An Inca Account of the Conquest of Peru

by Ralph Bauer

  After the celebrations in the village of Sacsasiray were over, my father went on to the town of Tambo and spent one night in Yucay on the way. When he arrived at Tambo, he had the entire population of the country gather, for he was planning to build a mighty fort in order to defend himself against the Spaniards, who might attack him. After a very short time all were gathered before my father, and he made the following speech:

  The Speech that the Inca made to all his Captains in Tambo, whereto he had withdrawn after the failed siege of Cuzco

  “My beloved sons and brothers, you know how in my previous speeches I have always kept you from doing harm to those evil people who entered my land under the pretense of being sons of Viracocha and whom I permitted to do so. Because of all the very good things I have done for them and because of giving them everything I had—silver and gold, materials and maize, herds, subjects, women, servants, and countless other things—they took me prisoner. They insulted and maltreated me without reason. Then they tried to kill me, which I found out through Antonico, their translator. He is present here; he ran away from the Spaniards because he couldn’t bear it any longer. And as you learned during the mobilization of the troops for the siege of Cuzco, I had withdrawn to Callca so that we could deal them a heavy blow without first making them suspicious. As far as I know, everything has been carried out according to my orders. However, I was not able to be present as I had wanted to. This was detrimental to your effort to conquer the fortress of Saczahuaman, which they took from you because of your negligence. Moreover, they then put you to flight, following you to Yucay, without you being able to stop them. It was painful for me to see that you let them get away, despite the fact that you were so numerous and they were but few. Perhaps Viracocha aided them because, as you told me, they worshipped Him all night on their knees. After all, if he didn’t help them, what else could explain that they were able to elude you, who were countless in number. But what’s done is done. From now on, you must take heed on your life how you deal with them, for you must know that they are our main enemy and that we will always be theirs, because that’s the way they have chosen it. I want to take cover in this place and build a fortress that nobody can penetrate. On your life do me this favor, and it may well turn out to be very useful for us one day.”

  The Chiefs’ Response to the Inca

  “Sapai Inca, we, who are your humble servants, kiss your hands.58 We are devastated and embarrassed to come in your sight because of our failure at this most important campaign against these insidious people, who maltreated you so often and repaid your benevolence with such ingratitude. We are thrown into such consternation that we hardly dare to look you in the face but take some consolation in being able to put some of the blame on you. For when we had thoroughly surrounded the enemy and deprived them of all hope for help, we asked you what to do with them and you sent us word that we should let them suffer like they had made you suffer, that you would come and destroy them yourself. In order not to disobey you, we let them be for one day and one night while we were waiting for you. When we were sure of ourselves and deemed them entirely in our hands, they eluded us, and then we were incapable of doing anything to them. We don’t know why this happened or what to say about it, except that our misfortune consisted in not striking soon enough and yours in not granting us permission to do so. We are prepared to take upon us the punishment that you want to put on us for our guilt. With regard to your wish to fortify this town so that you may protect yourself from those people and any other possible attackers, we answer that we will gladly comply, for we owe you more than just this.” Thus, they turned the town into one of the strongest fortifications in Peru during the year and a half that my father stayed in Tambo.

  During this time, after my father had already talked to the Indians and expanded on the misfortune that had come upon them, there arrived in this said town of Tambo some messengers who reported on what had been happening in Lima and Cullcomayo. In Sausa there had been a battle between the Spaniards and the Indians in which the Indians were victorious. They brought my father many heads of Spaniards, as well as two Spaniards who were alive, and one black and four horses. They arrived very happy about their victory, and my father received them with all honors and encouraged the others to fight like them. Just about then, a certain Captain Rodrigo Orgóñez arrived with a group of soldiers in the said town of Tambo in order to fight my father. As soon as my father found out about this, he sent many Indians against the Spaniards so that they would cut off their access to the fortress of Tambo, which is located on the other side of the river. They met each other in a fierce battle on the plain called Pascapampa and Pachar, but neither party could finally claim victory because the Spaniards were much harassed by the cactus plants that grow around there and one of them, as well as three blacks, died in the battle. Another one was captured in the fortress by the Indians because he had gone too far ahead of the others. After the night had parted the battling parties, each retreated into their fortifications. Upon nightfall the Spaniards erected their tents. At dawn they started their fires as though they wanted to continue the battle. However, still before daybreak, they returned to Cuzco. The Indians, who had expected to find them in the morning, found nobody there, which amused them extremely and made them surmise that the Spaniards had fled out of fear. When all this had passed and the Spaniards had returned home, my father, who was still in Tambo, continued with the construction of the fortress. During his stay at Tambo, ten captured and defeated Spaniards who were kept there and were being treated very well, even eating at my father’s own table, ran away after receiving a message from Cuzco. However, as they were not very skilled, they were recaptured in a town called Maras, two leagues from Cuzco, and brought back. When my father asked them for the reason why they had run away, they didn’t know what to say. One of them was the aforementioned Antonico, who, although he had warned my father against the intrigues of the Spaniards, did not know how to appreciate his good treatment by my father, who had him taken around in his chair and cared for him as though he were his own son. For this reason, he fared the same as the rest of them. They all were ordered to be turned over to some Moyomoyo Indians from the Anti lowlands in order to be hacked to pieces and eaten.

