<P> The Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire was one of the most important campaigns in the Spanish colonization of the Americas . After years of preliminary exploration and military skirmishes , 180 Spanish soldiers under conquistador Francisco Pizarro , his brothers , and their native allies captured the Sapa Inca Atahualpa in the 1532 Battle of Cajamarca . It was the first step in a long campaign that took decades of fighting but ended in Spanish victory in 1572 and colonization of the region as the Viceroyalty of Peru . The conquest of the Inca Empire ( called `` Tahuantinsuyu '' or `` Tawantinsuyu '' in Quechua , meaning `` Realm of the Four Parts '' ) , led to spin - off campaigns into present - day Chile and Colombia , as well as expeditions towards the Amazon Basin . </P>
who led the conquest of the incas in south america
Francisco Pizarro