Sunday, October 26, 2014

Francisco Pizarro, was really a "CONQUEROR"?

Born in Trujillo, Spain, he was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro, an infantry colonel and Francisca Gonzales, a woman of poor means.
His exact birth date is uncertain, but is believed to be sometime in the 1470's. He grew up illiterate.
He was a distant cousin of Henan Cortes, an adventurous sailor.
Reports of Peru's reaches was not a fable anymore. Those news tantalized Pizarro to the point that he undertook to expeditions heading to the land of the Incan Empire. Both failed as a result of bad weather and lack of provisions.
In the meantime the governor of Panama made an offer to him. If he was able to settle in Panama, he would become the major of the city. He accepted and became a wealthy citizen.
But he was not content with the life in a small frontier port. He still was pursued in his dreams by the rumors of the golden land of the Incas and he was obsessed to became the owner of that land.
He obtained a considerable authority from King Charles I over the lands that he planned to obtain either by cheating or by mercenary force.
The expedition left Panama in 1530. He reached Tumbes, the northernmost coastal city of the Inca Empire. At Tumbes an Inca noble, a high official of the empire, made it his business to visit the bearded strangers. He came on board, examined the ships closely, and asked the foreigners what they were doing.
Pizarro did not have enough men to begin his invasion, but he thought he might as well get over the formality, informing that the land and the people shall be subject to the Church and the King of Spain.
One can imagine the smiles of the Inca noble, who knew the scale of eternity. How much was rendered into Quechua, the Inca language, is unclear.
Inca Atahualpa refused to tolerate a Spanish presence in his lands but was captured. A ransom for his release was demanded. They wanted a very large room filled with gold. Their plan was to kill the Inca after receiving the ransom because The Inca was the Head of the Empire.
They did so and proclaimed the ownership over the land. As usual, quarreling began among them.
Pizarro's best friend declared war against him but was captured and assassinated by Pizarro.
His embittered son assassinated Pizarro in Lima and that was the end of the "CONQUISTADOR."

No comments:

Post a Comment