by Ralph Bauer
The Speech of the Imprisoned Inca to the Spaniards, as he handed over the first Treasure to them
“Gentlemen, for many days now you have been doing me great injustice by treating me the way you do, despite the fact that I did not give you any reason whatsoever, especially considering that I admitted you into my country, that I have received you with great honors and pomp in my city and my house, and that I have willingly let you have everything that I owned in my land and my house, which was, you may remember, not insignificant: more than two million in gold and silver; more, as I know, than everything your king owns taken together. You know very well that it was in my hands whether or not to admit you into my country; for had I not wished it, you would not have been able to enter, even if there had been ten times as many of you as you are. You don’t know how powerful the people of this country are and how many fortresses and troops there are. You would do well to remember my benevolence in inviting you, without you having to ask for it, and how I sent you everything I could as a token of friendship, because I had been informed that you were Viracochas, emissaries of Tecsi Viracocha. You would do well to remember that immediately after your arrival I provided you with servants and summoned the entire population of the land in order to call on them to pay tribute to you. And in gratitude for this, as well as for the devotion and benevolence I have shown you, you have imprisoned me and brought me into this situation, all on the pretext that I wanted to rise up against and kill you, although I never thought of anything like this. I know well that greed has blinded you and seduced you to commit such foolishness; that is the reason why you have mistreated me like this. I never would have thought that people who initially appeared in such positive light, and who even claimed to be sons of Viracocha, would become guilty of such acts. On your lives, release me and understand that I wish you no evil but only to please you. In order to satisfy your greed and the great hunger that you have for silver, you shall be given what you request. But beware that you receive it under the obligation not to torment and maltreat me and the entire population of this country. Don’t think that I am handing these things over to you out of fear, for I am doing it voluntarily. Why should I be afraid? After all, the entire country is under my power and command. If it were my wish, my people could chase you out of the land in a very short time. And don’t think that I am worried about the fetters with which you have kept me imprisoned. Had I wanted to, it would have been very easy for me to rid myself of them. But I didn’t do it in order to make you understand that my conduct is inspired by love, not fear. That’s why I have been dealing with you like this and will continue to deal with you as I have been. Let us keep the peace from now on and live in love and friendship. For you should know that it would greatly upset Viracocha” (which is to say “God”) “and your king if it were to be any different. And I, too, wouldn’t want it any differently.”
When my father was finished with his speech, the Spaniards who had come with Hernando Pizarro, Gonzalo Pizarro, and Juan Pizarro thanked him for his words and even more for the gifts, namely the treasure and the other pieces of jewelry.
How the Spaniards thanked Manco Inca for the treasure and the Jewelry that he handed over to them at his Release
“Señor Manco Inca, all of us who are present here, as well as the lord governor Don Francisco Pizarro, know very well that we are indebted to Your Highness, who is the son of such a father as Huayna Capac, for our possession of the land that we now own and for the happiness and joy we feel about being here. If Your Highness were not what you are, which is a person of royal blood, we would not have the land that we now have and not the riches that we received by your generous hands. May it please our Lord the Almighty God (whom Your Highness calls Viracocha), our Father in his divine majesty, to requite the benevolence you have shown us and the good deeds you have done us by making you realize who His most Holy Majesty is. May your knowledge of Him make you love Him; may your love of Him perfect your knowledge of Him; and may your perfect knowledge of Him make you rejoice in Him and His Kingdom forever, as we, too, enjoy ourselves, having gotten to know the favors that Your Majesty has bestowed up us.” Hernando Pizarro added on behalf of everyone, “All these noblemen and myself are most happy about the favors that Your Highness have shown us. We are now obliged for the rest of our lives to serve you and to assure you that we, these gentlemen and I, will not do you any harm, now or ever, provided we don’t have a sufficient reason for it.”40
After the Spaniards had thus addressed my father with this explanation and declaration of gratitude, he ordered the treasure to be turned over to them. They received it but left it untouched until they had reported to the governor everything that had happened. While some of them were waiting around, others immediately set out to get him, so that he could thank my father for the treasure and also so that he could be present at its reception and distribution. As it turned out later, it was only on account of the governor’s request that the Spaniards had actually freed my father from his prison; had they not been ordered to do so, they wouldn’t have done it. Thus, those who had gone to call him had done so in order to notify him that my father had already been released. As soon as he learned of what had happened and that my father had already been released, he came by. Upon his arrival, he greeted my father with the following words.
