History Daily - The Execution of the Last Inca Emperor

Episode Date: August 29, 2025

August 29, 1533. Atahuallpa, the 13th emperor of the Incas, dies by strangulation at the hands of Francisco Pizarro’s Spanish conquistadors. Support the show! Join Into History for ad-free listening and more.History Daily is a co-production of Airship and Noiser.Go to HistoryDaily.com for more history, daily.

It's November 16, 1532, in the town of Kahamarka in the Inca Empire, a region the Spanish called Peru. Conquistador Francisco Pizarro presses his back against the cool stone of a long, low building. Shifting his weight, he peers out through a window. The town square beyond is quiet, but he knows it won't stay that way much longer. Francisco is an ambitious man in his mid-50s. Tall and well-built with a full beard streak with gray, he's risen from relative obscurity to become one of the richest men in the world. Now he's come deep into the Andes Mountains

to conquer the Inca Empire, the greatest military power in the new world. Through intermediaries, Francisco has agreed to meet the emperor, the Sapa Inca, here in town. But he has more than just words in store for him. Francisco is plotting an ambush. The stone beneath his feet rumbles. A large force is approaching.

Francisco has just 168 soldiers at his command, and it sounds like they will soon be facing an army numbering several thousand. But Francisco hopes to surprise the Inca and overwhelm them with weapons they've never seen before. Steel, horses, and guns. Francisco looks over at his men. A third of his small force is with him. The rest, his cavalry, is concealed in other buildings around the square. Francisco can see his men are nervous, and he is too,

because if this goes wrong, they will all certainly die. As the sun begins to set, thousands of men enter the square. They wear ceremonial robes, and their heads glint with gold and silver crowns. Behind them comes the Sapa Inca himself. His litter is lined with a rainbow of parrot feathers and carried by 80 men in vivid blue cloaks. Emperor Attawalpa is around 30 years old. Dressed in shimmering regalia, he stares down imperiously from his high seat.

And as Atalpa reaches the center of the plaza, he orders his men to halt and calls, out for the Spanish to show themselves. Francisco doesn't move. Instead, he slives his sword from his belt. He looks to his men and gives the signal. It's time to spring the trap. By the time night falls over Kahamarka,

the course of South American history will have changed forever. The town's plaza will be covered in blood, and Francisco Pizaro will hold the life of an emperor in his hands, until after nine months of abuse and lies, he will kill Atalpa on August 29, 1530.

From Noisor in Airship, I'm Lindsay Graham, and this is History Daily. History is made every day. On this podcast, every day, we tell the true stories of the people and events that shaped our world. Today is August 29, 1533, the execution of the last Inca Emperor. It's early November 1532 in the mountains of the Inca Empire one week before the Battle of Cajamauga. Francisco Pizarro rides his horse at the head of a country. column of men making their way along a cliffside road. The broad and well-kept path is part of a vast transportation network built by the Incas that stretches up and down the coast and deep into the mountains.

It's made Francisco's journey through this land relatively easy, and he's especially glad of that now. He's leading his men towards the town of Cajamauga, where they expect to meet a force, unlike any they've faced so far. This is Francisco's third expedition to South America. And if he had attempted to enter Inca territory during his two earlier expeditions, he would have found a unified and powerful empire ruled by the mighty Sapa Inca Wina Kappak. But this time, Francisco's path has been unexpectedly cleared by another recent arrival from Europe, smallpox. Wynak Kapak and his heir both died of the disease in 1527, leaving two younger sons to fight for the throne.

Five years later, that conflict is still raging, and amid the chaos, it's been easy for Francisco and his men to march deep into the Inca Empire. Now, as they close in on the town of Kahamarka, it seems the younger of the two sons, Atul Walpah, is poised to seize victory and become the new Sapa Inca. But the spread of disease and the bitter fight between the brothers has left the empire unstable and vulnerable. Francisco Pizarro understands the importance of the moment.

