pacific in the west, and the lowlands bordering with the Amazon rainforest in the east. The Incas themselves were a group of no more than 40,000 individuals, but they ruled over a population of 10 million. Here in Cayamaca, archaeologists are working hard to preserve the history of the people who lived here before either the Incas or the Spanish. Hi, my name is Osire Kusikanki. I am a Peruvian archaeologist. Also, I am doing my PhD in Harvard University. I am the director of the archaeological project of Santa Polonia Hill. My team and I, we are studying the society that were developed before the Inca, that was the Cayamaca archaeological culture. Most of the specialists here, the archaeologists, the students are local. It's important because this is part of our heritage. It's part of our history. Not only the Atahualpa, Pizarro, part of the Peruvian history, but also the societies developed before this encounter. Under Joana Capac, the Incas expanded their territory to cover much of present-day Peru, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador, and even much of southwest Colombia. The Inca Empire was at the height of its power and influence. But who would succeed the Emperor Joana Capac when he died? Joana Capac already had his son Ninan Cuchi in mind, but he had many other sons from various wives. And two in particular were to rise to become dominant figures amongst the ruling Incas. One was named Atahualpa. Atahualpa was born in Cusco in the year 1502. When Atahualpa was a boy, he was a very beautiful boy. He was a very intrepid boy. That's why he was the favorite son of his father, Joana Capac. And that is why he brought Atahualpa when he went for conquering many nations in the northern side of the Inca Empire. Atahualpa was a soldier when his father, Joana Capac, conquered the Quito Nation. The Spaniards described him saying that his face was very beautiful, but very grave. Atahualpa was very proud, very indifferent with the Spaniards. He was a tall Indian, taller than all the Spaniards. He was a very proud Indian. He didn't speak with any people, with any Spanish soldier. He spoke very few words, only with the captains, only with the priests, and only with the most important noble Indians from his country. But another of Joana Capac's sons would also rise to a position of power. Born almost a decade before Atahualpa was Huasca. They were enemies. They were completely different. Their personalities were completely different. Huasca was a very timid boy, and that is why when Joana Capac decided to go to the northern side of the Inca Empire for conquering other nations, and especially the Papayan Nation in the actual Colombian territory, he had to choose his best captains, his best soldiers, his best wives, and his best sons. When he saw Huasca, I had to leave him in Cusco with the priests. No use as a soldier because he's a very timid one, and Atahualpa was the contrary. Atahualpa was a very brave boy, a very brave soldier, and when his father died, he got the level of captain of the Inca army. As Joana Capac looked to conquer more territories in the north, it was time to pick a new capital. Joana Capac decided to abandon the Inca's capital, Cusco. He decided to go to the north, and he needed a new place, a new capital near of this nation that he needed to conquer. In 1524, a wave of smallpox spread across the Americas, one of a number of diseases the invaders from Europe had brought with them. Joana Capac died in Quito, naming his son, Ninan Cuchi, as heir. When Ninan Cuchi also succumbed to the disease, the legacy of the Incas was unclear, and soon this would lead to war. When Joana Capac died in the north, Cusco lost power. They had a terrible problem for electing a new Inca. The Cusco priests elected to Huasca, but the military men in the north didn't agree. They decided to elect the Inca of the military people, and that was Atahualpa. For almost five years after their father's death, Atahualpa and Huasca ruled over their respective halves of the Inca empire in relative peace. Atahualpa reigning from Quito in the north, and Huasca from Cusco in the south. During this time, on an island in the northwest of the empire, a foreigner unsheathed his sword and drew a line in the sand. This man was Francisco Pizarro. Illiterate and born to a poor family in Trajillo in Spain, Pizarro had given up his position of mayor in the newly founded Panama City to venture into Peru. After his two unsuccessful attempts to conquer Peru, following Pizarro would not offer much hope. The conditions on Isla del Gallo had worsened. A supply ship had arrived to return them all to Panama. The tale goes that Pizarro drew a line in the sand between himself and his men. He said that those who did not cross to join him would return penniless to Panama, whereas those who crossed were true Castilians whom he would lead to fortune and glory in Peru. Just 13 men stepped over that line in the sand. Meanwhile, all was not well in the territory Pizarro and his men were encroaching on. The peace between Atahualpa and Huasca had shattered. Huasca had had his little brother arrested and was ready to bring both halves of the Inca Empire together under his leadership. But then Atahualpa escaped, gathered an army and led a campaign against Huasca. After a series of bloody