Spanish Conquest of The Inca Empire - Beginning of The Conflict

Beginning of The Conflict

The Civil War between Huáscar and Atahualpa would weaken (and perhaps more importantly, distract) the empire immediately prior to its struggle with the Spanish, although it is unclear how much of a difference a united Inca Empire would have made in the long term due to factors such as disease, and to the fact that the Inca military technology was vastly inferior to that of the Spaniards, who possessed horses, metal armor, swords,cannons, and primitive, but effective, firearms. It appears that of the two brothers, Atahualpa was probably more popular with the people, and certainly so with the army, the core of which was based in the recently conquered northern province of Quitu. At the outset of the conflict each brother controlled his respective domains, with Atahualpa secure in the north, and Huáscar controlling the capital of Cuzco, and the large area to the south, including the area around Lake Titicaca that supplied large numbers of troops for his forces. After a period of diplomatic posturing and jockeying for position open warfare soon broke out. Huáscar seemed poised to bring the war to a rapid conclusion, when troops loyal to him took Atahualpa prisoner while he was attending a festival in the city of Tumibamba. However, Atahualpa quickly escaped and returned to Quitu. There he was able to amass what is estimated to be at least thirty thousand soldiers. While Huáscar managed to muster about the same number of soldiers, his soldiers were less experienced. Atahualpa sent his forces south under the command of two of his leading generals, Challcuchima and Quisquis, who won an uninterrupted series of victories that soon brought them to the very gates of Cuzco. On the first day of the battle for Cuzco, the forces loyal to Huáscar gained an early advantage. However, on the second day Huáscar personally led an ill-advised "surprise" attack, knowledge of which had been obtained by Challcuchima and Quisquis. In the ensuing battle Huáscar was captured, and resistance completely collapsed. The victorious generals immediately sent word north by chasqui messenger to Atahualpa, who had moved south from Quitu to the royal resort springs outside Cajamarca. The messenger arrived with news of the final victory on the same day Pizarro and his small band of adventurers, together with some Indian allies, descended from the Andes into the town of Cajamarca.