Atahualpa

Atahualpa was the 13th and penultimate Sapa Inca, the monarch and absolute ruler of the Inca Empire, from 1525 until his death in 1543. Unlike in our timeline, Atahualpa successfully consolidated his power and led the Inca in a protracted struggle against the invading Spanish conquistadors, ultimately defeating their attempts at conquest and securing Inca independence for several more decades.

Rise to Power and Consolidation of Rule

Atahualpa was born around 1500 as the son of the 12th Sapa Inca, Huayna Capac. When Huayna Capac died in 1525, a civil war erupted between Atahualpa and his half-brother Huáscar over the succession. Atahualpa emerged victorious from this conflict, known as the Inca Civil War, and was crowned as the new Sapa Inca in 1527.

Atahualpa then spent several years solidifying his rule and purging potential rivals. He built up a loyal military force, reinforced the imperial bureaucracy, and undertook a series of military campaigns to expand Inca territory, particularly in the north. By 1532, Atahualpa had consolidated his position as the undisputed sovereign of the Inca Empire, which at its peak stretched from modern-day Ecuador to central Chile.

Encounters with the Spanish

In 1532, the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro arrived on the Inca coast with a small but well-armed force, intent on conquering the empire. Atahualpa initially sought to negotiate with the interlopers, sending envoys and gifts to the Spanish camp. However, tensions quickly escalated, and the two sides engaged in a series of skirmishes.

Pizarro's troops were initially able to achieve some minor victories, capturing Inca outposts and engaging Atahualpa's forces in the field. However, the Sapa Inca proved to be a tenacious and skilled military leader, adapting Inca tactics to counter the Spanish advantages in firearms, cavalry, and steel weapons.

Military Campaigns and Diplomacy

Over the next several years, Atahualpa led a multi-pronged strategy to expel the Spanish invaders. On the military front, he launched large-scale offensives that repeatedly pushed Pizarro's forces back towards the coast. Inca troops demonstrated new mastery of siege warfare, mountain combat, and naval operations to negate Spanish advantages.

Diplomatically, Atahualpa forged strategic alliances with Mapuche tribes in the south and the Aztec Empire in the north, coordinating attacks on Spanish settlements and supply lines. He also played rival Spanish factions off against each other, using diplomacy and bribery to sow dissent.

Decisive Victories and Expulsion of the Spanish

Atahualpa's military and diplomatic efforts culminated in two major victories that decisively defeated the Spanish invasion:

1. The Battle of Cajamarca in 1535, where Inca forces ambushed and routed Pizarro's army, capturing the conquistador himself. This reversed the outcome of the historical battle.

2. The Siege of Cuzco in 1537-1538, where Inca troops laid siege to the Spanish-occupied Inca capital for over a year before finally driving them out.

With the Spanish expelled from the Andes, Atahualpa was able to solidify Inca control over the empire's core territories. He spent the final years of his reign consolidating his victories and overseeing a flourishing of Inca culture, science, and technology.

Reign and Legacy

Atahualpa's reign as Sapa Inca from 1527 to 1543 is considered a high point for the Inca Empire. He successfully defended Inca sovereignty from Spanish attempts at conquest, ensuring the empire remained independent for several more decades.

Domestically, Atahualpa undertook major infrastructure projects, promoted scientific and technological innovation, and patronized the arts. Key achievements included advances in Quechua literature, the codification of Inca astronomy and mathematics, and the construction of monumental architecture.

Atahualpa's legacy as a nationalist hero who defended Inca independence cemented his place in the cultural memory of the Andes. He is revered as one of the greatest Sapa Inca, and his eventual death in 1543 marked the beginning of the slow decline of the Inca Empire in the face of renewed Spanish aggression.