If he times this right, he can pull off a tried and tested tactic, the decapitation strike. Without its leader, Francisco believes the Inca Empire will soon fall back into infighting, and he will be able to take advantage. All he has to do is lure Atalpa into a trap. Atalpa has already heard about the strange visitors to his land. Stories of their unusual clothing and the large beasts they ride have reached his camp, and a few days ago, Francisco received word that Atalpa would meet with him in the town of Kahamarka.

So Francisco and his man arrived there on November 15th, and immediately get to work preparing their ambush. The next evening, Atalpa is carried into the town square at the head of a vast force of men. When watching from the shadows, Francisco can't help noticing that the Inca's aren't dressed for battle. They have no idea what's coming. Francisco sends out a Dominican friar to begin the talks.

The friar approaches Attawalpa and delivers a demand that the Inca submit to the Christian God and the king of Spain. Atalpa refuses and tosses aside the prayer book the friar hands him. That's when Francisco gives the signal to attack. Canons open fire from concealed positions tearing into Attawampa's men. As screams of pain and fear echo across the stone plaza, Francisco raises his sword and with roar leads his men into battle. The Inca's try to flee, but their sheer number makes escape from the enclosed square almost impossible. Those who aren't cut down by sword or gunfire are trampled by horses or their own terrified countrymen.

After two hours of slaughter, Atta Walpa himself has taken prisoner. He's led into one of the buildings surrounding the square, where he's invited to dine with Francisco. Atalpa appreciates that he is being shown respect by his captors, and it gives him confidence that he won't be a prisoner for long. He's a savvy leader and strategist, and he's certain he can turn even this humiliating defeat around. So as he shares a meal with a man who has defeated him,

Atowalpa's mind races, thinking of ways to negotiate his release so he can finally begin his rule as Sapa Inca. He's certain he will be free soon. He just has to bide his time and find his enemy's weakness. It won't be long before Attawapa will think he knows what Francisco Pizarro is after in South America. But gold won't offer Atalpa an escape. Instead, it will be his death warrant. It's the morning of November 17, 1532, only hours after Attawalpa was taken prisoner, and thousands of his men were killed in a massacre in the town of Kahamarka. Taken captive, Atowalpa paces in the small bedchamber that has become his makeshift prison cell.

He's been allowed to keep a small number of servants with him, but armed Spanish guards stand outside the doorway at all times. And even if Attawapa could get out of the town, he knows he wouldn't make it far. Some of his captors ride terrifying large beasts that can cover great distances very quickly. Just last night he saw how awesome a weapon these horses could be in battle, providing soldiers a high angle to attack from and trampling fallen enemies underfoot. He could never hope to outrun them. Rescue seems just as unlikely. Although Atawalpa still has a powerful army in the field, he knows that any assault on Kahamarka would cost him his

life. His Spanish captors would surely kill him before giving him up. But as Attawapa contemplates his situation, a commotion in the square outside draws him to a small window. Dozens of the foreign men are laughing and cheering. The Zappa Inca understands the thrill of victory, but this feels different. Scanning the crowd, he can see that the men are gathered around several small chests filled with gold and silver plates. Atta Walpa recognizes these treasures. They're from his private tent. The Spanish must have looted his camp. As he watches the men dig excitedly through his belongings, Attawapa narrows his eyes and smiles, because this is an opportunity he can exploit. Attawapa turns to one of his servants and gives him a simple message to deliver to Francisco.

The hall the Spanish are celebrating now is nothing special. Attawapa ate and drank off them. They're common items, not treasures. If the Spanish want a real fortune, Attawapa will provide one, but they'll have to grant his freedom in return. Francisco quickly summons Attawapa to meet him in private. A few minutes later, Francisco and Attawapa stare each other down. Francisco asks just how much gold the Sapa Inca is willing to pay. Attawapa looks around at the room therein. Tossing his head like it's nothing, he says he can give them enough riches to fill the whole space. A stunned silence follows, and Francisco calls for his secretary, and they record the offer as a formal pledge. But though he believes he has now bought his own freedom, the truth is that Attawalpa has made a dire

