Francisco Pizarro

Pizarro led a small Spanish force into the Inca Empire, capturing Emperor Atahualpa at Cajamarca in 1532. Despite being vastly outnumbered, the Spanish used superior weaponry and tactics to defeat the Incas, leading to the collapse of the empire and Spanish control over Peru.

After receiving a ransom of gold and silver, Pizarro ordered the execution of Inca Emperor Atahualpa by garrote. This act eliminated the central leadership of the Inca state, facilitating Spanish domination and the imposition of colonial rule over the Andes region.

Pizarro founded the city of Lima on the Peruvian coast, designating it as the capital of the Spanish Viceroyalty of Peru. Lima became the political, economic, and cultural center of Spanish South America, a status it retained for centuries.

Pizarro was assassinated in his palace in Lima by a group of rival Spanish conquistadors loyal to Diego de Almagro II. The murder resulted from factional conflicts among the conquerors over control of Peru and its wealth, ending Pizarro's rule.