battles, Atahualpa captured his elder brother, killing his family for good measure. While his generals took Cusco, securing his victory, Atahualpa remained in the city of Cajamarca to enjoy the hot spring waters off the Spa there. We are in the city of Cajamarca. Behind me is the valley of Cajamarca that is surrounded by the mountains, or sacred mountains that we call Apus. This is a Chihuahua mountain. In 1532, November 15, the Spanish arrived to the city. From the border of that plateau, they saw the Cajamarca town and they saw around Baños del Inca and the mountains, thousands and thousands of tents occupied by the noble people that were with Atahualpa, the most important people of the Inca Empire. And the Spanish captain, Miguel de Estete, wrote saying that when they saw too many tents, they thought that they could be the Inca soldiers and they got very afraid. Atahualpa had been aware for some time of a foreigner, with a small band of men heading his way. But what threat would they pose to the might of the Incas? On November 15, Pizarro sent his brother, Hernando Pizarro and Hernando de Soto, to meet Atahualpa in the Baños del Inca, in the Inca park. Discover the past with exclusive ancient history documentaries and ad-free podcasts presented by world-renowned historians from History Hit. Watch them on your smart TV or on the go with your mobile device. Download the app now to explore everything from the wonders of Pompeii to the rebellion of Boudicca and the mysteries of prehistoric Scotland. Immerse yourself in the captivating stories of this remarkable era by signing up via the link in the description. We are in the Inca bath in Cajamarca. The only Inca remains that survived that time is this space. Atahualpa was here resting in this spring water after the battle against his brother Huascar. As you can see, this is a reconstruction of course. The building was probably in this area. We know that a thousand of Atahualpa's troops were set up in tents around this space. And he heard that Pizarro's armies were close to Cajamarca. So Atahualpa was very confident about less than 200 troops. It's impossible to win the battle against the thousands of armies that he had. So he invited the Spaniards to meet here. Hernando Pizarro, Pizarro's brother, with another 20 Spaniards came to meet these living gods, Atahualpa, here in Baños del Inca. Remember that Atahualpa was considered a living god in his time. But today people continue to believe that Atahualpa, the Inca, the god, was here taking a bath in this space. So some of the local people make a wish with a coin in this space and we will make a wish for Atahualpa today. The Spaniards had an Indian helper. The Indian leader chief from Piura, whose name was Huachapuru. Huachapuru told Francisco Pizarro that it could be very dangerous attacking Atahualpa in this place because this place is surrounded by a river. And that is why Huachapuru advised Francisco Pizarro to send an embassy for inviting Atahualpa to go to Cajamarca. Because Cajamarca had a very large plaza surrounded by very big stone Inca buildings, the plaza was completely flat and completely dry. And then Francisco Pizarro decided to send an embassy commanded by the Spanish captain Hernando de Soto. And when the five horsemen arrived in the Inca's palace in the sacred yard, they saw Atahualpa sitting down. He was in a very deep meditation looking at the ground. And when the Spanish captain gave him his greetings and the invitation for going to Cajamarca, deceiving him that he had to celebrate with a very nice feast in the name of the Spanish king, Atahualpa didn't pay any attention to him. The captain spoke again and louder. And it was impossible to get an answer. Then he decided to come down from his horse. He reached very near Atahualpa. He got his ring outside of his finger and he told him, Inca, I want to give you my ring in proof of friendship and love. And Atahualpa was completely indifferent. He didn't pay any attention to the ring or to the owner. And then at that moment, Unanchuyo that was the Inca's servant arrived there and Atahualpa told him, Unanchuyo, tell this bearded man that I don't use so ordinary things. That is why I don't accept the very cheap jewel of a coming people. And it was impossible to get an answer until two more hours. Atahualpa looked at them the first time and he told them, I know that you are very bad people. I know that you stole many golden things in my territory. I will go to Cajamarca tomorrow. But when I arrive in the plaza, if you don't give back everything that you stole in my country, I have to kill you, everybody. The strange bearded men on horseback had given the Incas quite a start. In fact, many recoiled at the sight of the horses and Atahualpa ordered that an entire squadron of his men be executed, along with their wives and children. These actions certainly spooked the Spaniards. They may have appeared brave, but the might of this man with so many soldiers to spare was effectively intimidating. Overnight, the Spanish pondered their next move. In the morning, Atahualpa and his retinue indulged in a large breakfast and drank copious amounts of chicha to celebrate the end of their three-day fast. Then, Atahualpa summoned his gold litter to transport him to Cajamarca to meet the Spanish. The nobles dressed themselves