The Execution of Atahualpa

On August 29, 1533, Atahualpa was executed by strangulation at the hands of the Spanish. The method of execution was chosen to prevent his body from being burned, as the Incas believed that cremation would prevent the soul from reaching the afterlife. Atahualpa's death signified the end of the Inca Empire's sovereignty and the beginning of Spanish colonial rule in the Andes

The Fall of Cuzco and the Inca Heartland

Following Atahualpa's execution, Pizarro advanced towards the Inca capital of Cuzco. The city, once a thriving center of Inca culture and administration, fell without significant resistance. The Spanish installed a puppet ruler, Manco Inca, to maintain a semblance of Inca authority. However, Manco Inca soon rebelled against the Spanish, leading to a protracted conflict.

Despite initial successes, the Spanish eventually quelled the rebellion. The fall of Cuzco marked the effective end of the Inca Empire's political and cultural dominance in the region.

Resistance in Vilcabamba

Some Inca nobles and leaders fled to the remote region of Vilcabamba, establishing a last stronghold of Inca resistance. Over the next few decades, the Neo-Inca State, as it was known, engaged in sporadic conflicts with Spanish forces. The Spanish made several attempts to suppress this resistance, culminating in the capture and execution of the last Inca emperor, Túpac Amaru, in 1572 shutdown123