manco inca yupanqui

The last Inca Emperor was named Manco Inca Yupanqui, also known as Manco Capac II. Born in 1516, he was one of the sons of Huayna Capac, and was crowned after the death of his brother Tupac Huallpa in 1534 by Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador. He was allowed to rule only as a puppet of the Spanish Empire, however, until he escaped and raised an army, attacking Cuzco in 1536. The unsuccessful siege lasted ten months and destroyed the city. Manco retreated with his armies to the nearby fortress of Ollantaytambo, from which he then launched a guerrilla campaign. But Manco's position at Ollantaytambo was vulnerable. The Spanish knew his location, and the region was not more than one day's ride from Cuzco. Abandoning Ollantaytambo (and effectively giving up the highlands of the empire), Manco Inca retreated to Vitcos and finally to Vilcabamba, which became the capital of the empire until the death of Tupac Amar in 1572. The Spanish succeeded in capturing Manco's sister-wife, Cura Ocllo, and had her brutally murdered in 1539. After many guerrilla battles in the mountainous regions of Vilcabamba, Manco was murdered in 1544 by supporters of Diego de Almagro, despite having granted refuge to them. He was succeeded by his son Sayri-Tupac. Manco Inca had several sons, including Sayri-Tupac, Titu Cusi and Tupac Amaru.

Manco Inca Yupanqui

See also