in their finest clothes, covered from head to toe in fantastic silver and gold jewels. At 11 o'clock, Atahualpa and his entourage left Baños del Inca to meet the Spanish in Cajamarca's central plaza. The six-kilometre journey would normally take one hour. They arrived at 4pm, five hours after setting off. On November 16, around midday, Atahualpa started his procession or the movement to the plaza with all his army and part of the people that were with him, the local lords of Cajamarca. So he started around midday his movement with the sun because we have to remember that he was a living god and he was the sun of the sun. So he took almost all the afternoon and in his way he stopped for drinking. They were going to Cajamarca very slowly, singing, singing, dancing and dancing and stopping in many places for continue drinking, drinking more and more and more alcoholic drinks. When they arrived in Cajamarca, they were completely drunk. Atahualpa had no any soldiers with him. He had only noble people that were singers, musicians, loaders of their litters, wives, children and other noble people. He had no any soldiers with him. At four o'clock of the 16th of November of 1532, the Inca's retinue got to the middle of the very large Inca plaza. And he asked his Indians, where are those bearded men that invited me and they aren't welcoming me? And his Indians told him, Sir, all those bearded men, all these robbers are hidden into the stone buildings. Exactly, they were hidden for assaulting Atahualpa and his people. Pizarro and his men did not emerge from their hiding places in the stone buildings around the plaza. Instead, they sent Dominican friar Vincente de Valverde with a young boy and translator from Pura. Valverde held in his hand a brevity, a prayer book he used for mass. He held the book aloft and called out to Atahualpa. You have to declare subject of the Spanish king Charles I. You have to become a Christian right now. Atahualpa asked to examine the book, but the object made little sense to him. The Incas had no written language, so how could this small collection of pages have any connection to God? There are various accounts of what happened next, but generally they agree on one detail. Somehow, the holy book ended up on the ground. Valverde, fearful of Atahualpa, ran for cover. This sparked a brief and monumentally bloody incident. For a long time, it was known as the Battle of Cayamaca, but the conflict was so short and so stacked in one side's favour that many contemporary scholars will now refer to it with a new name, the Massacre of Cayamaca. The Incas outnumbered the Spanish 10 to 1, but the Spanish succeeded in utterly overwhelming Atahualpa's men. The Incas had no understanding of the deadly force of the firearms the Spanish wielded. The conquistadors pummeled them with gunfire and rushed forth on horseback, bells attached to their horses to frighten the Incas. Within minutes, they'd cut down hundreds of Incas. Such was the bamboozling effect of the Spanish assault that Atahualpa is said to have remained motionless. Before his litter could attempt to carry Atahualpa to safety, the Spanish hacked off hands and, in some cases, whole arms of the emperor's carriers. Much to the horror of the Spanish, they still sought to carry Atahualpa away, holding him up on their shoulders or bloody stumps. Within two hours, it was all over. Thousands of Incas were killed and there were no casualties on the Spanish side. The only injury amongst the Spanish was a cut on the hand of Pizarro himself as he captured Atahualpa. Then when Atahualpa was captured the 16th of November of 1832, he was enclosed in this room in his own palace. The Spaniards scoured the neighbouring territories and quickly accumulated a great hoard of gold, silver and emeralds. Seeing the greed glinting in the conquistador's eyes, Atahualpa saw a path to his freedom. The objects of their desires were fairly common and not massively remarkable to the emperor's eyes. If his captors wanted more in return for his release, his vast empire could certainly accommodate their lust for precious metals and gleaming stones. The first time Atahualpa told Francisco Pizarro that this house had to be filled with gold pots was in two months. But the Spaniards protested because two months was a very long time. The Spaniards thought that Atahualpa needed this very long time for gathering his soldiers, but Atahualpa replied, I have no gold pieces very near Cajamarca. I have to order the Indians to bring the gold pieces from Cusco, from the Charcas, that is the actual territory of Bolivia, and from Chile. And he told Francisco Pizarro, only coming from Chile to Cajamarca we need near 100 days. And the Spaniards accepted this condition. In some accounts, Atahualpa stood in the so-called ransom room, raised his hand above his head as far as he could reach, and said he could fill the room this high with riches. The gold was flowing here like the waters of a river. The filling of the ransom room took much time. Now they had asserted their authority to bloody effect, the Spanish allowed the Sapa Inca certain privileges. He could meet with advisors and nobles and send messages. Even if he could not rule over his empire, he could at least monitor it. This also gave Pizarro time to understand the lay of the land within