ATAHUALPA (d. 1533), son of the famous Inca Emperor Huayna Capac, of in terest chiefly because of his unfortunate career as ruler of Peru. On the death of Atahualpa's father (1525), his half-brother (Huascar) usurped the throne. In the civil war that im mediately followed between the followers of the two claimants — a long struggle whose de tails are not clearly recorded —Atahualpa's fac tion gained complete victory. The usurper, Huascar, was taken prisoner and confined in the strong fortress of Xauxa. The massacre usual under such circumstances followed, affect ing all the royalists who had sided with Huas car. But Atahualpa's reign was proved to be neither long nor happy. Soon after he had been recognized as the rightful ruler of Peru, a Spanish Catholic leader, Pizarro, came to urge upon Atahualpa to embrace the Christian faith and become a vassal of Charles V. This proved to be a mere pretext, however, for wresting the kingdom from the young ruler's hands. Even while these overtures were being made, Pizarro's army had already mustered at Cassamarca, where the Inca then was. Sud
denly, without the slightest warning, Pizarro gave the signal for attack. The Peruvians, of course, were absolutely unprepared to with stand this prearranged attack. After hundreds of them had been slain and their king made prisoner, the one-sided onslaught ceased. Atahualpa's release, however, was repeatedly put off, despite his readiness to pay the de manded ransom money. It would seem that Atahualpa, while still in captivity, fostered a counter-attack upon the invaders and also con spired for the assassination of his treacherous half-brother, then in league with the Spaniards. Accounts of his intrigue are neither clear nor very convincing. At any rate, it was on these charges, colored with the accusation of heresy, that Atahualpa, after a mock trial, was con demned to death. He was burned at the stake on 29 Aug. 1533. Consult Prescott's 'History of Peru' and Garcilasso de la Vega's