The conquistadors had arrived in Peru. Peru: The Republic of Peru is a South American country located on the western edge of the continent, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. The Spanish additionally wished to gain prestige and power in Europe, previously conquering the Aztec Kingdom, Mexico in 1521 and started to conquer Central America in 1524. Which in 1470s Spain pretty much amounts to the middle of nowhere. Chile was reconstituted as a virtually autonomous captaincy general. The Mapuche resisted but the Incas had infighting which weakened them and allowed … Although there was no powerful central culture to contend with, such as the Incas in Peru or the Aztecs in Mexico, Guatemala was still home to the remnants of the Maya, a mighty civilization that had risen and … During this period Peru was the heart of the Spanish empire in South America and Lima was its most important city. During his third expedition to Peru, Francisco Pizarro conquered Peru in 1533 after executing the last Inca Emperor, Atahualpa. Demographic Collapse. Spanish colonization led to Spanish becoming the main language in Peru. Known as the Kingdom of Siam, in the nineteenth century, it was surrounded by the colonized countries of French Indochina and British Burma. Although ranching, agriculture, and commerce were carried on, the mining of precious metals, particularly silver, was the basic industry, making the colony the most important in the Spanish empire. The Incas arrived in 1200 CE, an indigenous group of hunters and gatherers, consisting of Ayllus, a group of families controlled by a Chief, called 'Curaca.' By the early 19th century, the inhabitants of Spain’s Latin American colonies were dissatisfied with their lack of freedom and high taxation; South America was ripe for revolt and independence. Pizarro maintained control for two years until Pedro de la Gasca, a Spanish agent, undermined his power. A not-so-happy era in Peru history was a result of these tales offabulous wealth to be had for those with an adventurous and loosespirit. When he heard about a land brimming with gold and riches up for grabs, he obviously found a new meaning to life. He had been aided by a civil war occurring between two Incan brothers, sons of a Sapa Inca. The king of Spain, impelled by humanitarianism and by fear that the encomienda system might promote feudalism, promulgated in 1542 the New Laws, which threatened the existence of the encomiendas that were so important to the conquerors. At the beginning of the colony all the trade with Spain had to go … History of Peru. Serious trouble then erupted. On 28th July 1821, Peru became independent from colonial rule, after an Argentinian soldier, called San Martin, conquered the Spanish in Peru. In 1777–78, however, the Spanish government established another viceroyalty, that of Río de la Plata, this time depriving the Peruvian viceroy of authority over Upper Peru and the areas of present-day Argentina, Paraguay, and Uruguay. As a means of controlling the Indians, Pizarro then recognized Manco Capac II, Huascar’s brother and namesake of the mythical first Inca king, as emperor. The years after Manco’s rebellion were followed by open conflict between the conquerors over the division of the spoils. LimaEasy is the Lima Guide for tourists, visitors and expats. The elaborate viceregal court was the apex of a highly stratified society based upon forced Indian labour. Be on the lookout for your Britannica newsletter to get trusted stories delivered right to your inbox. Overall, the Spanish succeeded in their aim to change Peru's demographics completely. Because of the high rate of illiteracy among indigenous people, this policy excluded a large portion of the indigenous … Peru - Peru - Discovery and exploration by Europeans: Spanish interest in the west coast of South America grew after Vasco Núñez de Balboa discovered the Pacific Ocean in 1513, but it was not until 1524 that Francisco Pizarro, aided by another soldier, Diego de Almagro, and a priest, Hernando de Luque, undertook explorations that led to the conquest of Peru. San Marcos University, the first university in the Americas, was founded in Lima in 1551. Pizarro was assassinated in 1541 when 'Almagro' was made new Peruvian Governor. The centre of wealth and power for the entire region was the viceregal capital of Lima. Lima, with the nearby port of Callao, was the entrepôt for trade between Europe and the commercial centres of South America, ranging from Quito to Chile on the Pacific coast and to Buenos Aires on the Atlantic. Gold! Lima was also important as seat of the audiencia, which administered royal justice, and as a religious, cultural, and commercial centre. Lima became a financial, cultural and educational center. In 1532, the Spaniard Francisco Pizarro arrived with a small force of men in Peru, a country south of Mexico. Establishing a base at San Miguel de Piura in the Sechura Desert of northern coastal Peru, Pizarro rode into the mountains to make contact with the Inca Atahuallpa, who had recently been victorious in civil war against his half-brother Huascar and who was then encamped near Cajamarca with an army of about 30,000 soldiers. Not only did the geography of precontact America persist, but both the new arrivals and the indigenous inhabitants long retained … They killed vast amounts of the Inca population due to diseases from Europe, destroying the Inca population and used racial tension to create a hierarchy system with the Incas at the bottom. Other urns sit, like people, carefully placed on the seats of a bus delivering them to their loved ones. View Images. In 1531, the Spanish landed in Peru, and it became the prime territory of the Incas civilization. Failing to win further cooperation from Panama’s governor, Pizarro returned to Spain, where he received authorization from Charles I to conquer and govern the area extending 600 miles (950 km) south from Panama. Throughout the Americas, the impact of the Spanish conquest and subsequent colonization was to bring about a cataclysmic demographic collapse of the indigenous population. The Atahualpa's capture . Charles V then placed this new colony under the already-formed Viceroyalty of Peru. And millions of Peruvians would visit