  When all of this was over and the construction of the fortress completed, my father announced that he wished to withdraw into the Antian lowlands59 and to give up the other land, for the Spaniards were harassing him too much and the Anti people were begging him much to settle in their land so that they could protect him and serve him as their king. Being determined to take this step, he had his people summoned in order to explain to them how they were to conduct themselves in living together with the Spaniards.

  Manco Inca’s Instructions60 to the Indians about how to conduct themselves toward the Spaniards when he decided to withdraw to the Anti

  “My beloved sons and brothers, all of you who are present here and who have accompanied me in my trials and tribulations will hardly guess, I suppose, why I have summoned you now. But I will explain it to you presently. On your life, don’t let the things I have to say disturb you, for you know that necessity often compels people to do things that they don’t want to do. For this reason, I can’t help but acquiesce to those Anti Indians, who have been begging me for some time to visit them. I will do them this favor and stay with them for a few days. I ask you that you please not be upset, because I do not want to cause you any pain, for I love you like my own children. I would be very happy if you carried out this wish.

  “You are well aware, and I have often told you before, how these bearded men intruded into my land under the pretense of being Viracochas. Considering their clothes and other characteristics that are entirely different from our own, this did not seem implausible to you and even to me. Because of this and also because of the reports of the Tallana Yunca people, who observed them doing certain things in their country, I permitted them, as you know, to come into my country and into my cities. I treated them
in the way that is well-known throughout the entire land. As you know, I gave them many things, after which—and because of which—they treated me in the manner that you have witnessed. Not only they but also my brothers Pascac, Ynguill, and Huaipar deprived me of my land and even made an attempt on my life. However, I eluded this attempt thanks to Antonico’s warning, as I have told you the other day in this place. He was eaten by the Anti people because he did not know how to behave. In the face of all of these and many other things, which I will omit here in order to avoid prolixity, I have summoned you to Cuzco in order to pay them back for a small part of all of that which they have done to us. But your design did not succeed because, I think, they were aided by their god or because I wasn’t present. This gave me great pains, but we shouldn’t wonder or agonize about it too much, for not all of men’s designs always work out the way we would like it. Therefore, I appeal to you not to despair; after all, things could have been worse, considering that we also caused them some damage. Thus, as you know, we captured a few of them in Lima, in Cullcomayo, and in Jauja, which might bring us some consolation, even though it doesn’t measure up to the pains they have given us.

  “It seems to me that the time has come for me to depart for the land of the Antis, as I told you earlier. I will have to remain there for several days. Keep in mind my command not to forget what I have told you and what I am still about to tell you now, which is the following: keep in mind how long my grandfathers and great-grandfathers, and I as well, have sustained and protected you, and how we have furthered and governed your households, providing for them according to your needs. Therefore, you and your descendants are obliged never to forget me, my grandfathers, and great-grandfathers for your entire lives, but to respect and obey my son and brother Titu Cusi Yupanqui and my other sons and their descendents. By doing so, you will give me great joy; and they will thank you according to the instructions with which I leave them. May these words be enough for you now.”

