Atahualpa

Atahualpa (v. 1502 - 1533) is the last emperor of the Empire INCA.

Biography

It is born with Quito, wire of a princess of old of the Kingdom of Quito and INCA Huayna Capac Sapped. When his/her father dies, the succession with the throne remains dubious, the son designated by Huayna Capac having been carried by an epidemic of Variola. In uncertainty, Huascar whose mother is a princess of Cuzco is crowned. The nobility of the north of the empire being hostile to this decision decides to crown Atahualpa as Sapa INCA. The prince will reign thus two years on the provinces of the north of the empire where it is honoured and respected like single sovereign. A status quo is maintained until the generals quiténiens manage to persuade the prince to go up on the throne of Cuzco: the empire should not remain divided. The generals Quizquiz, Chalcuchimac and Rumiñahui are with the head of the armies of Quito, the hostilities open thus. After months of civil war, the armies of Huascar are almost defeats. Atahualpa seems to be able to become the 13th emperor INCA Tahuantinsuyu (the INCA empire), it is on the way for Cuzco when it receives the news of the unloading of the white and bearded men in bay of Tumbes. The prince makes supervise the foreigners and one reports already many abuses their share.

The November 16th 1532, after some talks, Atahualpa is invited by the Spanish Conquistador Francisco Pizarro, in the village of Cajamarca in the north of current the Peru. The Atahualpa emperor goes near Cajamarca surrounded by his court and escorted its triumphing armies, those are sufficiently numerous to encircle all the city and to camp on all the sides of the valley. To convince Atahualpa to meet it, Pizarro proposes to him to help it in the fight which opposes it to his/her Huascar brother. Being wary, Atahualpa accepts and is appropriate of one interview to which Indiens and Spanish must go without weapons. Not having detected the trap, the INCA goes in very large pump in the town of Cajamarca: it wishes to impress the foreigners. In his gold litter, carried by the noblest princes of the empire, the Son of the Sun is escorted by step less 30 000 men and women of her court and its army. It is a Spanish priest who presents a bible to the prince by asking to him whether it agrees to follow the word of the single god. Atahualpa seizes book and carries it to its ear. This one exclaims that he does not hear any word and throws the book. For the Spaniards it will be the good pretext, being already fixed the goal to capture the prince, they give the signal of the attack then. Hidden in the houses of the city, the Spaniards out of weapons ruent themselves on the disarmed come Indians. Having attached grelots to the legs of their horses and drawing in any direction with their rifles, they create a true panic at the Indians, those try to flee of the place whose exits are too small, much are already trampled. In the middle of confusion, Atahualpa remains impassive on its litter, whereas its carriers are massacred, others precipitate to maintain it in its dignity of Sapped INCA. The Spaniards end up seizing themselves some, the sovereign INCA is made prisoner. But that does not seem to be enough for the Spaniards who, until the fallen night, pursue the Indians in all the valley, leaving behind them more than twenty thousand corpses including one most of the nobility and of the imperial elite come in peace.

Indicator that the Spaniards had a special interest for the noble metals, the prince proposes for his release a fabulous silver and gold ransom. The Spaniards accept. On order of the sovereign, the subjects bring of all the empire an extraordinary quantity of gold and of money, the temples are emptied. During its detention, Atahualpa receives news of its armies: prince de Cuzco, Huascar is made prisoner and is locked up with the Sacsahuaman, Atahualpa which seems to believe that the Spaniards will release it, orders to make carry out its rival.

After payment of the ransom, the Spaniards, having taken the measurement of the power of the prince in his kingdom, start to think that this man who has such an amount of prestige and authority on his people will end early or late up taking again the top on them. The most radical Spaniards propose to carry out the prince and to place an emperor marionette in his place, which will be easier to handle. Pizarro, to against heart, must condemn Atahualpa which he learned how to estimate. The prince is condemned to be flaring on a Bûcher, the Spaniards who estimate it beg it to convert in which case it will be garrotté and not flaring, it accepts. The execution takes place in its cell the August 29th 1533.

The INCA empire is destroyed. The Spaniards will continue their plan while placing on the throne Manco INCA also called Manco Capac, which thereafter will carry out a great rebellion.

With the eyes of many inhabitants of the Andean countries, prince Atahualpa remains an historical figure very estimated because of the tragic aspect of his capture by the Spaniards. He is also often regarded as XIIIe and last INCA emperor announced by the prophecy made at the time of Tupac Yupanqui.

Simple: Atahualpa

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