Battle of Cajamarca
1532 · Cajamarca (northern Peru today) · World · Modern
The Spaniards ambushed Atahualpa's retinue in the plaza and captured the Inca ruler.
Belligerents
Pizarro expedition
- Commanders
- Francisco Pizarro, Hernando Pizarro, Hernando de Soto
- Strength
- 168 men by the records, including 62 cavalry
Inca Empire
- Commanders
- Atahualpa
- Strength
- Several thousand attendants (mostly unarmed), with tens of thousands recorded in the main camp outside the town
Background
After Huayna Capac died of disease, his sons Huáscar and Atahualpa fought a civil war for several years. Atahualpa's generals had just defeated and captured Huáscar, and Atahualpa himself, staying at the hot springs near Cajamarca, agreed to meet the Spaniards who had come from afar.
Course of the battle
- Entering CajamarcaOn November 15 Pizarro's party entered the empty town and hid cavalry and cannon in the buildings around the plaza.
- Meeting in the plazaOn November 16 Atahualpa entered on a litter; the expedition's friar, Valverde, demanded his submission, and the book of scripture handed to him was thrown to the ground.
- AmbushAt the signal of a cannon shot the Spaniards charged out; the cavalry scattered the retinue, and Pizarro seized Atahualpa with his own hands.
- Ransom and executionAtahualpa offered a room full of gold for his release, but after the ransom was delivered in 1533 he was still executed.
Outcome at a glance
| Date | 1532 |
|---|---|
| Place | Cajamarca (northern Peru today) |
| Result | The Spaniards ambushed Atahualpa's retinue in the plaza and captured the Inca ruler. |
| Winner | Pizarro expedition |
| Casualties | Several thousand of the Inca retinue were killed (estimates range from 2,000 to 7,000); the Spanish side reportedly suffered almost no deaths. |
| Territorial change | With Atahualpa captured, the Inca center of power was paralyzed; in 1533, even after he had paid an enormous ransom, he was executed, and the Spaniards then advanced on Cusco. |
Impact
A single ambush changed the fate of an empire: civil war, epidemic disease and the capture of its ruler combined to leave the Inca Empire without unified command in a very short time.
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