The Spanish conquistadores' capture of the Inka emperor, Atawallpa, and massacre of many of his p... more The Spanish conquistadores' capture of the Inka emperor, Atawallpa, and massacre of many of his people in Cajamarca on November 16, 1532, was a tremendously consequential event. How does our view of such an event change, however, when viewed at a distance and from different places? Relying on Indigenous testimony, this article threads together the stories and actions of provincial folk, Andean lords, female intermediaries, fugitive Inka royalty, runner-messengers, porters, and slaves maneuvering beyond Caja-marca during this chaotic and confusing time. Reconstructing and mapping their activity demonstrates how Andean diplomacy, mobility, politics, and history made the conquistadores' survival in Cajamarca-and subsequent advance to Cuzco-possible. It also presents glimpses into how and why Andeans made the decisions they did and serves as a useful reminder that, to these actors in 1532 and 1533, nothing was inevitable. Cajamarca, November 1532 T he Sapa Inka, or peerless ruler, set out from the royal baths of Qonoq for Cajamarca on November 16, 1532. Atawallpa, the leader of the largest Indigenous empire in the Americas, traveled with such a large entourage that, when he arrived at the plaza of Cajamarca, some members of his procession had not yet left Qonoq, six kilometers behind. As the procession entered the plaza (see figure 1), Francisco Pizarro and some 167 compatriots waited in hiding in adjacent buildings. Friar Vicente de Valverde emerged from one of the buildings and approached the emperor. Eyewitness accounts differ about what happened next. The picture presented by the scribe Francisco de Xerez and other Spanish witnesses is one of a devastating yet carefully orchestrated attack.
The Spanish conquistadores' capture of the Inka emperor, Atawallpa, and massacre of many of his p... more The Spanish conquistadores' capture of the Inka emperor, Atawallpa, and massacre of many of his people in Cajamarca on November 16, 1532, was a tremendously consequential event. How does our view of such an event change, however, when viewed at a distance and from different places? Relying on Indigenous testimony, this article threads together the stories and actions of provincial folk, Andean lords, female intermediaries, fugitive Inka royalty, runner-messengers, porters, and slaves maneuvering beyond Caja-marca during this chaotic and confusing time. Reconstructing and mapping their activity demonstrates how Andean diplomacy, mobility, politics, and history made the conquistadores' survival in Cajamarca-and subsequent advance to Cuzco-possible. It also presents glimpses into how and why Andeans made the decisions they did and serves as a useful reminder that, to these actors in 1532 and 1533, nothing was inevitable. Cajamarca, November 1532 T he Sapa Inka, or peerless ruler, set out from the royal baths of Qonoq for Cajamarca on November 16, 1532. Atawallpa, the leader of the largest Indigenous empire in the Americas, traveled with such a large entourage that, when he arrived at the plaza of Cajamarca, some members of his procession had not yet left Qonoq, six kilometers behind. As the procession entered the plaza (see figure 1), Francisco Pizarro and some 167 compatriots waited in hiding in adjacent buildings. Friar Vicente de Valverde emerged from one of the buildings and approached the emperor. Eyewitness accounts differ about what happened next. The picture presented by the scribe Francisco de Xerez and other Spanish witnesses is one of a devastating yet carefully orchestrated attack.
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