error in judgment. He thinks Francisco and his man are just bandits, violent thieves who will leave once they are paid off. But Francisco's small force is merely the advanced party for a larger Spanish invasion. And by demonstrating Peru's vast wealth, Atalpa has only made the Inca Empire a more tempting prize. Over the months that follow, Attawapa's ransom flows into Kahamarka and is stacked in the very room he promised to fill with treasure. The Spanish melted all down into easily transportable ingots, destroying countless, priceless artifacts in the process. But more than just gold and silver comes to Kahamarka. News reaches Attawalpa that his older brother and rival Wascar is looking to take advantage of the situation. He's made his own offer to the

conquistadors, promising even more than Attawapa in return for their help seizing the Inca throne. If Francisco Pizarro accepts this rival offer, Atalpa knows he won't be needed any longer. Either his brother will kill him or the Spanish will do it for him. But Attawalpa has one card left to play. He secretly sends an order for his brother to be assassinated. And soon word comes back that Guascar is dead, drowned in a river not far from Katamarka. It doesn't take long for the Spanish to hear the news, and Francisco Pizarro isn't happy. When he confronts Atta Walpa about the sudden death of his brother, Atalpa insists it must have been an accident, one he had nothing to do with.

Francisco considers the story before giving a curt nod and departing. It seems to Atalpa that he's gotten away with the killing. And after that, he breathes easier, believing that once his ransom is paid in full, he will return to freedom with his position as Sapa Inca secure. But again, Atalpa has underestimated his foe. Francisco is not convinced by the story of Wascar's accidental death. Instead, he will use the murder as an excuse to break his agreement with Attawapa and dispose of the Sapa Inca once and for all.

It's August 29, 1533, in the square of Kahamarka's Plaza, nine months after the massacre there. Francisco Pizaro watches as a friar, steps toward the Sapa Inca Atalpa. The friar begins the rituals to baptize Attawapa into the Christian faith, but this is no moment of joy. Atalpa is bound to a stake in the middle of the square

and is just minutes away from execution. After paying the ransom Atalpa promised, he expected to be released, and that's when he realized his mistake. The Spanish are not just bandits who will leave with their treasure. They intend to stay in the land they call Peru and make the Inca Empire a vassal state of Spain. But to do that, they need a more pliable Sapa Inca, a man whose loyalty they know they can depend on.

Francisco has just a puppet in mind, another of Atalpa's brothers who has secretly been assisting the Spanish for months. But for him to take the throne, Atalpa must die. After a show trial, Atalpa was convicted of the murder of his brother Huascar and treason against the Spanish crown. He was sentenced to death by burning, but was then offered a final mercy. If he agreed to convert to Christianity, he would be given a quicker, less agonizing death. It's one final humiliation for Atalpa, but his terror of the flames has seen him accept the deal. Attawalpa is given the Christian name Francisco in honor of his captor and the man who signed his death warrant. The friar bows his head in a final prayer before he steps away.

With the ceremony complete, Francisco gives the order for the execution. to begin. A rope is looped around Atalpa's neck and pulled tight against the stake he's bound to, strangling him. He struggles briefly, but it's soon over. Days later, Atalpa's younger brother is crowned Sapa Inca and swears allegiance to the Spanish crown. With a force of less than 200 men, Francisco Pizarro has brought down one empire and expanded another. He has exchanged an unwilling hostage for a puppet and laid the foundations for Spain to dominate the Americas for centuries to come. And he's done it all with the execution of one man, Atalpa, the last independent Sapa Inca, who was killed on August 29, 1533. Next on History Daily, September 1st,

1972, Bobby Fisher defeats a Soviet grandmaster to become the first American to win the World Chess Championship. From Noisor and Airship, this is History Daily, hosted, edited, and executive produced by me, Lindsay Graham. Audio editing by Mohamed Shazir, sound design, by Gabriel Gould, supervising sound designer, Matthew Filler. Music by Throng. This episode is written and research by Samuel Hume, edited by Joel Callan, managing producer Emily Burke. Executive producers are William Simpson for airship, and Pascal Hughes for Noiser.