Gonzalo Pizarro's forces defeated and killed the first royal viceroy of Peru, temporarily halting Spanish Crown authority over the conquered territory.
Key Facts
- Date of battle
- January 18, 1546
- Battle site
- Iñaquito, outskirts of Quito
- Viceroy's fate
- Blasco Núñez Vela killed and decapitated
- Victor
- Gonzalo Pizarro (Nueva Castilla army)
- Gonzalo Pizarro's later fate
- Executed at Jaquijahuana, two years later
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Following the death of Francisco Pizarro, Gonzalo Pizarro claimed governorship of New Castile (Peru). When the Crown appointed Blasco Núñez Vela as viceroy in 1544, Gonzalo had him expelled to Panama in chains. Núñez Vela was released and returned to Peru by sea, leading to a confrontation as Gonzalo assembled his forces.
On January 18, 1546, the forces of Gonzalo Pizarro met the royalist army of Viceroy Blasco Núñez Vela at Iñaquito near Quito. The superiority of the Nueva Castilla army secured a decisive victory for Gonzalo. Núñez Vela fell in battle and was subsequently decapitated on the battlefield.
The defeat and death of Blasco Núñez Vela temporarily removed Crown authority from Peru, leaving Gonzalo Pizarro in effective control of the territory. However, Gonzalo's rule proved short-lived; he was himself defeated and executed at the Battle of Jaquijahuana two years later in 1548, restoring royal governance.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Gonzalo Pizarro.
Side B
1 belligerent
Blasco Núñez Vela.