  The Indians’ Answer to the Inca

  “Sapai Inca, how can you leave your sons behind with such a heavy heart? They have desired nothing but to serve you and would even risk their lives for you a thousand times if necessary! To the care of which king, which master, are you leaving them? What disservice, what betrayal, what evil deed have we done to you that you want to abandon us like this, helpless and without a master or king to respect? Never have we known another master or father but you, your father Huayna Capac, and his ancestors. Don’t leave us like this, master, without protection and consolation but grant us, if you will, the joy of accompanying you to wherever it is that you want to go. All of us, children and adults, men and women, are ready to follow you and don’t want to abandon you, even though you may leave us.” When my father saw how anxious all of his people were to serve him, he gave them the following answer:

  “I thank you, my sons, for the willingness and desire that you have shown for following me to wherever I need to go. You will not have to regret your investment in me, for you will receive my gratitude and compensation sooner than you might think. But now, on your life, be composed and don’t anguish so much, for I will see you again very soon. From now until I return or until I send word through a messenger, you shall do the following, which shall be your way of life. First, you are not to believe anything that these bearded ones, who have mocked me because of my good faith, may say for they lie a lot, as they have lied to me in all their dealings with me, and they will continue to lie in their dealings with you as well. One thing you could do is to pretend on the outside that you agree to their demands and to give them a small trinket now and then, depending on what your land yields. These people are so crude and so different from us that they may take from you by force what you don’t give them; and they may abuse you because of it. The best way to prevent this from happening is to act exactly as I tell you. Second, you are to keep yourself ready for the time when I send for you or when I send word about what is to be done with these people. In the case that they attack you or try to take your land from you, always defend yourself, even though you might lose your life in the attempt. If you are in extreme difficulty and need my personal presence, send word through messengers, regardless of where I might be. And watch yourself, for they deceive with their pretty words and later keep nothing that they have said. For this is the way they conducted themselves toward me, as you have seen, when they told me that they were sons of the god Viracocha and initially showed me great friendship and love but later treated me in the way you have seen. If they had been the sons of Viracocha as they claimed to be, they wouldn’t have done what they have done. For Viracocha can change the mountains into a plain, make the rivers run dry, and raise mountains where there have been none before, but he never hurts anyone. We have seen nothing of this in their behavior. On the contrary, instead of doing good things, they have done bad things to us by violently and deceitfully depriving us of our possessions, wives, sons, daughters, fields, food, and many other things that we had in our country—all against our will. We can hardly consider people who act like this to be sons of Viracocha; but rather, as I have said on other occasions, sons of supai, or worse, for they have imitated him in their actions and did things too depraved for me to mention.

  Further, they may order you to worship what they themselves worship, namely some sort of painted rags that they claim to be Viracocha. Even though they are just mere rags, they will demand that you pray to these rags as you would pray to our huacas.61 Don’t do it but keep with what we have, for, as you can see, the villcas62 speak to us; we can see the sun and the moon with our own eyes, but we can’t see whatever it is that they are talking about. Now and then, I suppose, they will get you to worship what they worship through force and deceit. By all means, go through with it while they are present if you can’t help it. But never forget our own ceremonies. If they were to order you to bring forth your huacas in order to have them destroyed, show them only what you have to but hide the rest. This way you will make me very happy.”

  After all of these and many other things, my father said farewell to the Indians and on this occasion put me in front of them, saying that I was his son and that they would have to regard me as their master after his death. Then, when he rose to his feet, all broke into such loud cries that one had the impression that they would pierce the mountains. In their anxiety the people wanted to follow him, but my father would not allow it except in those cases where absolutely nothing could hold them back. He asked those who wanted to follow him with such persistence how they could leave their fields, their houses, their wives, and children, as well as their uyawas, or animals, in order to follow him.63 He told them to control themselves and that he would come to visit them very soon or send word about what they were to do. Thus, he departed from all of them for the town of Vitcos.

