Battle of Mount Chimborazo facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Chimborazo
Part of Spanish conquest of Peru
Date 1534 Location Central part of modern-day Ecuador Result Spanish victory
Belligerents
Remnants of Inca Empire	Spanish Empire
Commanders and leaders
Rumiñahui	Sebastián de Belalcázar
Casualties and losses
Unknown, but severely high	Unknown

The Battle of Chimborazo was an important fight during the Spanish conquest of Peru. It happened in 1534 in what is now Ecuador. This battle was between the remaining forces of the Inca Empire and the Spanish Empire. The Spanish, led by Sebastián de Belalcázar, won against the Inca general Rumiñahui.

Before the Battle

In November 1532, Atahualpa was the king of the Inca Empire. He had just won a long civil war against his brother Huáscar. Atahualpa was traveling from the northern city of Quito to the capital city of Cuzco.

However, in Cajamarca, a Spanish leader named Francisco Pizarro captured him. Even though Atahualpa paid a huge amount of gold and silver as a ransom, he was executed eight months later. After this, his general, Rumiñahui, took control of the northern part of the Inca Empire.

In August 1533, Pizarro left for Cuzco. He sent one of his commanders, Sebastián de Belalcázar, with some soldiers to his base called San Miguel de Piura. This base was near the coast. More and more Spanish soldiers arrived at San Miguel, attracted by the gold in Peru. Because of this, Belalcázar decided to lead a trip to Quito. They hoped to find even more gold there.

The Battle of Chimborazo

General Rumiñahui gathered his Inca forces. He marched them south to meet the Spanish. The two armies met on a flat plain near Chimborazo, a large volcano.

At the start of the battle, neither the Spanish nor the Incas had a clear advantage. The Spanish had powerful weapons like firearms and cannons. But Rumiñahui's army began to push the Spanish back. Belalcázar was almost ready to retreat to avoid losing too many soldiers.

Suddenly, the Chimborazo volcano became active. This surprised the Inca warriors. They saw the volcano's activity as a bad sign or a warning. Because of this, they decided to retreat from the battle.

After the battle, Rumiñahui decided to leave Quito. He took many treasures with him and then burned the city down. About a year later, the Spanish captured Rumiñahui. They questioned him very strictly to find out where the temple treasures were hidden. However, he never told them where they were.

See also

In Spanish: Tercera batalla de Tiocajas para niños