Atahualpa (about 1502–1533)
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Atahualpa (about 1502–1533)
In 1532, Atahualpa was one of the most powerful men in the world. He ruled about 12 million people. His empirestretched more than 2,500 miles. From the Pacific coast of South America, his empire crossed jungles and deserts. Most of the land was high in the Andes Mountains in what is now Peru. The capital of this empire, Cuzco, was one of the richest cities in the Americas.
As emperor of the Incas, a South American Indian tribe, Atahualpa owned the land. All the gold and silver in the mines was his. He even owned the herds of animals. Women wove beautiful fabrics for him. Men served in his army or worked on one of his projects. Farmers grew food for him. Artists made statues out of gold for him.
It was a productive empire. Much of what the world eats today was first grown in the region Atahualpa ruled. His farmers grew 20 kinds of corn, 240 kinds of potato, as well as squash, beans, peppers, peanuts, and more. His workers built canals to the deserts. They built bridges and roads through the mountains. Workers made step-like terraces up the steep mountains so the land could be farmed. Builders carved and fit huge blocks of stone together to make temples and storehouses. Everything was built to last a long time. Atahualpa thought that the Incas would rule for many years. He was wrong.
In 1533, people from Spain killed Emperor Atahualpa. Then they conquered his empire. Francisco Pizarro led the conquering army. There were fewer Spaniards than Incas, but they had two things the Incas did not have. They had guns and horses. And they used surprise and trickery. All of Atahualpa’s power and wealth could not save him. But the beautiful work of the Incas can still be seen in Peru today.
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