Francisco Pizarro, the Spanish conquistador, is best known for his conquest of the Inca Empire in 1533, during which he captured and killed Emperor Atahualpa after extorting a large ransom. For his conquests, Pizarro was made a marquis by the Spanish crown. He founded cities like Lima but faced internal rivalries and was ultimately assassinated by supporters of his rival, Diego de Almagro.

 

Francisco Pizarro, born around 1475 in Trujillo, Spain, rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most infamous conquistadors of the Spanish Empire. The illegitimate son of an infantry colonel and a woman of low status, Pizarro’s early life was marked by hardship and limited opportunities. However, his ambition and desire for wealth led him to join various expeditions to the New World, including the failed expedition of Alonso de Ojeda to Colombia in 1509. This early exposure to the Americas fueled Pizarro’s determination to seek his fortune through conquest.

In 1524, Pizarro embarked on his first expedition to explore the west coast of South America, aiming to find the rumored wealth of the Inca Empire. Although this initial voyage failed, it set the stage for future expeditions. In 1528, after a second, more successful venture, Pizarro returned to Spain to seek royal approval for the conquest of Peru. Impressed by his reports of potential riches, King Charles V granted Pizarro the authority to conquer the lands south of Panama and made him the governor of Peru.

Pizarro’s most notorious achievement came in 1532 when he and a small force of fewer than 200 men arrived in the Inca Empire, which was already weakened by internal strife following a civil war between two brothers, Atahualpa and Huáscar. Pizarro met with Atahualpa in the city of Cajamarca under the pretense of peace. However, in a brutal and treacherous act, he captured the Inca emperor, demanding an enormous ransom of gold and silver in exchange for his release. Despite receiving the ransom—the infamous “room full of gold” —Pizarro reneged on his promise and had Atahualpa executed in 1533. This marked the beginning of Spanish domination in Peru.

For his success, Pizarro was rewarded by the Spanish crown with the title of Marquis, though he never gained the noble status he had craved. Pizarro focused on consolidating Spanish control over Peru, founding several cities, the most notable being Lima in 1535, which he intended as the new capital of the Spanish colony. However, his victories were not without conflict. Pizarro’s rival and fellow conquistador, Diego de Almagro, grew resentful over his lack of reward for his role in the conquest of Peru, leading to a bitter feud between the two.

An indigenous uprising soon broke out in Cuzco, and Pizarro was dismayed when Almagro managed to suppress the revolt and appeared poised to claim control of the city. The tension between the two former allies escalated into open conflict, known as the Battle of Las Salinas in 1538. Pizarro tasked his brothers, especially Hernando, with the mission of defeating Almagro, which they did. After capturing Almagro, Hernando Pizarro had him executed by beheading in Cuzco.

Despite his triumphs, Pizarro’s reign in Peru was short-lived. In 1541, supporters of the executed Almagro, seeking revenge, stormed Pizarro’s house in Lima. Pizarro, then in his mid-60s, was assassinated in a violent attack, thus ending the life of one of the most controversial figures in the Spanish conquest of the Americas. His legacy remains tied to the brutal subjugation of the Inca Empire and the establishment of Spanish rule in South America.