Huáscar
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- For the Peruvian warship, see Huáscar (warship)
Inti Cusi Huallpa Huascar (Quechua: Waskhar), or "Sun of Joy" (1503 – 1532) was Sapa Inca of the Inca empire from 1527 to 1532 AD, succeeding his father Huayna Capac and brother Ninan Cuyochi, both of whom died of smallpox while campaigning near Quito.
After the conquest, the Spanish put forth the idea that Huayna Capac may have intended Huascar to be the Emperor, and his brother Atahualpa to be the governor of the Quito province. Then Huayna Capac and his initial heir Ninan Cuyochi died prematurely without naming a successor. Without a clear line of succession, a war broke out between Huascar and his brother Atahualpa. However, this does not fit the reality of what we know about Inca succession. The Inca monarchy did not have clear lines of succession like the Spanish monarchy. The most powerful child would simply claim the throne, if necessary by force. This worked because Pachacuti had instituted a split inheritance system. As in the Chimu system it was modeled after, the inheritance of any powerful ruler was split. One child got the title while all the property of the ruler was split among the remaining children and the ruler's spouse. This usually prevented the types of civil war that broke out between Huascar and Atahualpa.
At the start of the war, Huascar was winning. When Huayna Capac died, Huascar was in Cusco from where he could organize an army, while Atahualpa was in the distant land now known as Ecuador. Huascar captured Atahualpa in one of the first battles, and it looked as if the war would be over without much bloodshed. But then Atahualpa escaped with the aid of a small girl. He managed to organize an army, then fight and win a three year war against his brother. While on his way from the North to Cuzco, to claim his title, Atahualpa encountered Francisco Pizarro who was encamped in Cajamarca. Atahualpa was captured by Pizarro, and shortly thereafter Huascar was killed by his own men (drowned, in the river of Adamarca). It has been speculated that Atahualpa ordered the killing, but there is no evidence to support this hypothesis.
| Preceded by Huayna Capac |
Sapa Inca 1527-32 |
Succeeded by Atahualpa |
