In what year did the Spanish capture Atahualpa?

The Spanish captured Atahualpa in 1532, during the Battle of Cajamarca. Francisco Pizarro’s forces seized the Inca ruler on November 16, 1532, in the city’s central plaza during a surprise attack.

Atahualpa had recently emerged victorious from a civil war against his half-brother Huáscar, leaving the Inca Empire politically divided. He was staying near Cajamarca with a large army when Pizarro arrived with a much smaller Spanish force. The encounter was presented as a meeting, but the Spaniards launched an attack after entering the plaza.

Atahualpa’s capture did not immediately end Inca resistance, but it gave Pizarro enormous leverage. The emperor offered a vast ransom of gold and silver for his release. Despite receiving the ransom, the Spanish executed Atahualpa in 1533. The capture in 1532 is therefore distinct from his execution the following year, a date that is sometimes confused with the original event.