in the fight for the incan throne, why did huascar lose the nobles' support? course hero

What war did the Incas fight in?

(Civil War · Spanish conquest) Neo-Inca State. The Inca Civil War, also known as the Inca Dynastic War, the Inca War of Succession, or, sometimes, the War of the Two Brothers was fought between two brothers, Huáscar and Atahualpa, sons of Huayna Capac, over the succession to the throne of the Inca Empire.

What happened to Huáscar in the Inca Civil War?

According to chronicler Diego de Rosales, at the moment of the civil war an Inca army was suppressing a rebellion in the Diaguita lands of Copiapó and Coquimbo. With the rebellion brutally repressed and the Inca giving rebels "great chastise", the commander of the army departed north to support Huáscar, a cousin.

How did the Inca empire fall?

But in the case of the Inca, the state fell from within. The fall of the Inca Empire occurred just as the new Sapa Inca, Atahualpa, had secured a glorious victory in a succession war against his brother, Huascar. Yet it was precisely this fighting within that left the Inca state vulnerable.

Why did Atahualpa and Huáscar fight each other?

Huáscar initiated the war; appointed as king and claiming the throne because he was pure Inca, he wanted to defeat Atahualpa's competition. Atahualpa was tactically superior to his brother in warcraft and to the mighty armies of Cuzco, which their father had stationed in the north part of the empire during the military campaign.

What were the causes of the division of the Inca Empire?

Causes of the division of the empire. Inca Empire under the control of Atahualpa. It was almost coterminous with the former Chinchay Suyu province. Huáscar, who was defeated in the war between him and his brother. In 1524-1526, the Spaniards under the command of Francisco Pizarro, explored South America.

Who was the Inca king who died in 1527?

Sapa Inca Huayna Capac (also spelled Wayna Qhapaq) travelled north to investigate the strangers. Although he did not personally encounter any Spaniards, he contracted smallpox and died in 1527. His eldest son and heir, Ninan Cuyochi, died soon after him. It was uncertain who should be the next Inca king; they had no clear rules of succession. Two sons of Huayna Capac, Huáscar and Atahualpa, born of different mothers, both claimed the position.

What did Atahualpa send to Cuzco?

To announce his loyalty, Atahualpa sent his most trusted captains to Cuzco, along with generous gifts of gold and silver (as was customary). Suspicious, Huáscar refused Atahualpa's offering. Accusing the half-brother of rebellion, he ordered some of his messengers killed, and sent back his captains dressed as women.

What happened to Atahualpa in the Battle of Cajamarca?

Atahualpa was captured in the ensuing Battle of Cajamarca. While holding Atahualpa in custody, Pizarro told him he would have Huáscar brought to Cajamarca and would determine which brother was the better Sapa Inca. In response, Atahualpa ordered Huáscar killed, allegedly by drowning.

How many men did Atahualpa have?

During the course of the war, Atahualpa's army had grown to 250,000 men, all the strength of the Empire. However, before he could leave Cajamarca, the new king encountered the conquistador Francisco Pizarro, who had reached the city on 16 November 1532. Atahualpa was captured in the ensuing Battle of Cajamarca.

How many people died in the Inca Civil War?

The estimated population of the Inca empire before an epidemic (probably of a European disease) and the Spanish conquest is estimated at between 6 and 14 million people. The civil war, an epidemic, and the Spanish conquest resulted in a population decline over several decades estimated as 20:1 or 25:1, meaning that the population declined by 95 percent.

Where did Atahualpa move his army?

From 1531 through 1532, the armies fought many battles. Soon after his escape, Atahualpa moved his army south to the city of Ambato. There, on the plains of Mochacaxa, they found Huáscar's men, defeated them, and captured and killed many soldiers. Captives included the head general, Atoc, whom they tortured with darts and arrows. Atahualpa had his skull made into a "gilded drinking cup, which the Spaniards would note that Atahualpa was still using four years later.”

Who was the ruler of the Inca Empire?

Last time round we looked at how the Inca Empire reached its peak during the reign of Huayna Capac, this week we examine the disaster that was to immediately follow his death in 1527.

Who won the battle of Quipaipan?

Atahualpa (backed by his generals and over 100,000 men) won all three battles decisively, ultimately taking Huascar prisoner at the battle of Quipaipan, a few miles west of Cusco.

Who was Huayna Capac's successor?

Huayna Capac named Ninan Cuyochi as his successor but both father and son died within a few days of one another (almost certainly from smallpox brought to the continent by the Spanish conquistadores) while campaigning in present-day Ecuador.

Who were the pretenders to the throne?

There were two pretenders to the throne: Huascar, the legitimate heir, and Atahualpa, the illegitimate son of the Ecuadorian princess Paccha Duchicela.

Where did Atahualpa's headquarters take place?

(Picture: Jorge Gobbi) The civil war would last the best part of five years, and it involved many brutal and bloody battles, the most important of which took place at Mullihambato , Chimborazo and Quipaipan. Atahualpa (backed by his generals and ...

When did the Incas rule?

The first known Incas, a noble family who ruled Cuzco and a small surrounding high Andean agricultural state, date back to A.D. 1200. The growth of the empire beyond Cuzco began in 1438 when emperor Pachacuti, which means "he who transforms the earth," strode forth from Cuzco to conquer the world around him and bring the surrounding cultures into the Inca fold.

What remains of the Inca Empire?

