The Inca civil war between Huáscar and Atahualpa began in 1529. It was a succession struggle between the sons of Huayna Capac, who had died after expanding the empire across much of the Andes.
Huáscar claimed the imperial throne from Cusco, while Atahualpa controlled powerful armies and supporters in the northern territories around Quito. Tensions escalated into open conflict after Huáscar demanded Atahualpa’s submission. Atahualpa’s generals eventually defeated Huáscar’s forces and captured him in 1532.
The war weakened the Inca state just as Francisco Pizarro’s Spanish expedition arrived. Pizarro captured Atahualpa at Cajamarca in 1532, only weeks after Atahualpa’s victory, and later executed him. This timing helped the Spanish exploit divisions within the empire.
Some chroniclers disagree about the war’s precise sequence and number of battles, but 1529 is the conventional start date. It is also often called the Inca Dynastic War, Inca War of Succession, or War of the Two Brothers.