---
node: sa_atahualpa
type: person
slug: atahualpa
title: "Atahualpa"
lead: "Atahualpa (c. 1502–1533) was the last independent ruler of the Inca Empire, captured and executed by the Spanish. His death marked the end of Inca sovereignty."
published: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
---

## Who they were

Atahualpa won the Inca civil war against his brother Huáscar just as the Spanish arrived. In 1532 he was seized by Francisco Pizarro at Cajamarca in a surprise attack.

## What they did

Held captive, he filled a room with gold and silver as a ransom, but the Spanish executed him in 1533 anyway. His capture and death broke the empire's leadership.

## Legacy

Atahualpa became a symbol of the Spanish conquest and of Indigenous loss across the Andes. His downfall is one of the most retold episodes of the European conquest of the Americas.