---
node: sa_tupac_amaru_ii
type: person
slug: tupac_amaru_ii
title: "Túpac Amaru II"
lead: "Túpac Amaru II (1738–1781) led the largest Indigenous uprising against Spanish rule in colonial South America. Though crushed, his revolt became a lasting symbol of resistance."
published: 2026-07-13
updated: 2026-07-13
image_file: tupac_amaru_ii.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:T%C3%BApac_Amaru.jpg"
image_author: "Unknown"
image_license: "Public domain"
---

## Who they were

A local Andean leader who claimed descent from the last Inca, José Gabriel Condorcanqui took the name Túpac Amaru II. In 1780 he launched a massive rebellion in the Peruvian highlands against colonial abuses.

## What they did

His revolt protested forced labor, heavy tribute, and the exploitation of Indigenous people. It grew into a wide movement that shook Spanish control across the southern Andes.

## Legacy

He was captured and brutally executed with his family in 1781, and Spain repressed Andean culture in reprisal. His name was later revived as a symbol of Indigenous and revolutionary struggle.