their loved ones’ graves at least once a year, many more frequently, to eat and drink and pay tribute to the deceased on the Day of the Dead every November. The Spanish gradually colonized all of Peru and received tributes from the Peruvian population. The Spanish Conquest and Colonization. Spanish troops finally arrived in Cusco in November 1533 and installed Manco Inca Yupanqu… Though the conditions of pre-Columbian America and 15th-century Iberia are beyond the scope of Latin American history proper, they must be given consideration in that connection. The Bourbon dynasty, which in 1700 had replaced the Habsburgs as rulers of Spain, undertook a program of reform during the 18th century, seeking to promote the economic development of their colonies, improve colonial defenses, and provide more efficient government. The diseases killed vast amounts of the Inca population; more Incas dyed from diseases than on the battlefield. Peru is the third largest country in South America, after Brazil and Argentina. Britannica Kids Holiday Bundle. The city of Quito was subdued, and Almagro left to conquer his domain of Chile. The conquistador Francisco Pizarro is considered along with Hernán Cortés, his cousin, an important Spanish military commander who had … Atahuallpa, scornful of the tiny band of invaders, accepted Pizarro’s invitation to meet in Cajamarca. Because the viceroyalty’s mineral resources, except for the gold of New Granada (Colombia), were in Peru proper and Upper Peru (Bolivia), these areas became the most highly developed and richest. However, Incas did pass syphilis onto the Spanish in return. Conquest of Peru. After his agents had collected a large ransom for his promised release, Atahuallpa was executed for his presumed responsibility for the murder of Huascar. Burial was a tradition for both Peru’s indigenous Inca culture and the Spanish who colonized the country. The Inca's economy can be considered prosperous as Peru contained mines producing luxuries like gold and silver and they had one of the most powerful armies at this time, using numerous weapons and recruiting every male capable of military service. When Viceroy Blasco Núñez Vela arrived in Peru in 1544 to enforce the New Laws, the conquerors, led by Gonzalo Pizarro, revolted and executed the viceroy. It was conquered by the Spanish Empirein the 16th century, whi… It was nearly a decade before unruly conquerors were controlled under Viceroy Andrés Hurtado de Mendoza (1555–61), and not until the viceregal administration of Francisco de Toledo (1569–81) was systematic control of the huge Indian population attempted. The Spanish altered the country's demographics and left their mark, for example, the Spanish 'coat of arms' still remains a symbol for Peru after being given it by Spanish King Charles 1 in 1537. Among those drawn to this new world was a man named FranciscoPizarro along with his brothers. Despite attempts at colonization, Thailand was never colonized. Even though the Spanish allotted a piece of land to Christianity converts, the owner was still the King of Spain. The Spanish conquered Peru, with the aim to westernize the country, changing the dynamics of the land completely, similar to the intentions of the other colonial powers during the era of exploration and colonization.In 1527 another Spanish explorer commanding a Spanish ship, saw a raft with 20 Incas on board, … Under the Spanish system the bulk of legitimate trade to and from these areas had to pass through merchants in Lima. Fearing that Manco Capac II’s son, Túpac Amaru, and the few remaining “free” Incans in Vilcabamba and the forests north of Cuzco might prove dangerous to Spanish authority, Toledo ordered Spanish troops to invade the area and capture Túpac Amaru, which led to Amaru’s beheading in Cuzco in 1572. ", Biography of Francisco Pizarro, Spanish Conqueror of the Inca, 10 Notable Spanish Conquistadors Throughout History, 10 Facts About the Conquest of the Inca Empire, Biography of Manco Inca (1516-1544): Ruler of the Inca Empire, Biography of Diego de Almagro, Spanish Conquistador, Biography of Atahualpa, Last King of the Inca. The Incas caught malaria, measles, and smallpox as they had no natural immunity. In Peru, they had the support of the natives which was not present in Chile. The Native Americans are the indigenous people in Peru also known as the Amerindians. Independence. In Peru, llamas have been used as pack animals for centuries. In 1527 another Spanish explorer commanding a Spanish ship, saw a raft with 20 Incas on board, was amazed to discover numerous luxuries, including gold and silver. The archbishop of Lima was head of the church in Peru. They were not directly colonized but they did have regimes installed that … Pizarro organized a Spanish-type municipal government for Cuzco and in 1535 established a new city, Lima, on the coast, to facilitate communications with Panama. Pizarro became a famous, perhaps infamous, name in the courseof the history of Peru. They constitute two major ethnic groups which are: the Quechuas and the Aymaras … In 1531, the Spanish landed in Peru, and it became the prime territory of the Incas civilization. For many decades after Peru became a representative democracy, it was illegal for illiterate people to vote in Peru. Nevertheless, in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, Peru experienced a period of intellectual development that was the result of the influence of the utilitarian ideas of the European Enlightenment, taken to Peru in books and by European participants in scientific expeditions in 1778 and 1793. In Peru’s case, what paved the way toward independence was the discovery and exploitation of a variety of rich mineral … Nevertheless, he continued to collaborate. He trained three of the Incas as interpreters as he wished to report his findings, this led to Pizarro's expedition in 1529. This benefited Peru greatly, now having a 90% literacy rate, contrasting to the illiterate and poor Incas during Spanish rule, therefore not capable of advancing as a country. They form the largest number of general population at 45% which is approximately 13.3million. They defeated the Inca people. The background. That was thebyword of adventurers returning from to Spain fromPeru.