La conquista de los incas
Comprehension questions
1. Describe the state of the Incan army around the time that Francisco Pizarro entered Peru with
his 170 conquistadors.
2. In addition to the muskets which the conquistadors carried, what did they possess which could
be considered a weapon in the eyes of the Incas?
3. What disease was brought to the Americas by Hernán Cortés which reached the Andean region,
killing even the Incan emperor and his successor?
4. The conquistadors were entering the heart of the Incan empire during a time of civil war. What
was the cause of this civil war? Who won the war?
5. Describe the infrastructure of the Incan empire during this time.
6. How can the Incan social structure best be described?
7. What were the two main forms of industry in the Incan empire?
8. Were the Spanish conquistadors initially impressed by the Incan people? In 1532, what site
caused them to become astonished at the complexity and organization of the empire?
9. What is a “chasqui”?
10. What was the purpose of the “quipus” that the chasqui carried with him? Why was this system
necessary?
11. What was the approximate population of the Incan empire?
12. Atahualpa, the newly established Incan emperor, severely underestimated the danger of the
conquistadors. Although the Spaniards were greatly outnumbered, how were they able to carry
out their plan to kidnap Atahualpa?
13. What transpired during the nine months of Atahualpa’s captivity? What happened to him in the
end?
14. Which great Incan city was never discovered by the Spaniards?
15. What were the three factors which caused the death of over 90% of the Incan population?