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The Spanish invasion was rapid. In 1530, Pizarro arrived in Ecuador at San Matteo's Bays near Manabi with 180 men and 27 horses. The Spanish were fewer in number than the Indians but with their cannons, they intimidated the locals who thought of them as godlike. The war raged for about 2 years in jungle and high mountain passes. Then, in 1532, a meeting was arranged between Pizarro and the Inca king Atahualpa at Caxamarca in Peru . Once there, Atahualpa was ambushed by the Spanish conquistadores who captured him and killed most of his men. A ransom was requested in order to free Atahualpa. Once the ransom was paid with about 24 tons of silver and gold objects, the precious metal was melted down and the Inca King was accused of treason, his crimes being: polygamy, fratricide, crimes against the King of Spain and worshipping a false God. He was sentenced to death nine months later and hanged on the 29thof August 1533. Atahualpa's general Rumiñahui kept fighting the Spaniards for two years after the death of his leader. Pedro de Alvarado was a Spaniard in search of riches in Guatemala . When news of the Inca treasures reached him, he set out to conquer Quito. Pizarro's lieutenant, Sebastian Benalcazar, heard of his intentions and settled Quito in August of 1534 in the area of what is today Riobamba. Alvarado, after dealing with Benalcazar, received a substantial sum to abandon his quest but he continued. He was confronted by an army of around 50,000 Indians who easily outnumbered his troops, however they mutinied and dispersed or joined the Spanish army, seeking revenge on the Incas. Alvarado stopped pursuing his quest, and left the region after agreeing a deal with Benalcazar. Benalcazar continued to move on the province of Quito, finally arriving in late 1534 only to find the city completely in ruins, its treasure sent deep into the Andes. Rumiñahui had preferred to destroy his own city rather than leaving it in the hands of the Spaniards. The Spanish Quito was established on December the 6th 1534 on top of the Inca and Cara ruins, it was named, in full, San Francisco de Quito in honour of Pizarro. Rumiñahui attempted a counter-attack but was eventually captured, tortured, and executed in January 1535. The Spanish conquest was completed by 1549 and today only sparse Incan ruins remain, including Ingapirca. Quito, now under Spanish law, was ruled by the Spanish authorities from Lima in Peru. In 1563, the colony was given more autonomy to deal directly with Madrid by granting it the status of Audencia de Quito. The city of Quito kept on growing. Paintings and sculptures were produced. Indians were converted to Christianity and used by the Spaniards for labor. Churches and buildings decorated with a mixture of Indian and Spanish art were created and the Quito School of Art was founded. New agricultural products were introduced from Europe. Cattle and bananas where brought into the country. Generally life was peaceful but due to the forced labor system imposed by the Spaniards, uprisings of the Indians were starting by the 18th century. |
