Francisco Pizarro, the governor of Peru and conqueror of the Inca civilization, is assassinated in Lima by Spanish rivals.
The
illegitimate son of a Spanish gentleman, Pizarro served under Spanish
conquistador Alonso de Ojeda during his expedition to Colombia in 1510
and was with Vasco Nunez de Balboa when he discovered the Pacific Ocean
in 1513. Hearing legends of the great wealth of the Incas in South
America, Pizarro formed an alliance with fellow conquistador Diego de
Almagro in 1524 and sailed back to the Americas. Their first expedition
only penetrated as far as present-day Ecuador, but their second reached
farther and discovered evidence of the existence of the Inca kingdom.
Securing
aid from Emperor Charles V, and a guarantee that he, not Almagro, would
receive the majority of the expedition's future profits, Pizarro sailed
to Peru and landed at Tumbes in 1532. He led his army up the Andes
Mountains to the Inca city of Cajamarca and met with Atahualpa, the king
of the Inca kingdom of Quito. After winning his trust, Pizarro captured
Atahualpa, exacted a room full of gold as ransom for his life, and then
treacherously had him executed. The conquest of Peru came quickly to
Pizarro and his army, and in 1533 Inca resistance came to an end with
their defeat at Cuzco.
Pizarro, now the governor of Peru, founded
new settlements, including Lima, and granted Almagro the conquest of
Chile as appeasement for claiming the riches of the Inca civilization
for himself. However, Pizarro failed to provide Almagro with all the
land he had promised, and Almagro responded by seizing Cuzco in 1538.
Pizarro sent his half brother, Hernando, to reclaim the city, and
Almagro was defeated and put to death. Three years later, on June 26,
1541, a group hired by Almagro's former adherents penetrated Pizarro's
palace and slew the conquistador while he was eating dinner. Shortly
after his death, Diego el Monzo, Almagro's son, proclaimed himself
governor of Peru.
Taken from: http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/conqueror-of-the-incas-assassinated [26.06.2012]
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