  The Inca’s Arrival at Vitcos

  After our arrival at Vitcos, a town thirty leagues away from Cuzco, we and the people who had accompanied my father took a break with the intention of staying and resting there for a few days. My father had a house built for his sleeping quarters, for the houses that were already there belonged to my ancestors Pachacuti Inca, Topa Inca Yupanqui, Huayna Capac, and others, whose bodies we had put there,64 because we didn’t dare to leave them in Cuzco or in Tambo. A little while later, when my father had regained his calm and composure and was no longer suspicious that somebody might intrude into this country, he followed the invitation of the Anti and the other peoples of this country and wanted to hold a very solemn celebration. When the celebration had reached its climax, they suddenly, and without comprehending what was happening, saw themselves surrounded by Spaniards. Because the Indians were feeling very heavy with drink and had left their weapons at home, they were surprised and unable to defend themselves against Don Diego de Almagro, the Captain Diego Ordoñez,65 Gonzalo Pizarro, and the many others, who are too many to enumerate here. They took as many Indians, men and women, as they could, as well as the mummies of my ancestors, who
se names were the following: Vanacauri, Viracocha Inca, Pachacuti Inca, Topa Inca Yupanqui, and Huayna Capac, as well as many mummies of women and jewelry and ornaments, which were being displayed during this festivity. Also, fifty thousand head of choice livestock, the best that was to be had in that country, from the estate of my ancestors and my father. Also, they kidnapped as well several coyas. My father and several others barely eluded them, and the Spaniards returned very contented with their booty, and me, to Cuzco.66 After our arrival at Cuzco, a so-and-so Oñate took me into his house, where he treated me very well and took care of me.67 When my father found out about this, he sent a messenger to Oñate in order to thank him and to officially put me and my two sisters into his care, asking him to look after me and them and promising that he would show his gratitude. During the time after the celebration while I was staying with the said Oñate, my father left Vitcos because some generals from the Chachapoya people had offered to accompany him to a city called Rabanto,68 for there was a good fortress where they could defend themselves against all their enemies. After thinking about their offer, he accepted it. On the way to Rabanto he rested a few days in a town called Oroncoy, because the inhabitants wanted to hold a celebration in his honor. While he was still there, he sent scouts in order to find out whether there were any Spaniards or other people who might stand in his way in the area. It is reported that after he had sent them, around dawn more than two hundred heavily armed Spaniards appeared on horse in the village of Oroncoy in search of my father. They had captured the guards on the bridges that were there and had tortured them with ropes in order to extort information about the whereabouts of my father. They [the guards] told them that he was at the village called Oroncoy. The Spaniards left the guards behind and galloped at full speed, one behind the other, up the hill in the hope that they would catch my father in his sleep or at least before he was able to make preparations for his defense. But my aunt Cura Oclo, my father’s sister, spotted the approaching troops from afar after hearing the thumping noises of the horses. With great alarm, she rushed into my father’s sleeping quarters in order to warn him that the enemies were approaching and to tell him to rise and attack them. When my father saw her so terrified, he rose in a hurry without taking care of anything else in order to find out if what his sister was saying was true. From his elevated point of view, he could immediately see that she was right. He hurried back to his house and ordered the bit to be put on his horse, for he wanted to gather his people immediately and just as he was, so that the enemies would not fall upon them before they were ready to fight. As soon as his horse was for ready for battle, he had it saddled, for his enemies were already close.69 He positioned a great number of women on top of the hill, all armed with lances in order to evoke the impression that they were men. After that, he swiftly jumped on his horse, his lance in hand. He shielded all of his men all by himself, so that the enemies would not be able to hurt them as long as the scouts, who were surveying the country, had not returned. They [the scouts] arrived on top of the hill almost at the same time as the Spaniards, while my father was fighting them off by himself. When they arrived there, they were exhausted by their ascent. But when they saw my father fight so bravely, they found new encouragement to fight their enemies, who were still farther downhill. They courageously fell upon them in a throng with their lances and shields and pushed them down the hill. After they had dealt them this blow, they took a rest in order to catch their breath. When the Spaniards noticed that they had sat down to take a drink, they assumed that they were exhausted and boldly resumed their attack up the hill. Our men, however, had been on the watch and had reinforced themselves with people who had come to their aid from various places. As soon as they saw their enemies approach with such resolve, they fell upon them and drove them apart in one blow, throwing them over the cliffs and rocks into the abyss. The helpless Spaniards had been so exhausted from the weight of their armor and from the heat, that they weren’t able to resist and to avert their collective destruction. Not a single horse nor man escaped with his life, except for two men: one by swimming across the river and the other by grabbing hold of one of the ropes of the bridge.