One of the few Inca military victories over Spanish forces, it delayed conquest and led to the founding of the Neo-Inca State at Vilcabamba.
Key Facts
- Date
- January 1537
- Spanish forces
- ~100 Spaniards
- Indian auxiliaries (Spanish side)
- ~30,000
- Inca army size
- more than 20,000
- Neo-Inca State survived until
- 1572
By the Numbers
Location
Cause → Event → Consequence
Manco Inca, a former Spanish ally, rebelled in May 1536 and besieged the Spanish garrison at Cusco. To break the siege, the Spaniards organized an expedition under Hernando Pizarro to strike the emperor's headquarters at Ollantaytambo, deploying roughly 100 Spaniards and some 30,000 Indian auxiliaries.
In January 1537, Inca forces defending Ollantaytambo repelled the Spanish expedition by fighting from elevated terraces and flooding the battlefield by diverting water from the Urubamba River, severely hampering the Spanish cavalry. Unable to advance, Hernando Pizarro withdrew his forces to Cusco under cover of night.
Although Manco Inca won the engagement, fresh Spanish reinforcements arriving at Cusco compelled him to abandon Ollantaytambo. He retreated into the forested region of Vilcabamba, where he founded the Neo-Inca State—a small independent polity that persisted until 1572 before finally falling to Spanish forces.
Belligerents & Mobilization Analysis
Side A
1 belligerent
Hernando Pizarro.
Side B
1 belligerent
Manco Inca.