ON THIS DAY IN HISTORY – On 16th November, 1532 AD, Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro and his men captured Inca Emperor Atahualpa, the last sovereign emperor of the Incas, at the Battle of Cajamarca. Atahualpa became emperor when he defeated and executed his older half-brother Huáscar in a civil war sparked by the death of their father. After capturing Atahualpa, Francisco Pizarro sentenced him to execution by burning. Atahualpa was horrified, since the Inca believed that the soul would not be able to go on to the afterlife if the body were burned. Atahualpa offered to fill a large room once with gold and twice with silver within two months, most likely in an attempt to avoid being killed. However, his offer was refused and he was put to his death. According to legend, the great hoard of gold and treasures that was amassed by his followers to pay (unsuccessfully) for his release was quickly buried to prevent the Spanish getting their hands on it. The search of Atahualpa’s riches has since become one of the worlds greatest historical treasure hunts, inspiring many expeditions, none of which have ever been successful.
Posted on: Sun, 16 Nov 2014 20:34:39 +0000
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