Story Of Atahualpa: The Last Emperor Of The Inca Empire

Ellen Lloyd - AncientPages.com - High in the Andes Mountains of Peru, the Inca built a dazzling empire that governed 12 million people. They had no writing system, but they successfully created an elaborate government, great public works, and a brilliant agricultural system.

Five years before the Spanish arrival, a devastating war of succession gripped the Inca Empire, marking the beginning of the end.

Most importantly, the execution of Atahualpa, the last free reigning emperor, marked the end of 300 years of Inca civilization.

Atahualpa, Fourteenth Inca. 18th-century painting by the Cusco School (Brooklyn Museum). Image credit: Brooklyn Museum - Public Domain

Civil war broke out between Atahualpa and his half-brother Huascar

Born c. 1502, Atahualpa was the younger son of Inca ruler Huayna Capac. At Huayna's death, the kingdom was divided between his sons, resulting in a bloody civil war. In 1532, Atahualpa’s army defeated the forces of his half-brother Huascar in a battle near Cuzco, but he couldn’t celebrate his victory for long. Atahualpa was consolidating his rule when Pizarro and his 180 soldiers appeared.

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