MANCO INCA I, ing'ka, Peruvian ruler: b. about 1500; d. 1544. He was the second son of the Inca Huayna Capac (q.v.), who died about 10 years after the first arrival of the Spaniards, dividing his kingdom between his legitimate successor, Huascar, and a younger son, Atahualpa. The latter, after having made war upon Huascar, and put him to death, was himself captured and executed in 1533 by Pi zarro. Shortly afterward Manco appeared in the Spanish camp to announce his pretensions to the throne and claim Pizarro's protection. The conqueror received him cordially, and made it his first care after the taking of Cuzco to place him on the throne. After in vain petitioning for power to exercise the sover eignty, he withdrew secretly from Cuzco, but was brought back and imprisoned. Again es caping, he roused the whole nation to arms against the invaders, and appeared before Cuzco (February 1536) with a countless host of Indians who covered the surrounding hills.
He destroyed a large part of the city by fire and reduced the Spaniards to extremities; but after the siege had lasted over five months, had to withdraw on account of the scarcity of food. Defeated subsequently by Almagro and forsaken by most of his warriors, he fled to the Andes, and for several years maintained his independence, sallying forth as occasion offered at the head of a few brave followers, always eluding pursuit in the wilds of the Cordilleras, and in the event of civil war among the for eigners throwing his weight into the weaker scale in order to prolong their contests. He was killed by a party of Spaniards belonging to the younger Almagro's faction, who on the defeat of their leader had taken refuge in tile Peruvian camp.