PERU, a Spanish province in South America, formerly extended along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, from 14° north, to 29° south latitude, being about 1900 miles in length, and 500 in its medium breadth. But in 1718 it was disjoined from Quito, and in 1778 from Potosi, and some other provinces on its southeast frontier, which were annexed to the viceroyalty of Rio Plata. Its present ex tent is nearly 420 geographical miles from the river Tum bez on the north, to the desert of Atacama on the south, and its medium breadth seldom more than 80 leagues. Its square contents are estimated at 33,6284 square leagues ; its population at 1,400,000. It is divided into 49 districts, and contains 1360 townships.
Peru, before its subjugation by the Spaniards, was a powerful empire, extending about 600 leagues along the coast of the Pacific Ocean. Its founder was Mango Capac, who united under his sway a number of independent tribes, whom he instructed in the useful arts of life, and placed under the regular laws of Society. His successors were styled incas or lords, and were venerated by their subjects as divinities as well as obeyed as princes. In 1526, Huana" Capac MI. had reduced the kingdom of Quito, and mar ried the daughter of its vanquished sovereign. After his death, a civil war ensued between his sons Atahualpa, who reigned in Quito, and Huascaz, who succeeded to Peru ; the latter of whom claimed a right to the whole of his father's dominions, on the ground of his mother hav ing been of the royal race of Incas. Atahualpa prevailed in the field, and Huascaz, having been taken prisoner, was shut up in the tower of Cusco. At this conjuncture, A.D. 1532, the Spanish adventurer Pizarro, with his associates in arms, made their appearance in the Peruvian territories. Pizarro had discovered the coast of Peru in 1526; and having been appointed by the Spanish court governor of the whole country, which he had discovered and hoped to conquer, he set out from Panama with three small ves sels and 180 soldiers, to invade the empire of Peru. Hav ing landed at Tumbez, he proceeded to the river Puvia, where he established the first Spanish settlement on that coast, to which he gave the name of St. Michael. With
out opposition he made his way into the centre of the country; and, on his reaching Caxamalia, where Ata hualpa was encamped with his army, he was received in a friendly manner by that unsuspecting monarch. In the midst of a conference, the Spaniards attacked the unre sisting Peruvians, and carried off the Inca as a prisoner to their camp.
After extorting immense heaps of gold as the price of the Peruvian monarch's ransom, Pizarro, by a mock trial, condemned him to the flames. One of the emperor's sons, a youth without energy or experience, having succeeded to the throne of Peru, and the governors of several pro vinces having assumed an independent authority, the empire was torn by intestine dissentions ; and Pizarro, having received reinforcements from various quarters, made his way without difficulty to Cusco, while Benalca zar, governor of St. Michael, by a long and painful march, entered the city of Quito. New grants and fresh sup plies having arrived from Spain in 1534, Pizarro retired to the sea coast, where he founded the city of Lima, while his associate, Almago, proceeded to attempt the con quest of Chili. The Peruvians, availing themselves of the security of the Spaniards, and the absence of their chiefs, attacked the garrison of Cusco, and carried on the siege during nine months with the greatest vigour; but when their efforts were on the point of succeeding, Alma gro, returning from Chili, raised the seige, and made great slaughter of the Peruvian forces. Unwilling to resign the city which he had rescued, Almagro disputed the claim of Pizarro in a bloody contest on the plains of Cusco, in 1338 ; but his party being defeated, he himself was taken prisoner, and put to death by the conqueror. Pizarro was assaulted and murdered in his own palace at Lima, about three years afterwards, by the adherents of Almagro, who raised the son of their deceased patron to the supreme au thority of Peru. But Vaca de Castro, arriving from Spain with a royal commission, appointing him governor of Peru, young Almagro was defeated and beheaded in 1542.