The Governor’s Arrival at the House of Manco Inca
“May God preserve Your Highness, Señor Manco Inca. A minor illness has prevented me from coming earlier with these gentlemen to kiss your hands. It pained me greatly not being able to do what I so much desired, which is to meet with Your Highness. But this temporary absence, which, as I said, was due to my illness, will not happen again. I was very upset by the news of your arrest, especially in light of the possibility that it was entirely unjust, and my anguish will be even greater if it does turn out to be so. Indeed, as I am beholding these generosities of Your Highness, it now seems to me that this is precisely the case. As I always was and still am convinced of Your Highness’s goodness, I have asked these gentlemen not to molest you so much. I am sure that a person who has brought us into his country with such goodwill and who has so plainly turned it over to us, with all of its treasures, could not be instigated so easily to do something that he shouldn’t do. I entreat you, Your Highness, not to let the pain get the better of you, for these noblemen and I will do everything from now on not to cause you any more pain but, on the contrary, to pay you all the respect that is due to a person of the rank of Your Highness. It seems to me that Your Highness, now as then, are conducting yourself toward me and these gentlemen in the way we are used to, which is quite evident in the riches and treasure with which you have presented us, as well as in the share due to me in my function as governor, as well as the Royal Fifths, which is due to His Majesty. I kiss Your Highness’s hand, for I know that His Majesty will be very pleased by what Your Highness has given here, which will add to what I already sent. For this favor, I am in your debt to a degree that I cannot express in words.”
Manco’s Answer to the Governor
“You are welcome, Apo” (which means “lord”). “I have longed to see you for many days, and I don’t know why you wouldn’t want to do me the favor. I desired to see you so much and called for you—I don’t know how many times—in order to complain to you about your soldiers. But you have denied me this favor in order to please them, despite the fact that I desired and have done everything to please you. You have poorly requited my good intentions and my benevolence. Without any provocation on my part, these soldiers have tormented and hurt me by putting these iron fetters on me as though I was their llama” (which means “sheep” [carnero]). “It seems to me that this harassment is motivated more by greed than heroism. Obviously, I’ve been held prisoner more because of insatiable greed than because of any jurisdiction that they might rightfully claim over me. As you have seen for yourself and can testify, you [Spaniards] defeated me not by the force of arms but through pretty words. Had you not pretended
to be sons and emissaries of Viracocha and had we not given any credit to the ingratiating devices that have brought to bear on me, I should like to know how you would have fared when entering our country. But because I conducted myself in the way I have done toward you, you treat me in this manner. Some noble recompense that you are giving me here for all the good things I have done for you! I don’t even know how much gold and silver I paid your soldiers there in order to save myself from their harassment. But have it distributed as you see fit. And if you are a good Apo, you’ll order them not to give me any more grief in the future, because I don’t wish to give them any either; for let me assure you that they will regret it if they do.” When the governor heard my father’s answer, he was very pleased by it and commanded the Spaniards to receive the treasure, saying, “Let us receive what his Highness Señor Manco Inca Yupanqui has given us with such goodwill. Not only in this instance but for a long time now has he shown us great favors. And let’s remember, gentlemen, that we have already received from him many things since we came into his country and that we have requited his generosity poorly. On your lives, from now on you shall pay him respect and high esteem, for he deserves it.” Happy about the treasure that my father had given them, the soldiers responded to the governor with great joyfulness in the following manner.
The Answer of Hernando Pizarro, Gonzalo Pizarro, and Juan Pizarro, as well as the rest of the soldiers, to the governor
“Truly, Your Highness is entirely justified in reprimanding us and in decrying our conduct in this matter. Had there been a glimpse of consideration in us, we wouldn’t have behaved in this manner but shown our gratitude to the person who had done us good. From now on, everything will be done the way that Your Highness commands.” After all these declarations had been made by this, that, and the other Spaniard, they all went about dividing up the treasure amongst themselves, allotting to each what was due according to his rank. Hernando Pizarro was in charge of dividing up the treasure, for he was the one who had imprisoned my father. Because of the great quantity it would have taken too long to divide up the treasure by weight, so they divided it up in bags. When they had divided up the treasure amongst themselves, my father turned to the governor with the following words in order to express his gratitude.
“Apo, I believe that it was in part thanks to your influence that these soldiers have released me from an imprisonment that has turned out to be unjustified. I ask that you not rush off right away but that you dine with me as a sign of our pact of friendship. Let’s have a collation together for I hope that what I have been promised will not be broken.” In order to please my father and because this request was fair enough and not dangerous, the governor accepted. Thus, they all sat down in the hall where my father was and received the collation. When the pact had been sealed by this meal, everybody went home with the part of the divided treasure that had been allotted to him. It is believed that they accompanied the governor home and that each was very happy about his portion. However, as it turned out very soon, this happiness was not to last, for the Devil [demonio]—always evil and a friend of discord and disharmony—never rests.
The Rebellion of Gonzalo Pizarro against the Inca
According to what my father told me, less than three months later Gonzalo Pizarro was overcome by envy, which is the enemy of all goodness. On the one hand, it had occurred to him that the reason why his brother [Hernando] had received so much gold and silver was simply that he had taken my father prisoner to satisfy his greed while he was a corregidor [a royally appointed administrator]. On the other hand, he now found himself in possession of the power and command during the absence of the Marquis Don Francisco Pizarro, who had taken off for Lima with great protestations of his love and friendship for my father as well as on the best of terms with him. Gonzalo Pizarro, eager to demonstrate his power and authority at my father’s expense, accused him of conspiring to rise up and kill them in their sleep at night. Under this pretext, he supplied himself with weapons and instigated Juan Pizarro and some others to take my father prisoner. Thus, they all went to the building where my father and his people were enjoying themselves during a celebration that was going on at the time. Upon their arrival, they were welcomed very benevolently and sincerely by my father, who was entirely ignorant of the impending conspiracy. But they, who were entirely possessed by their insidious intentions, waited until he had to go home for some reason and then followed him. Just as he was about to leave his house again, they seized him, whereupon Gonzalo Pizarro spoke the following words.
