Túpac Amaru

Last Sapa Inca of Vilcabamba, executed in Cusco in 1572.

Life

Raised in the mountains

Túpac Amaru was a son of Manco Inca and grew up in the mountain kingdom of Vilcabamba. After his elder brother Titu Cusi died in 1571, he inherited the throne.

Last Inca

In 1572 the new viceroy, Toledo, citing the killing of an envoy, sent troops into Vilcabamba. Túpac Amaru fled into the jungle but was captured and brought back to Cusco.

Execution ground in Cusco

He was beheaded in the main square of Cusco; according to records, several thousand Indians witnessed the execution. With him the Inca royal line came to an end. Two hundred years later, a rebel calling himself "Túpac Amaru II" launched another great rebellion.

Legacy

The death of Túpac Amaru marked the end of the Inca royal line, and his name later became a symbol of resistance to oppression in Latin America.

Did you know? The place where he was executed is today's Plaza de Armas in Cusco.

Key dates

• 1571Succession
• 1572Fall of Vilcabamba, captured and executed