The Battle of Chimborazo was among the first confrontations in the War of the two brothers, a struggle between

Huáscar Huáscar Inca (; Quechua: ''Waskar Inka''; 1503–1532) also Guazcar 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 while campaigning near Q ...

and

Atahualpa Atahualpa (), also Atawallpa ( Quechua), Atabalica, Atahuallpa, Atabalipa (c. 1502 – 26-29 July 1533) was the last Inca Emperor. After defeating his brother, Atahualpa became very briefly the last Sapa Inca (sovereign emperor) of the Inca Em ...

for power over the

Inca Empire The Inca Empire (also known as the Incan Empire and the Inka Empire), called ''Tawantinsuyu'' by its subjects, ( Quechua for the "Realm of the Four Parts", "four parts together" ) was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The adm ...

. Atahualpa won, having the more capable generals; he drove Huáscar back onto the defensive. The war resulted from a dispute over dynastic succession. In 1525,

Huayna Capac Huayna Capac (with many alternative transliterations; 1464/1468–1524) was the third Sapan Inka of the Inca Empire, born in Tumipampa sixth of the Hanan dynasty, and eleventh of the Inca civilization. Subjects commonly approached Sapa Inkas add ...

died, leaving a large and powerful empire. He bequeathed the major part of his domain to

, who in 1532 confronted his brother

over the expansion of his smaller share, the northern part of the Inca Empire around Quito. The capital

Cajamarca Cajamarca (), also known by the Quechua name, ''Kashamarka'', is the capital and largest city of the Cajamarca Region as well as an important cultural and commercial center in the northern Andes. It is located in the northern highlands of Peru ...

was occupied, Tumebamba defected, and Atahualpa was captured. However, Atahualpa escaped and united himself with Huayna Capac's generals

Quizquiz Quizquiz or Quisquis was, along with Chalcuchimac and Rumiñawi, one of Atahualpa's leading generals. In April 1532, along with his companions, Quizquiz led the armies of Atahualpa to victory in the battles of Mullihambato, Chimborazo and ...

and Chalicuchima, both skillful, and together they attacked

near Chimborazo. Although superior in numbers, Huáscar was defeated and forced to retreat. The foundations of Huáscar's power were shaken by the defeat, and in the next year, all Cusco dominance came to an end at Quipaipan.Prescott, W.H., 2011, The History of the Conquest of Peru, Digireads.com Publishing, Atoc was reportedly captured in the battle and suffered a most gruesome death at the hands of Chalkuchimac. Some sources suggest his head was used as a golden cup, others that he was left on the battlefield with his eyes torn out.

Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa Pedro Sarmiento de Gamboa (1532–1592) was a Spanish explorer, author, historian, mathematician, and astronomer. His birthplace is not certain and may have been Pontevedra, in Galicia, where his paternal family originated, or Alcalá de Henare ...

claims he and second-in command Hango were

flayed Flaying, also known colloquially as skinning, is a method of slow and painful execution in which skin is removed from the body. Generally, an attempt is made to keep the removed portion of skin intact. Scope A dead animal may be flayed when pr ...

and their skins used as drums. Ullco Colla, lord of the defected

Tumipampa Tumebamba, Tomebamba (hispanicized spellings) or Tumipampa (Kichwa for "''Knife Field''", Tumi: ''Knife'', Pampa: ''Field'') was a former main regional city in the Inca Empire. Tumebamba was chosen by the Emperor Huayna Capac (ruled 1493–1525) ...

tribe, died in battle and his city captured shortly after, but reportedly spared by Atahualpa.

Bibliography

* Kubler, George (1945), "The Behavior of Atahualpa, 1531-1533", ''Hispanic American Historical Review'' 25. * Towle, George Makepeace (1881), ''Pizarro, his Adventures and Conquests'', London: Routledge. * Williams, Henry Smith (1907), ''

The Historians' History of the World ''The Historians' History of the World'', subtitled ''A Comprehensive Narrative of the Rise and Development of Nations as Recorded by over two thousand of the Great Writers of all Ages'', is a 25-volume encyclopedia of world history origina ...

''. * Rostworowski de Diez Canseco, María (1960), "Succession, Cooption to Kingship, and Royal Incest Among the Inca.", ''Southwestern Journal of Anthropology'' 16.

References

{{coord missing, Ecuador Chimborazo Chimborazo 1532 in the Inca civilization History of Ecuador