Timeline of the Inca
1200 AD: The Inca civilization begins to emerge in the highlands of Peru. The legendary first Inca ruler, Manco Capac, is said to have founded the city of Cusco.
1438 AD: Pachacuti Inca Yupanqui becomes the ninth Sapa Inca (emperor) of the Incas. He launches a series of military campaigns, expanding the Inca Empire through conquest.
1440 AD: Pachacuti leads the Inca forces in the Battle of Cuzco against the Chancas, a rival indigenous group. The Incas emerge victorious and solidify their control over the Cusco region.
1450 AD: Pachacuti orders the construction of Sacsayhuaman, a monumental fortress near Cusco, as a symbol of Inca power and a defense against potential enemies.
1463 AD: Pachacuti’s son, Topa Inca Yupanqui, becomes the ruler of the Inca Empire. He continues the expansion of the empire, reaching its zenith in terms of territorial control.
1471 AD: Topa Inca Yupanqui leads a military campaign into Ecuador, bringing large parts of the northern Andes under Inca control. He captures Quito, the capital of the Quitu civilization.
1480 AD: Topa Inca Yupanqui conducts a successful military campaign into the central Andes, capturing the Chimu capital of Chan Chan and assimilating the Chimu culture into the Inca Empire.
1483 AD: The Inca Empire expands into the southern highlands of present-day Peru, incorporating the territory of the Colla people and establishing the province of Collasuyu.
1493 AD: The Inca Empire expands further into present-day Bolivia, capturing the territory of the Aymara people and establishing the province of Collao.
1498 AD: The Inca Empire expands into the northwestern region of present-day Argentina, incorporating parts of the Calchaquí Valley and establishing the province of Antisuyu.
1502 AD: Topa Inca Yupanqui passes away, and his son Huayna Capac becomes the Sapa Inca. Under Huayna Capac’s reign, the Inca Empire continues to consolidate and expand.
1528 AD: The empire faces a major challenge as a smallpox epidemic, brought by the Spanish conquistadors, spreads rapidly. The epidemic causes significant mortality among the Inca population, including Huayna Capac and his designated heir.
1532 AD: Atahualpa and his half-brother Huascar engage in a civil war for control of the empire. The ongoing conflict weakens the Inca Empire, making it vulnerable to external threats.
November 16, 1532 AD: Francisco Pizarro, leading a small group of Spanish conquistadors, captures Atahualpa in the Battle of Cajamarca. This event marks a turning point in Inca history and the beginning of Spanish colonization in the region.
1533 AD: Atahualpa is executed by the Spanish, further destabilizing the Inca Empire.
1536-1537 AD: Manco Inca, a puppet emperor appointed by the Spanish, leads a rebellion against the Spanish conquistadors. The Inca resistance puts up a formidable fight but is ultimately suppressed.
1537 AD: The Spanish establish the colonial city of Lima, marking the beginning of their permanent presence in Peru.
1542 AD: The Spanish crown establishes the Viceroyalty of Peru, further solidifying Spanish control over the Inca Empire and its territories.
(c) Milenioscuro 1572 AD: The last independent Inca stronghold, Vilcabamba, falls to Spanish forces. This marks the end of the Inca resistance against Spanish colonization.
1572 AD onwards: The Inca civilization undergoes a process of assimilation into the Spanish colonial order. Many aspects of Inca culture, such as religion, language, and social organization, are suppressed or transformed by the influence of Spanish colonization.
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