the Inca Empire, and it also afforded him time to gather reinforcements. While one room was being filled with treasures by those loyal to Atahualpa, another was being filled by the Inca rulers' enemies, those who believed that they could bribe Pizarro into killing Atahualpa. Although the Spanish recorded the great wealth that was accumulated in the ransom room to make sure that 20% would be paid to the Spanish crown, they neglected to mention anything about the treasures which filled the second room. As treasures were being transported from the south of the Inca Empire to Cajamarca, in the north they were being hidden. Atahualpa ordered his political parties, you have to bring the gold pieces from the temples and palaces on the southern part of Cajamarca, but don't touch any gold pieces from the northern side of the Inca Empire. Those treasures were his treasures because his father died there, and he ordered not to touch those gold treasures because they were his treasures. And then the Spaniards saw only the treasures coming from the southern side of Cajamarca, but the treasures from the northern side are hidden until now. Atahualpa didn't want the riches of his father, Huayna Capac, to fall into the hands of the Spanish. There has been much speculation about the lost treasures of Huayna Capac. Tales tell of a mighty golden chain, 250 meters in length, which had to be carried by 200 men. Whether such items as this ever existed, we may never know. Huayna Capac's treasures were scattered across the Inca Empire, ferreted away in unknown locales to grow in the imagination, becoming the stuff of golden-hued legend. Atahualpa gave to the Spaniards an incredible quantity of gold pieces. Atahualpa was in prison eight months with ten days. In this time, Atahualpa learned to speak Spanish, he learned to play chess, and he won many times in this game to the Spaniards. He had many discussions or debates about the nature, about the religion, about the philosophy with the five priests. After two months, the room in which the Inca emperor was imprisoned was almost completely filled with gold. Atahualpa had to be transferred to a neighbouring room named the Snake's House by the Spanish, as a large snake was carved into the wall. Atahualpa, still being permitted to communicate with his captains, grew grave. Then one day, the Spanish visited the emperor and found that his mood had improved considerably. One of the captains asked why Atahualpa, incarcerated and alone, was suddenly so cheerful. And Atahualpa replied in this way, I'm smiling alone because smile. I'm in this prison under your power. I just got my most important war trophy. And the Spanish captain didn't understand anything. And then Atahualpa showed a human head. And he told the Spanish captain, take this head, I know it perfectly. This is my brother's head. This is Huáscar's head. My captains defeated him and he sent only his mummified head. And I'm going to drink my chicha every day in this cup. And Atahualpa said cheers with Francisco Pizarro and he began to use Huáscar's head as his favourite cup. One day, meanwhile, the Spanish captains were playing chess. Francisco Pizarro decided to dictate a letter. Atahualpa was thinking why the Spanish captain Francisco Pizarro doesn't take the feather with his own hand for writing what he needs. It's possible that he doesn't know how to write. I have to prove it. And he asked the soldier, who of you know how to write and read? And one soldier went there and he told him, I know how to write, sir. And Atahualpa showed his hand, nail. And he asked him, I need to write only your God's name on my nail. And the soldier wrote the word God. The second wrote the same word, God. And the third one wrote the same word, God. After a while, Francisco Pizarro appeared at the door. And Atahualpa called him, Captain Pizarro, come here, please. And when Pizarro was very near of him, he showed his thumbnail with the word written on it. And he asked him, read here, please. And Francisco Pizarro was completely mute because he was completely illiterate. And then Atahualpa, understanding that he was illiterate, he told him, if you are completely illiterate, why are you the general chief of your expedition in my county? This could be impossible. In my county, for becoming chiefs, we have to be the wisest ones in our group. And that is why Francisco Pizarro was very despised by Atahualpa. As time dragged on, the treasure Atahualpa had promised was proving slow to materialize. In early 1533, the emperor had dispatched three of his best men to undertake a treacherous 750-mile journey across the Andes to Cusco to fetch more riches. By May, the Spanish had accumulated £13,420 of 22.5 carat gold and £26,000 of silver. The Spanish had built a number of forges to melt down the great horde to return to Spain. But there were rumors that those loyal to Atahualpa were preparing to spring the Sapa Inca. Whether or not the rumor was true, Pizarro concluded that the only way to avoid conflict was to have the Sapa Inca executed. He had to be killed by fire. But he was tied against a very big pole or post with two iron chains. The Sapa Inca could not be burned to death. Atahualpa knew he was the son of Inti, the sun god, and his body must remain intact so he may be resurrected to rule again. He asked Francisco