Túpac Amaru II

Who is Túpac Amaru II?

José Gabriel Condorcanqui, who took the name Túpac Amaru II in claiming descent from the last Inca ruler Túpac Amaru, was a cacique (indigenous hereditary chief) in the Cusco region of colonial Peru, born around 1738. Educated and relatively prosperous, he became a spokesman for indigenous grievances against the abuses of the Spanish colonial system, particularly the exploitative labor drafts (mita) and the corregidores' forced sale of goods. In 1780 he launched a massive uprising, beginning with the capture and execution of the corregidor Antonio de Arriaga, that spread across the southern Andes and became the largest indigenous rebellion in colonial Spanish America. Though initially successful, the revolt was suppressed by Spanish forces. Túpac Amaru II was captured and, in May 1781, executed in the main square of Cusco along with members of his family. He became an enduring symbol of resistance to colonial oppression and of Peruvian and Andean identity.

Sources: Charles F. Walker, 'The Tupac Amaru Rebellion' (2014) · Ward Stavig, 'The World of Tupac Amaru' (1999)