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| Capture of Cuzco | |
|---|---|
| Conflict | Capture of Cuzco |
| Date | ca. 1533–1534 |
| Place | Cuzco, Cusco, Peru |
| Result | Spanish victory; collapse of Inca Empire authority in the city |
| Combatant1 | Spanish Empire; Francisco Pizarro expedition; Diego de Almagro |
| Combatant2 | Inca Empire; forces of Atahualpa and followers of Manco Inca Yupanqui |
| Commander1 | Francisco Pizarro; Gonzalo Pizarro; Pedro de Candia |
| Commander2 | Manco Inca Yupanqui; Túpac Huallpa; Quisquis |
| Strength1 | several hundred conquistadors; allied native auxiliaries |
| Strength2 | several thousand Inca warriors; local militia |
| Casualties1 | light to moderate |
| Casualties2 | heavy; population displacement |
Capture of Cuzco
The Capture of Cuzco was the seizure of the Inca capital, Cuzco, by forces of the Spanish Empire during the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Driven by the campaigns of Francisco Pizarro and his brothers, the operation followed the capture of Atahualpa at the Battle of Cajamarca and intersected with the civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar. The occupation reshaped power in the Andean highlands and established Spanish control over a key political and religious center.
By the early 1530s the Inca Empire had been weakened by the dynasty struggle between Atahualpa and Huáscar, the demographic shocks from Eurasian diseases introduced via European contact, and fractures among provincial lords such as Rumiñahui. The Spanish Empire, represented by expeditions led by Francisco Pizarro and investors like the Pizarro brothers and Diego de Almagro, exploited these divisions after the capture of Atahualpa at Cajamarca. Following the ransom of the Atahualpa's room of gold, Spanish ambitions turned toward Cuzco as the symbolic heart of the Tahuantinsuyo, home to palaces like the Coricancha and administrative centers such as the residency of Túpac Huallpa—a Spanish-installed puppet—amidst shifting allegiances from nobles like Manco Inca Yupanqui and generals including Quizquiz.
After consolidating a coastal foothold in Panamá and Tumbes, Francisco Pizarro and lieutenants including Gonzalo Pizarro and Pedro de Candia marched inland along Andean routes traced by Inca road networks toward Cuzco. Intelligence and envoys, including indigenous intermediaries and defectors from factions loyal to Huáscar or Atahualpa, influenced Spanish route selection. The Spanish leveraged alliances with groups hostile to the central authority—such as some Chanca and provincial curacas—to augment their numbers. Meanwhile, remnants of Atahualpa's supporters, commanded by figures like Quizquiz and Rumiñahui, attempted to mobilize defenses and to relocate treasures from sanctuaries like the Coricancha and royal storehouses to mountain refuges such as Vilcabamba.
Upon approach, Spanish forces encountered urban fortifications, stonework terraces, and defensive positions around citadel precincts. Utilizing small numbers of horsemen, steel weaponry, crossbows, and early arquebus fire by soldiers such as Pedro de Candia, conquistador units executed coordinated assaults on strategic gates and plazas. Cavalry charges exploited psychological advantages against Inca infantry formations unaccustomed to equestrian warfare introduced by Spanish Empire incursions. Artillery and incendiary tactics, combined with surprise and intelligence from collaborators, enabled breach of defensive lines near neighborhoods and the Sacsayhuamán complex. The fall of citadel precincts and capture of palaces provoked urban fighting, looting of religious caches from the Coricancha, and the detention or killing of elite retainers. Local militia and irregular forces led by Manco Inca Yupanqui initially resisted but were outmaneuvered by weaponry disparities and strategic concentration by conquistador contingents.
Following the capture, Spanish authorities installed puppet rulers such as Túpac Huallpa and later attempted to co-opt nobles like Manco Inca Yupanqui to legitimize control, while extracting tribute and securing pilgrimage routes. The seizure precipitated the transfer of gold and silver to coastal ports like Lima and Panamá and accelerated expeditions into neighboring regions including Quito and the Lake Titicaca basin. Rifts between Francisco Pizarro and Diego de Almagro intensified as disputes over jurisdiction and spoils of war emerged, culminating later in open conflict at engagements like the Battle of Las Salinas. Indigenous resistance continued in the highlands, with forces retreating to hideouts such as Vilcabamba where neo-Inca polities persisted under leaders like Manco Inca Yupanqui and later Túpac Amaru.
The conquest transformed Cusco from an imperial ceremonial capital centered on the Coricancha and the cult of Inti into a colonial administrative node linked to the Viceroyalty of Peru and the diocese structures established by figures such as Francisco Pizarro's allies. Spanish appropriation of architectural stones for construction of churches and administrative buildings reshaped urban fabric and produced syncretic religious sites blending Catholicism with Andean ritual practices via intermediaries including local curacas. The political displacement of the Sapa Inca dynasty eroded traditional authority and facilitated land and labor systems later formalized under regimes such as the encomienda and influenced uprisings like those led by Túpac Amaru II and the chronicling efforts of observers such as Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo and Pedro Cieza de León.
Military historians note that Spanish victory depended on tactical advantages including cavalry, steel armaments, firearms, and alliances with rival polities like the Chanka and other provincial groups, rather than sheer numbers. The siege produced disproportionate casualties among Inca defenders and noncombatant populations due to urban combat, reprisals, and disease exacerbated by contacts with Europeans. Exact casualty figures remain contested in sources such as accounts by Pedro Cieza de León, Cieza de León's contemporaries, and Bartolomé de las Casas, but consensus indicates substantial demographic and cultural disruption across the Cusco Region and the broader Andes.
Category:1530s in the Viceroyalty of Peru