THE TUPAC AMARU REBELLION

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The largest rebellion in the history of Spain's American empire - a conflict greater in territory and costlier in lives than the contemporaneous American Revolution - began as a local revolt against colonial authorities in 1780.

As an official collector of tribute for the imperial crown, Jose Gabriel Condorcanqui had seen firsthand what oppressive Spanish rule meant for Peru's Indian population. Adopting the Inca royal name Tupac Amaru, he set events in motion that would transform him into Latin America's most iconic revolutionary figure.

Tupac Amaru's political aims were modest at first. He claimed to act on the Spanish king's behalf, expelling corrupt Spaniards and abolishing onerous taxes. But the rebellion became increasingly bloody as it spread throughout Peru and into parts of modern-day Bolivia, Chile, and Argentina. By late 1780, Tupac Amaru, his wife Micaela Bastidas, and their followers had defeated the Spanish in numerous battles and gained control over a vast territory. As the rebellion swept through Indian villages to gain recruits and overthrow the Spanish corregidors, rumors spread that the Incas had returned to reclaim their kingdom.

Chapters: The Andes in the Atlantic World; From Pampamarca to Sangarara; A World without the Catholic Church?; The Rebellion Goes South; The Siege of Cuzco; In Pursuit of Tupac Amaru; Torment; The Other Side of the Lake; Southern Campaigns; The Pardon and the Cease-Fire; The Rebellion in Limbo; and Ordered by the Catholic King.