The Incas
The rise of the Incas
The Incas were one of the largest empires in the world at the time. Their rule lasted from 1438-1533. Their empire ruled a large amount of territory at its peak, being modern-day Peru, and today western and south central Bolivia, southwest Ecuador and Colombia and a large portion of modern-day Chile. Their most notable king was Pacachuti, their rise started in Cusco.
-Here is a map of the Incas rule
Civil War
After the Incas had expanded their empire, the Incan king Huayna Cápac had caught a disease called smallpox. He later on died due to this sickness. His sons Atahualpa and Huáscar were half brothers who fought to be the king of the Incas. Atahualpa won this war against Huáscar making Atahualpa the new Inca king. This war lasted for 4 years from 1529 to 1532. However, this war severely weakened the Incan empire making the Incas vulnerable to the Spanish. This war would later be known as the Civil war or the Inca war of succession.
The fall of the Incas
A few months after the Civil war between Atahualpa and Huáscar, the Incan empire had been significantly weaker as a result of the war. The Spanish saw this as a great opportunity to overthrow the Inca empire. Francisco Pizzaro and his men took advantage of this and started to invade the Incas on November 16, 1532. The Spanish had won the war after 40 years of fighting with the Incas. By 1572, most Incan territory and all of the Incan empire was conquered by the Spanish.
Here is an image of Atahualpa (Inca king) getting executed
