Incan End of the Empire

The End of the Incan Empire
"For when, either in ancient or modern times, have such great exploits been achieved by so few against so many, over so many climes, across so many seas, over such distances by land, to subdue the unseen and unknown? Whose deeds can be compared with those of Spain? Our Spaniards, being few in number, never having more than 200 or 300 men together, and sometimes only 100 and even fewer, have, in our times, conquered more territory than has ever been known before, or than all the faithful and infidel princes possess." – Eyewitness accounts by six of Pizarro's companions, Guns, Germs and Steel, by Jared Diamond.

The Spanish now ruled all of the lands that had once been Tahuantinsuyu. Of the 12 million people who had lived in Peru when the Spanish first arrived, less than two million remained, most having died from diseases brought by the Spanish. Most of the Inca storehouses, government buildings, palaces, temples, quipus, and mummies were destroyed. Cuzco was transformed into a Spanish city, with churches and monasteries built on the old Inca holy areas.

Pizarro shifted the center of the empire from Cuzco to his new coastal city of Lima. The Spanish looted Inca metals and treasures and sent them in sailing ships back to Europe.

The Inca people were also forced to convert to Christianity. Sadly, many of the Spanish clergy failed to protect the Indians and abused them further. However, many of the old Inca traditions, festivals, and pilgrimages have survived in secret, or have been combined with Christian ones.

Some Traditions Remain
Some Inca traditions remain to this day, especially in the rural highlands. Today, indigenous peoples make up 45% of the total population in Peru, 55% in Bolivia, and 25% in Ecuador. Quechua is still spoken by indigenous people, and each region has its own particular head-covering just as in Inca days. Rural people wear the poncho-style tunics and shawls similar to the old days. Homes and meals are similar too – and guinea pig is still eaten today. Farming practices, irrigation, llamas, and alpaca herds also remain from the traditional Inca days. Not all was "conquered."

Resistance to Spanish rule continued after the Conquest. The most successful uprising occurred in 1780 led by Tupac Amaru II, the name taken by an Inca noble called Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui.

Claiming to be a direct descendant of the Sapa Inca Huayna Capac, Tupac Amaru II led a revolution to protest against Spanish abuses. Joined by wealthy Indians, peasants, and fugitive black slaves, the rebellion spread all the way from Cuzco to Argentina. But Tupac Amaru was not able to win the support of the criollos, the descendants of Spaniards born in Peru. The revolution was crushed in 1782.

Simon Bolivar
In the 19th century, many South American countries desired to gain their independence from Spain. Responding to the call for freedom, Simon Bolivar made a declaration of independence in Lima on July 28, 1821. After many battles, Peru finally won independence on Dec. 9, 1824.

Today's "Discoveries"
Not even the Conquistadors were able to discover or conquer everything in the Inca Empire. For example, it was not until 1911 that Hiram Bingham, American educator and explorer, discovered the ruins of the ancient sacred Inca city of Machu Picchu.

Probably built by Pachacuti Inca as a religious center and royal estate in 1460-1470, Machu Picchu is located high in the Andes Mountains. People continue to study Machu Picchu today to learn why it was built and why it remained secret for so long.