Pizarro, Captain Pizarro, kill me in another way, but I don't need that my body could be destroyed by fire. And the priests told him that only if he became a Christian he could be killed in any other way. And he became a Christian. He was baptized with the name of Francisco because Francisco Pizarro was his godfather. The Spaniards gathered around him and sang the creed as Valverde baptized the emperor. Now officially a Catholic, Atahualpa was garroted as Pizarro watched. Atahualpa was killed in the middle of the Inca plaza, strangled with a rope used by Francisco Pizarro's slave, Alonso Prieto, the executioner of our last emperor Atahualpa. And the next day his body was brought from the pole from the middle of the Inca plaza until the Christian temple where the five priests celebrated a very important mass. And after the mass his body was buried under the high altar of the first Christian church that the Spaniards had in Cajamarca. But after a week all the Spaniards went to Cusco and the Inca's mummy was transferred from Cajamarca to Tumibamba where his captain Rumiñahui celebrated very important funeral rituals. And after making the funeral rituals Rumiñahui brought the Inca's body and all the golden treasures to the northeastern side of the Peruvian territory where the Inca's body and his treasures are hidden until now. It's curious that the time of the Incas would come to an end in a city such as Cajamarca. Perhaps in Cusco or Quito Atahualpa's death and its ramifications would have been felt more profoundly. Though in truth Cajamarca itself was not truly an Inca city. We are in the Santa Polonia hill. This hill was constructed through time not only for the Inca but for the pre-Inca societies that habitate this valley. The Cajamarca culture or the Cajamarca society. So this site is associated with the Inca and we could see that there is a chair that is sit down to see all the land that he was ruler. But we have to remember that before the Inca and before the Spanish this society the Cajamarca were the responsible to make these buildings, construct the city and the roads that now we know as a Cajamarca city. We have to remember that before the Spaniards, before the Incas here in the lands were a local society, the Cajamarca people or the Cajamarca kingdom or the archaeology we call the Cajamarca archaeological culture. This society built these settlements, created these irrigation systems around all the valley and these were the societies that fight against the Inca empire with their neighbors the Chimu culture or the Chimu society from the coast. They make an alliance, they fight against the Inca and they love the battle. So we have to remember that the Incas were also foreign in this land. They conquered this land in 1417. So less than 100 years they were settled in this valley. Atahualpa was a king, was a ruler but Atahualpa represent also a foreign for the locals. They passed from conquest to conquest but they continue working in this land and developing a culture that continue until today. After the death of Atahualpa life was far from peaceful for the local population. The Spanish ventured further through the continent, war and disease traveling with them. And in only 40 years between 1532 and 1572 the 90% of the native population disappeared because the new diseases in the wars and in the expeditions to the jungle for trying to get the Inca treasures. Spain now had a firm grip over what would become known as Latin America. Manuel feels it has taken them a long time to appreciate the Inca culture they had swept aside. Of course I have to be proud about the native governance because I am feeling another Indian. But it is possible that the white people that are descendants of the Spaniards are feeling Atahualpa's enemies until now. That is why all the Inca's palaces, the Inca's buildings were destroyed by the Spaniards. All the the Inca culture was killed by the Spaniards and they felt the Indians enemies until these days. Pizarro and his original group of 13 had grown to a band of 168 men who defeated a force of several thousand in just two hours to conquer a population of millions. And the land they had seized was one containing unimaginable wealth. If you walk around Cayamaca today, you will see few signs of the Inca's, nor will you see much evidence of the people who lived here prior to the Inca's. Though this is very much a story that Sol and her team are trying to alter. This is not a tale of heroes and villains. Both Atahualpa and Pizarro fought and killed for power, for glory, for territory. Their lust for greatness all too often supplanted any regard they might have for human life. Yet witnesses at Atahualpa's execution noted a curious exchange between the two as life drained from the Sapa Inca's body. Pizarro wept, staring into the face of the man he had condemned to death. Perhaps he hoped that the emperor would have some understanding of the situation that had forced his hand, though the Sapa Inca was certainly baffled that his life could have the same value as a room full of common, shining metals. A moment later, and the empire of the Inca's was over. Cayamaca may not have been the most significant city to the Inca's themselves, but with the tightening of a rope, the land of the four united quarters was shattered in a single blow. you