What remains of the Inca legacy is limited, as the conquistadors plundered what they could of Inca treasures and in so doing, dismantled the many structures painstakingly built by Inca craftsmen to house the precious metals. Remarkably, a last bastion of the Inca empire remained unknown to the Spanish conquerors and was not found until explorer Hiram Bingham discovered it in 1911. He had found Machu Picchu, a citadel atop a mountainous jungle along the Urubamba River in Peru. Grand steps and terraces with fountains, lodgings, and shrines flank the jungle-clad pinnacle peaks surrounding the site. It was a place of worship to the sun god, the greatest deity in the Inca pantheon.

How long did it take for Machu Picchu to survive?

The survival of Machu Picchu over hundreds of years, on a mountaintop subject to erosion and mudslides, is a testament to Inca engineering.

What was the Inca language?

The Inca state's domain was unprecedented, its rule resulting in a universal language—a form of Quechua, a religion worshipping the sun, and a 14,000 mile-long road system criss-crossing high Andean mountain passes and linking the rulers with the ruled.

What is the Inca family?

Strictly speaking, the name "Inca" refers to the first royal family and the 40,000 descendants who ruled the empire. However, for centuries historians have used the term in reference to the nearly 100 nations conquered by the Inca.

Who was kidnapped by the Conquistadors?

Duped into meeting with the conquistadors in a "peaceful" gathering, an Inca emperor, Atahualpa, was kidnapped and held for ransom. After paying over $50 million in gold by today's standards, Atahualpa, who was promised to be set free, was strangled to death by the Spaniards who then marched straight for Cuzco and its riches.

Who was the conquistador who was strangled to death by the Spaniards?

After paying over $50 million in gold by today's standards, Atahualpa, who was promised to be set free, was strangled to death by the Spaniards who then marched straight for Cuzco and its riches. Ciezo de Leon, a conquistador himself, wrote of the astonishing surprise the Spaniards experienced upon reaching Cuzco.

How did Huascar encircle his brother?

According to historian John Hemming, Huascar opted to encircle his brother by allying with Atahualpa's enemies inside his own lands. He courted the fierce and independent Cañari tribe, which had repulsed multiple Inca invasions and had been conquered only with great difficulty. They hated their Inca overlords, especially Atahualpa, who had a reputation for cruelty towards his enemies. Huascar's alliance with the tribe and Atahualpa's subsequent massacres against them would have dire consequences for the Inca Empire that neither ruler foresaw until it was too late.

How did the Inca Empire fall?

The Spanish were better armed than the indigenous people, and they also had disease on their side. But in the case of the Inca, the state fell from within. The fall of the Inca Empire occurred just as the new Sapa Inca, Atahualpa, had secured a glorious victory in a succession war against his brother, Huascar. Yet it was precisely this fighting within that left the Inca state vulnerable. The collapse of Tawantinsuyu lies in a civil war, which pitted brother against brother, and devastated the land, divided the nobility, and left an opening for a foreign power to decide the outcome of the war and seize Tawantinsuyu for itself. This is the tragic story of the Inca Civil War.

What did Huayna Capac die from?

De Gamboa records that around this time, Huayna Capac received news of a devastating plague in the Inca capital of Cuzco, which had taken the lives of several family members and dignitaries. The Sapa Inca set out for home, but was taken ill with a fever in Quito. According to de Gamboa, there is little certainty about his cause of death. De Gamboa reported hearsay that the leader had contracted measles or smallpox, two Old World diseases that the Amerindian natives had no immunity against.

Why did Atahualpa escape?

Allegedly, according to Pizarro, due to the Inca custom of not posting guards after midnight, Atahualpa escaped back to Quito. Another Spanish chronicler, Miguel de Balboa, disputed Pizarro's version of events. Balboa argued that this capture likely never happened, simply because Huascar would have executed Atahualpa immediately if he had captured him. Regardless, war was now inevitable. Atahualpa raised his armies in the north and marched against his brother in a bid to seize Cuzco in 1531.

How many people were in the Inca Empire?

The Inca state, known to the Quechua people as Tawantinsuyu (the four corners), was a massive empire of nearly 16 million people stretching from modern Ecuador to Chile. Under the leadership of Sapa Incas — emperors of the Inca Empire – the state engineered great cities in the inhospitable Andes and accumulated wealth that would later inspire the European legend of El Dorado. And yet, just like the Aztec Empire of Mexico, the Mesoamerican state fell to a tiny band of Spanish conquerors from across the Atlantic. How could such a large state be taken down by 168 people?

What was the impact of the Spanish conquest of Mexico in 1521?

The Spanish conquest of Mexico's Aztec Empire in 1521 had set Europe alight with tales of riches , leading many more Spanish adventurers to abandon their lives and seek out their fortunes in the New World. Although they were few in number, these Spanish forces and their native allies would determine the course of the Inca Civil War — after the fighting was over and one side had triumphed.

Who did Pizarro meet?

When Pizarro and Atahualpa met — through an interpreter — Atahualpa received them warmly. However, a monk in Pizarro's retinue requested to speak to the Sapa Inca. According to English scholar George Towle, Fr. Vicente demanded that Atahualpa convert to Catholicism and acknowledge Holy Roman Emperor and Spanish King Charles V as his overlord. Atahualpa , as expected, having no idea whom or what he was up against, refused to convert and offered Charles his friendship, but refused to submit. Now the conquistadors might have accepted this refusal peacefully, until Atahualpa made the mistake that would cost him his throne and his life.

Overview

Causes of the division of the empire

Movements during the war

Pizarro and the end of the Spanish conquest of Peru

Casualties

Bibliography