The Last Days of the IncasSimon and Schuster, 2007 M05 29 - 512 pages The epic story of the fall of the Inca Empire to Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in the aftermath of a bloody civil war, and the recent discovery of the lost guerrilla capital of the Incas, Vilcabamba, by three American explorers. In 1532, the fifty-four-year-old Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro led a force of 167 men, including his four brothers, to the shores of Peru. Unbeknownst to the Spaniards, the Inca rulers of Peru had just fought a bloody civil war in which the emperor Atahualpa had defeated his brother Huascar. Pizarro and his men soon clashed with Atahualpa and a huge force of Inca warriors at the Battle of Cajamarca. Despite being outnumbered by more than two hundred to one, the Spaniards prevailed—due largely to their horses, their steel armor and swords, and their tactic of surprise. They captured and imprisoned Atahualpa. Although the Inca emperor paid an enormous ransom in gold, the Spaniards executed him anyway. The following year, the Spaniards seized the Inca capital of Cuzco, completing their conquest of the largest native empire the New World has ever known. Peru was now a Spanish colony, and the conquistadors were wealthy beyond their wildest dreams. But the Incas did not submit willingly. A young Inca emperor, the brother of Atahualpa, soon led a massive rebellion against the Spaniards, inflicting heavy casualties and nearly wiping out the conquerors. Eventually, however, Pizarro and his men forced the emperor to abandon the Andes and flee to the Amazon. There, he established a hidden capital, called Vilcabamba—only recently rediscovered by a trio of colorful American explorers. Although the Incas fought a deadly, thirty-six-year-long guerrilla war, the Spanish ultimately captured the last Inca emperor and vanquished the native resistance. |
Contents
15 | |
Supernova of the Andes | 38 |
When Empires Collide | 55 |
A Roomful of Gold | 86 |
Requiem for a King | 118 |
The Puppet King | 138 |
Prelude to a Rebellion | 165 |
The Great Rebellion | 193 |
In the Realm of the Antis | 279 |
Guerrilla Capital of the World | 305 |
The Last of the Pizarros | 331 |
The Incas Last Stand | 353 |
The Search for the Lost City of the Incas | 379 |
Vilcabamba Rediscovered | 412 |
the Search for the Lost Cities of the Andes | 437 |
Acknowledgments | 463 |
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Common terms and phrases
Antisuyu army arrived Atahualpa attack began brother buildings cabamba Cajamarca capital captains capture cavalry Choqquequirau chronicler Cieza de León Colección command conquered conquest Conquista conquistadors Cusi Yupanqui Cuzco Diego de Almagro discovered Documentos doubt Espíritu Pampa eventually expedition explorer father finally forces fortress Francisco Pizarro friar Gene Savoy gold and silver Gonzalo Pizarro Governor head Hernando Pizarro Hiram Bingham Historia horses Huascar Huayna Capac hundred Ibid Inca elite Inca emperor Inca Empire Indians inhabitants Juan Pizarro jungle killed king kingdom land Lima litter llamas located lord Lost City Machu Picchu Madrid Manco Inca meanwhile miles military mountain native auxiliaries native warriors nearly Ollantaytambo Orgóñez Pachacuti Paullu Pedro Pizarro Peru province Quizo rebellion Relación royal seized sent soon Soto Spain Spaniards Spanish stone swords Tawantinsuyu thousand Titu Cusi told town troops Tupac Amaru valley Vilcabamba Vitcos walls wrote Xerez Yucay
Popular passages
Page 34 - Moreover, we cannot fix the exact point at which our empire shall stop; we have reached a position in which we must not be content with retaining what we have but must scheme to extend it for, if we cease to rule others, we shall be in danger of being ruled ourselves.
Page 16 - Redeemer has given the victory to our most illustrious King and Queen, and to their renowned kingdoms, in so great a matter, for this all Christendom ought to feel delight and make great feasts and give solemn thanks to the Holy Trinity, with many solemn prayers for the great exaltation which they shall have in the turning of so many peoples to our holy faith, and afterwards for the temporal benefits, because not only Spain but all Christendom will have hence refreshment and gain.
Page 25 - Gentlemen ! This line signifies labor, hunger, thirst, fatigue, wounds, sickness, and every other kind of danger that must be encountered in this conquest until life is ended. Let those who have the courage to meet and overcome the dangers of this heroic achievement cross the line, in token of their resolution, and as a testimony that they will be my faithful companions. And let those who feel unworthy, return to Panama; for I do not wish to put force upon any man. I trust in God that, for his greater...
Page 8 - Indians' spring was cool and delicious, and the rustic wooden bench, hospitably covered immediately after my arrival with a soft woolen poncho, seemed most comfortable. Furthermore, the view was simply enchanting. Tremendous green precipices fell away to the white rapids of the Urubamba below. Immediately in front, on the north side of the valley, was a great granite cliff rising 2,000 feet sheer.
Page 8 - Hardly had we left the hut and rounded the promontory than we were confronted with an unexpected sight, a great flight of beautifully constructed stone-faced terraces, perhaps a hundred of them, each hundreds of feet long and ten feet high. They had been recently rescued from the jungle by the Indians. A veritable forest of large trees which had been growing on them for centuries had been chopped down and partly burned to make a clearing for agricultural purposes. The task was too great for the two...