Francisco Pizarro

Definition

A Spanish conquistador who led an expedition that conquered the Inca Empire. He captured and killed Incan emperor Atahualpa, claiming much of South America for Spain.

Related terms

Inca Empire: The largest empire in pre-Columbian America. Its political and administrative structure is considered by most scholars to have been efficient one with a centralized control over its territories.

Atahualpa: The last Inca Emperor before falling into Spanish hands during Francisco Pizarro's conquest.

Spanish Conquest of the Inca Empire: The military and political campaign by Spanish conquistadors which led to the fall of the Inca Empire.