Early Modern Era
Inca Empire
1451 AD – 1533 AD · peak 1527 AD
By 1527 AD, the Inca Empire reached its maximum extent, stretching from modern-day Ecuador to central Chile. The state was fatally weakened by a civil war between half-brothers Huáscar and Atahualpa and the arrival of smallpox before Spanish forces led by Francisco Pizarro arrived in 1532 AD. The execution of Atahualpa in 1533 AD marked the effective end of centralized Incan rule.
Capital: Cuzco
Key figures
Battles in this period
Trade routes in use
- Trans-Saharan Gold Route (700 AD – 1500 AD)
- Hanseatic League (1200 AD – 1600 AD)
- Indian Ocean Spice Route (800 AD – 1500 AD)
- Cape Route (1500 AD – 1869 AD)