PIZARRO, FRANCISCO (c. 1471 or 1475-1541), dis coverer and conqueror of Peru, was born at Trujillo in Estre madura, Spain, about 1471 (or He was an illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro. Of Pizarro's early years hardly anything is known ; but he appears to have been poorly cared for, and his education was neglected. Shortly after the news of the discovery of the New World had reached Spain he was in Seville, and thence found his way across the Atlantic. There he is heard of in 1510 as having taken part in an expedition from Hispaniola to Uraba, under Alonzo de Ojeda, by whom he was entrusted with the charge of the unfortunate settlement at San Sebastian. He ac companied Balboa (whom he afterwards helped to bring to the block) in the discovery of the Pacific.
In 1522 he entered into a partnership with a priest named Hernando de Luque, and a soldier named Diego de Almagro, for purposes of exploration and conquest towards the south. Explora tions were then undertaken down the west coast of South America, in which Pizarro was left for months with but 13 followers on the island of Gallo, without ship or stores. There it was that Pizarro displayed the courage which has made famous the story of himself and his companions. (Some authorities, among them Xeres, Pizarro's secretary, give the number of his companions as 16. Herrera states the names of 13; Garcilaso supplies the re maining three.) But Pizarro persisted till he had coasted as far as about 9° south and obtained distinct accounts of the Peruvian empire. The governor of Panama showing little disposition to encourage the adventurers, Pizarro resolved to apply to the sovereign in person for help, and with this object sailed from Panama for Spain, accompanied by Pedro de Candia, in the spring of 1528, reaching Seville in early summer. Charles V. was won
over. Pizarro was decorated with the order of Santiago, was granted a coat-of-arms and 13 of his heroic companions were ennobled by name.
On July 26, 1529, was executed at Toledo the famous capitu lacion, by which Pizarro was upon certain conditions made gover nor and captain general of the province of New Castile for the distance of 200 leagues along the newly discovered coast, and invested with all the authority and prerogatives of a viceroy, his associates being left in wholly secondary positions. One of the conditions of the grant was that within six months Pizarro should raise a sufficiently equipped force of men, of whom ioo might be drawn from the colonies ; as he could not make up his due comple ment he sailed clandestinely from San Lucar in Jan. 153o. He was afterwards joined by his brother Hernando with the remaining vessels, and when the expedition left Panama in January of the following year it numbered three ships, i8o men and 27 horses. The subsequent movements of Pizarro belong to the history of Peru (q.v.). After the final effort of the Incas to recover Cuzco from 1536 to 1537 had been defeated by Diego de Almagro, a dispute occurred between him and Pizarro respecting the limits of their jurisdiction. This led to battle; Almagro was defeated (1538) and executed; but his supporters conspired, and assas sinated Pizarro on June 26, 1541.