Francisco Pizarro (1474–1541), a Spanish conquistador of the sixteenth century, who
set out on an
expedition to colonize Peru for Spain. In 1531, he and his two partners landed in Peru with about 180 men, some cannons and horses. The
Incas (rulers of a
vast empire in
South America) had a civilization wealthy in
gold,
silver and other natural
resources, though no
draft animals. They were, however, already divided by a
civil war when Pizarro arrived and so h e easily defeated the army of Atahualpa, the Inca ruler. Pizzaro took Atahualpa as prisoner and demanded a huge ransom for him. The
Incas began filling a room with
gold to get their
leader back. But instead of freeing him, Pizarro had Atahualpa strangled and took Peru.
—PDC Volume 6 Approved Glossary