| Date | 1780-1781 |
| Name | Túpac Amaru Rebellion |
| Type | Indigenous uprising |
| Leader | |
| Outcome | Rebellion crushed by Spanish forces |
| Location | Viceroyalty of Peru |
| Casualties | Tens of thousands of Inca and other indigenous fighters killed |
| Significance | Lasting impact on Inca-colonial relations, inspired future independence movements in the Andes |
The Túpac Amaru Rebellion was a major indigenous revolt against Spanish colonial rule that took place in the Viceroyalty of Peru between 1780 and 1781. Led by the self-proclaimed Inca emperor Túpac Amaru II, the uprising nearly succeeded in overthrowing the colonial regime before being brutally suppressed by Spanish forces.
The Viceroyalty of Peru, unlike the Viceroyalty of Peru in our timeline, maintained a much closer relationship with the legacy of the Inca Empire even after its conquest. The Sapa Inca (emperor) was recognized as the monarch of the Inca peoples, albeit under the authority of the Spanish crown.
However, tensions between the colonial authorities and indigenous communities remained high throughout the 16th-18th centuries. Many Inca nobles and commoners chafed under Spanish rule and the exploitation of their labor and resources. Periodic uprisings were suppressed, but resentment continued to simmer.
The immediate trigger for the Túpac Amaru Rebellion was the implementation of new colonial reforms in 1780 that increased taxes and forced labor. Seeing an opportunity, a mestizo Cacique (indigenous leader) named José Gabriel Condorcanqui, who claimed descent from the last Inca emperor Túpac Amaru I, rose up in revolt.
Condorcanqui took the name "Túpac Amaru II" and proclaimed himself the rightful Inca emperor, thereby tapping into the Inca legacy and rallying indigenous communities across the Andes. His rebel army quickly grew as thousands of Quechua-speaking peasants, artisans, and indigenous nobles flocked to his cause.
The rebels scored a series of early victories, capturing the cities of Cusco, Puno, and La Paz and cutting off communications and supply lines to the colonial capital of Lima. At the peak of the rebellion, Túpac Amaru II's forces numbered over 60,000 fighters and threatened to topple the Spanish regime entirely.
Alarmed by the scale and success of the uprising, the Viceroy of Peru mobilized a large contingent of Spanish colonial troops, accompanied by Inca nobles still loyal to the crown. After a year of bloody warfare, the rebellion was finally crushed in 1781.
Túpac Amaru II and his family were captured, put on public trial, and executed in a gruesome manner, their bodies paraded through the streets as a warning. Tens of thousands of Inca and other indigenous fighters were killed in the suppression, while thousands more were imprisoned or had their lands confiscated.
Despite its ultimate failure, the Túpac Amaru Rebellion had a significant and lasting impact on the Viceroyalty of Peru and the relationship between the Spanish colonial regime and the Inca peoples.
The scale of the uprising revealed the deep resentment and alienation of the indigenous populace, forcing the colonial authorities to make some concessions and reforms to avoid future unrest. However, the brutality of the crackdown also hardened indigenous resistance and inspired future independence movements across the Andes.
The legacy of Túpac Amaru II as a champion of Inca rights and self-determination lived on, and he became an enduring folk hero and symbol of indigenous resistance. His story would go on to inspire later rebellions and revolutionary leaders across the South American continent.
Ultimately, the Túpac Amaru Rebellion demonstrated the fragility of Spanish colonial control, even in a viceroyalty like Peru that maintained closer ties to the Inca past. It was a pivotal moment that set the stage for the eventual independence and rise of Peru as a major Andean power in its own right.
