The Ransom Room (''El Cuarto del Rescate'') is a small building located in Cajamarca,

Peru Peru, officially the Republic of Peru, is a country in western South America. It is bordered in the north by Ecuador and Colombia, in the east by Brazil, in the southeast by Bolivia, in the south by Chile, and in the south and west by the Pac ...

. It is considered to be the place where the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

came to an end with the capture and eventual execution of the Inca Emperor

Atahualpa Atahualpa (), also Atawallpa or Ataw Wallpa ( Quechua) ( 150226 July 1533), was the last effective Inca emperor, reigning from April 1532 until his capture and execution in July of the following year, as part of the Spanish conquest of the In ...

Capture of Emperor Atahualpa (1532)

When

Francisco Pizarro Francisco Pizarro, Marquess of the Atabillos (; ; – 26 June 1541) was a Spanish ''conquistador'', best known for his expeditions that led to the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. Born in Trujillo, Cáceres, Trujillo, Spain, to a poor fam ...

arrived in Cajamarca on November 15, 1532, he sent a messenger to

, proposing they meet in the main plaza. Pizarro decided to send a friar, Vincente de Valverde, along with an interpreter ( Felipillo) to speak with Atahualpa. The next day, on November 16, 1532, Friar Valverde presented himself to Atahualpa and explained through the interpreter the mysteries of

Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

religion, and that, on account of their heathenism, the pope had granted Atahualpa's kingdom to the Spaniards. Atahualpa professed not to understand the tenor of this discourse, and would not resign his kingdom, saying he would "be no man's tributary." Upon hearing this, the friar gave a

Bible The Bible is a collection of religious texts that are central to Christianity and Judaism, and esteemed in other Abrahamic religions such as Islam. The Bible is an anthology (a compilation of texts of a variety of forms) originally writt ...

to Atahualpa, who, after merely observing it and turning a few pages, threw the book on the floor. Atahualpa then demanded a full account of the presence of the Spaniards in his land. At this point Pizarro and his forces decided to come out on horseback with

firearm A firearm is any type of gun that uses an explosive charge and is designed to be readily carried and operated by an individual. The term is legally defined further in different countries (see legal definitions). The first firearms originate ...

s, causing many of Atahualpa's army to flee upon hearing the sounds of artillery and arquebus. Many natives died as they tried to fight against the better-armed Spaniards. Thereafter, Pizarro went on to look for Atahualpa himself, who was shielded by his faithful nobles who, in the end, were also captured by the Spaniards. Some scholars have stated that Vincente de Valverde did not signal the attack on the Incan. It was during this time that Atahualpa gave orders for the execution of his half-brother,

Huáscar Huáscar (; Quechua: ''Waskar Inka'') also Guazcar (before 15271532) was Sapa Inca of the Inca Empire from 1527 to 1532. He succeeded his father, Huayna Capac and his brother Ninan Cuyochi, both of whom died of smallpox during the same year ...

, who he believed was an obstacle to his ruling of the empire. Atahualpa gave these orders, hoping to prevent Pizarro from carrying out his threat to "determine which of the two had best title to the sceptre of the Incas."

Trial and execution of Atahualpa (1533)

After the battle of Cajamarca, Atahualpa offered Pizarro to buy his liberty by filling the room where he was kept prisoner with gold and the two following rooms with silver, up to the level of the reach of his arm. The room was 6.70 m (22 feet) long and 5.18 m wide (17 feet) long, while the red line marking the height of the Inca's reach, was 2.75 m (9 feet) high. Atahualpa also offered to twice fill a smaller room with silver, asking for two months to do so.Prescott, W.H., 2011, The History of the Conquest of Peru, Digireads.com Publishing, The total collection of the gold, after being melted down into standard ingots, and before division amongst the Spaniards, amounted to 1,326,539 ''pesos de oro'', worth 15,500,000 in 1847 U.S. dollars. This equates to nearly half a billion dollars in today's money. The silver amounted to 51,610 marks. Some of the most beautiful articles were saved for the emperor's royal fifth, which included vases, imitations of plants and animals, and a fountain. The Inca now demanded to be set free. Diego de Almagro demanded the

Inca The Inca Empire, officially known as the Realm of the Four Parts (, ), was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political, and military center of the empire was in the city of Cusco. The History of the Incas, Inca ...

's death, necessary for peace and in the interests of the Spanish crown, though Pizarro and

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

were reluctant. Pizarro finally conceded to a trial, acting as a judge alongside Almagro. The twelve charges included usurpation of the crown, assassination of his brother Huáscar, squandering public revenues, idolatry, adultery, and attempting to incite an insurrection. He was found guilty and sentenced to be burned alive that night. Father Vincente de Valverde signed the judgement stating, "in his opinion, the Inca, at all events, deserved death." Atahualpa turned to Pizarro and exclaimed, "What have I done, or my children, that I should meet such a fate? And from your hands, too, you, who have met with friendship and kindness from my people, with whom I have shared my treasures, who have received nothing but benefits from my hands!" Two hours after sunset on 29 Aug. 1533, the Inca was prepared to be

burned at the stake Death by burning is an list of execution methods, execution, murder, or suicide method involving combustion or exposure to extreme heat. It has a long history as a form of public capital punishment, and many societies have employed it as a puni ...

, when Friar Valverde offered death by garrote, if Atahualpa would consent to be baptized. The Inca agreed, assuming the name Francisco Atahualpa in honor of Francisco Pizarro. His last requests to Pizarro were that his remains be transported to Quito, and that he have compassion on his children. After Atahualpa was executed, the end of the "Tahuantinsuyo" (Inca Empire) was near, with the

Spanish conquest of Peru The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, also known as the Conquest of Peru, was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas. After years of preliminary exploration and military skirmishes, 168 Spaniards, ...

References

Bibliography

* Hemming, John. ''The Conquest of the Incas.'' * Prescott, William H. ''The Discovery and Conquest of Peru''

External links

''Visiting Peru – Cajamarca''
Embassy of Peru (Washington DC)
History of the Conquest of Peru by William H. Prescott – Online Version from Gutenberg.orgAtahualpa's Cuarto de Rescape, a Ransom fit for an Emperor
{{coord, 7, 09, 28, S, 78, 31, 00, W, type:city_source:kolossus-eswiki, display=title 1532 in the Inca civilization Spanish colonization of the Americas Inca Empire Tourist attractions in the Department of Cajamarca Cajamarca

Capture of Emperor Atahualpa (1532)

Trial and execution of Atahualpa (1533)

See also

References

Bibliography

External links