Manco Inca
Who was Manco Inca?
17th Inca Emperor under the crown of Spain and 1st Emperor Inca of the Kingdom of Vilcabamba
Biographical data adapted from Wikipedia’s article on Manco Inca (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Biography
Manco Inca Yupanqui (c. 1515-1544) started and led the independent Neo-Inca State in Vilcabamba, after initially being put in place by Spanish conquistadors as a puppet ruler. Born in Cusco around 1515, he was a son of Huayna Cápac and a younger brother of Huáscar. After the Spanish conquered the Inca Empire and executed his brother Atahualpa in 1533, Francisco Pizarro picked Manco to act as a compliant local ruler to legitimize Spanish control over Inca territories.
At first, Manco worked with the Spanish, thinking he might be able to keep some Inca autonomy and shield his people from the worst of colonial rule. But he became increasingly frustrated by the Spanish mistreatment of the indigenous people and their systematic looting of Inca wealth and sacred places. The final straw was when Spanish settlers began openly abusing him, including alleged assaults on his wife Cura Ocllo and other humiliations despite his royal status.
In 1536, Manco escaped from Spanish control in Cusco and started a major rebellion against colonial rule. He gathered a large indigenous army and laid siege to both Cusco and Lima at the same time, nearly driving the Spanish out of Peru. This rebellion was the most severe threat to Spanish control in South America during the 16th century. Even though the siege ultimately failed because of Spanish military advantages and indigenous allies who sided with the colonizers, Manco managed to retreat with his followers to Vilcabamba's remote mountains.
In Vilcabamba, Manco set up an independent Inca state that lasted over 30 years after his death. This Neo-Inca kingdom kept traditional Inca government structures, religious practices, and cultural traditions while engaging in guerrilla warfare against the Spanish. Manco led this rebel state until 1544, when Spanish refugees, whom he had allowed to stay in Vilcabamba, killed him during a game, hoping to get in the good graces of colonial authorities. However, Manco's followers later executed these men.
Before Fame
Manco Inca Yupanqui was born into the Inca royal family during a time of major crisis for the empire. His father, Huayna Cápac, died around 1527 from diseases brought by Europeans, which sparked a destructive civil war between Manco's brothers, Huáscar and Atahualpa. This war significantly weakened the Inca's ability to resist the Spanish conquest.
When Francisco Pizarro and his conquistadors arrived in Peru, they took advantage of this internal conflict and captured Atahualpa in 1532. After executing Atahualpa in 1533, despite receiving a huge ransom, the Spanish needed a legitimate Inca ruler to control the large indigenous population. They chose Manco, who was young and appeared easy to control, to act as their puppet emperor while they solidified their hold over the former Inca lands.
Key Achievements
- Founded the independent Neo-Inca State of Vilcabamba that resisted Spanish rule for over 30 years
- Led the Great Rebellion of 1536-1537, the most serious indigenous uprising against Spanish colonial rule
- Organized simultaneous sieges of Cusco and Lima that nearly expelled the Spanish from Peru
- Preserved Inca governmental and religious traditions in his Vilcabamba kingdom
- Established a guerrilla resistance movement that inspired future indigenous rebellions
Did You Know?
- 01.During the 1536 siege of Cusco, Manco's forces used red-hot stones launched from slings to set fire to the thatched roofs of Spanish buildings
- 02.He was married to Cura Ocllo, who was later captured by the Spanish and burned alive in retaliation for his rebellion
- 03.Manco once escaped Spanish captivity by claiming he needed to retrieve a golden statue of his father for them, then fled during the expedition
- 04.The Spanish refugees who killed him had been living under his protection in Vilcabamba for several years before betraying him
- 05.His rebel state in Vilcabamba controlled important trade routes between the Amazon basin and the Andean highlands