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Event

Capture at Cajamarca (16 November 1532)

Cajamarca (16 November 1532): Francisco Pizarro's small force captures Atahualpa, opening the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire.

Andean

Overview

Fewer than two hundred Spaniards, with horses, steel and firearms, ambushed Atahualpa's large escort. Inca weakness after civil war and epidemic, plus indigenous allies of the Spanish, helped them succeed. Cusco fell in 1533.

About this entry

A draft entry added in an October 2026 research pass from public reference works; dates marked c. are approximate. Evidence grade: medium. 2 of 2 listed sources are fully documented; the rest are names only. Method and sources

Art: Patterns of Civilization chronicle art, made with AI: illustrations, not historical evidence. Entries are drafts preserved from civilization.study. Method and sources.