Manco’s Inca’s Second Imprisonment by Gonzalo Pizarro
“Señor Manco Inca, A few days ago, you and my brother Hernando Pizarro made an agreement that you would neither plot nor have any dealings in any more conspiracies. But it seems to me that you have not kept your promise, for we have received intelligence that you have gathered many people with the intention of attacking us by night. In the king’s name, give yourself up as a prisoner; and don’t think that this time you’ll get off as easy as last time, when you proclaimed that you didn’t mind the chains. Now you can see for yourself whether they can be broken or not.” Gonzalo Pizarro swiftly ordered that some fetters and a chain be brought and put upon my father. When my father saw that they wanted to put him in fetters and chains and realized the fate to which he was condemned, he tried to defend himself with the following words.
Manco Inca’s Answer
“What sort of game are you playing with me? Are you mocking me at every turn? Do you not know that I am a son of the sun and a son of Viracocha, as you claimed to be? Do you think that I am just any person or some Indian of the common sort? Do you want to scandalize the entire country and be hacked to pieces? Do not mistreat me, for I have not given you any reason. Do you think I care about your fetters? I couldn’t care less about them than I do about the ground I step on with my feet.”
When Gonzalo Pizarro and his lieutenants saw my father so furious, they all threw themselves upon him in order to put the chain around his neck. They said, “Don’t try to resist us, Manco Inca. Rest assured that we will tie your hands and feet so well that all the people of the world will not be able to free you. We are arresting you in the name and on behalf of the emperor, not on our own behalf. But were it on our own behalf, now you will hand us over much more gold and silver than last time; also, you will give me the señora coya Cura Oclo, who is your sister, as my wife.” Thus, all who were present immediately put the chain around my father’s neck and feet.
Manco Inca’s Speech during his second Captivity
When my father found himself arrested and chained in such a shameful and degrading manner, he spoke following words. “Am I a dog, sheep, or some sort of oyua [beasts of burden], so that you have to put chains on me in order to prevent me from escaping? Am I a thief or have I committed treason against Viracocha or your king? Far from it! Why then, if I am neither a dog nor some other such creature, do you treat me like this? Truly, I say to you and insist upon it: you are more like the sons of supai than servants, let alone sons of Viracocha. For if you were not even the sons but at least the servants of Viracocha, you would not treat me the way you do but be mindful of who I am and whose son I am, as well as of how great my power has been and still is, even though I have given it up out of consideration for you. Moreover, you would do well to remember that since your arrival nothing in this country—great or small, high or low—has been refused you. On the contrary, whereas I used to have riches, now you own them; whereas I used to command the people, now you are served by them, men and women, old and young, even children; whereas I used to have land, now the best that there is in this country is in your possession. Is there anything in this world that I didn’t provide for you when you needed it? You certainly are ungrateful and deserving of being humiliated.”41
Gonzalo Pizarro and Juan Pizarro, as well as the others who had accompanied them, did not pay any attention to the words my father had spoken to them and only remarked somewhat contemptuously,
“Just calm down, calm down, Señor Sapai Inca, and relax a bit, for you are very agitated. Tomorrow we’ll have plenty of time to talk about it. Just make sure that you give all the necessary orders so that much gold and silver will be accumulated.” “And don’t forget to hand over the coya,” Gonzalo Pizarro said, “for I desire very much to have her.” After the Spaniards had given my father such good consolations, they went to their houses to eat, for this capture had happened in the morning. However, before they disappeared in their houses they left a good guard to watch my father. Meanwhile, all the people who had been gathered in the plaza, called Puma Qurco, from where my father had left that morning during the communal meal in order to take care of something at home before being seized by the Spaniards, rushed by in great dismay to the building where my father was in order to see why he had not returned to the plaza in all the time that had passed. When they arrived at the door, they met one of my father’s servants, all of whom were very upset by the arrest of their master and almost in tears. The leaders and other persons who had rushed by in order to learn what was happening were dumbfounded, making great lamentations and asking one another in bewilderment, “What is this? What is this?” In great alarm, the principal leaders of the entire country made their way to the interior of the house in order to ascertain what was happening and to see about my father. Having advanced to the inside of the house, for which they were given permission (otherwise nobody was allowed to enter), they reached the place where my father was imprisoned in the manner described above. When they saw him like this, they all broke into loud lamentations, which must have been quite a scene. One of them by the name of Vila Oma, who governed the entire land as the supreme commander on behalf of my father,42 spoke in a loud voice to all who were present and then, trying to control himself,43 turned to my father.
