| Died | c. 1545 (age unknown) in Vilcabamba, Inca Empire |
| Name | Manco Inca Yupanqui |
| Reign | c. 1535 - c. 1545 |
| Title | Sapa Inca |
| Burial | Unknown |
| Successor | |
| Predecessor | |
| Battles/wars | Resistance against Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire |
| Significance | Led determined, nearly 300-year resistance against Spanish conquest; established independent kingdom of Vilcabamba; organized guerrilla attacks, diplomatic maneuvers, and cultural preservation efforts |
Manco Inca Yupanqui (c. 1495 - c. 1545) was the 11th Sapa Inca (emperor) of the Inca Empire, who played a pivotal role in the Inca resistance against the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire. After the initial fall of the Inca capital Cusco to the Spanish in 1535, Manco established the independent kingdom of Vilcabamba, from where he and his successors led a determined, nearly 300-year insurgency that significantly delayed the complete Spanish colonization of the Andes.
Born in Cusco, Manco was the son of the previous Sapa Inca, Huayna Capac. When the empire fell into civil war after Huayna Capac's death, Manco emerged victorious and was crowned Sapa Inca in 1523.
However, Manco's reign was short-lived, as the arrival of the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532 quickly led to the collapse of the Inca state. After a failed attempt to drive the Spanish out of Cusco, Manco was forced to flee the capital in 1535. He then established his court in the remote Andean stronghold of Vilcabamba, which became the last bastion of independent Inca rule.
From Vilcabamba, Manco organized a determined guerrilla war against the Spanish colonists, launching periodic raids and attacks that kept the invaders at bay for decades. The city's remote, mountainous location and the skill of Manco's indigenous fighters made it extremely difficult for the Spanish to conquer.
Manco also used Vilcabamba as a center for preserving Inca culture, religion, and traditions in the face of Spanish efforts to impose Christianity and European social structures. He attracted Inca nobles, artisans, and religious leaders to the city, enabling the continuation of Inca ways of life.
For the remainder of his life, Manco Inca Yupanqui remained the central figure in the Inca resistance against the Spanish conquest. He led numerous offensives to try to retake Cusco and other parts of the empire, even briefly regaining control of the capital in 1536 before being forced to retreat.
Although Manco was assassinated in 1545 under mysterious circumstances, his successors continued the fight from Vilcabamba. The independent Inca state there withstood Spanish attempts to subjugate it for nearly three decades, finally falling in 1572 when the last Sapa Inca, Túpac Amaru, was executed.
Manco Inca Yupanqui is revered today as a symbol of indigenous resistance and cultural preservation. His defiant stand against the Spanish invaders, and the longevity of the Inca state he founded, made him a hero to the Quechua people and all those fighting against colonial oppression. Vilcabamba itself remains an enduring emblem of Inca resilience, its legacy felt throughout the Andes and the Americas.
