Gonzalo Pizarro

Gonzalo Pizarro was a Spanish conquistador during the 16th century. A conquistador was a soldier who traveled to the Americas to conquer new lands. He was born in Trujillo, Spain, around the year 1510. Gonzalo was the illegitimate son of Gonzalo Pizarro y Rodríguez de Aguilar. His father was an infantry colonel who served in the Italian Wars. Gonzalo was the half-brother of Francisco Pizarro, the leader of the conquest of the Inca Empire. He also had brothers named Hernando and Juan Pizarro.

Gonzalo began his military career in 1530. He joined his brother Francisco on the third expedition to conquer Peru. During this time, Gonzalo served as a lieutenant. The Pizarro brothers eventually captured the Inca capital of Cuzco on November 15, 1533. This happened after a brief battle with Inca forces led by Quizquiz. Following this victory, Gonzalo and Juan Pizarro were made regidores, or city council members, of Cuzco on March 24, 1534. While Francisco explored the west coast and founded Lima in 1535, Gonzalo and Juan helped rule Cuzco.

The rule of the Pizarro brothers in Cuzco was marked by corruption and brutality. They acted as a dictatorship driven by greed. The brothers were often less restrained than their older brother Francisco. They used torture and execution against those who resisted Spanish rule. Their treatment of the Inca monarch, Manco Inca Yupanqui, was especially harsh. Historical accounts state that the Pizarro brothers mistreated many Incan women. This disrespectful conduct caused the Inca people to launch a large-scale rebellion. The Incas even managed to capture Cuzco temporarily on May 6, 1536. However, the heavily armed Spanish soldiers led by Gonzalo and Juan eventually defeated the rebellion. During these conflicts, the disease smallpox also spread and caused many native people to die.

In November 1539, Francisco Pizarro appointed Gonzalo as the vice-governor of Quito. Gonzalo was ordered to explore the lands east of Quito. He wanted to find a rumored rich kingdom called El Dorado. He also searched for a place known as the Land of Cinnamon, or "País de la Canela." Gonzalo organized a massive expedition to find these places. He started with 170 Spaniards and 3,000 Native Americans. Later, he recruited 220 more Spaniards and 4,000 more natives. He worked with a second-in-command named Francisco de Orellana.

The expedition through the Andes was a disaster. The group followed the Coca and Napo rivers but ran out of food. Many people died during the march, including about 140 of the 340 Spaniards and 3,000 of the 4,000 natives. In February 1542, the leaders sent Orellana with 50 men to find food. Orellana could not return due to strong currents and his own desire for discovery. While Gonzalo decided to return to Quito, Orellana continued on. This resulted in Orellana discovering and exploring the entire length of the Amazon River. Gonzalo returned to Quito only to learn that his brother Francisco had been assassinated in June 1541.

Conflict arose again when the King of Spain sent a representative named Blasco Núñez Vela to Peru. In 1544, the King introduced the New Laws. These laws were created by Bartolomé de las Casas to protect indigenous peoples. Many conquistadors hated these laws because they could no longer exploit native people. Gonzalo Pizarro organized an army to fight against the New Laws. He led his followers in a successful battle against the Viceroy at Añaquito in 1546. Although some advisors suggested Gonzalo proclaim himself King of Peru, he refused to do so.

Gonzalo's power did not last long. A new royal representative named Pedro de la Gasca arrived to offer pardons and repeal the New Laws. This caused many of Gonzalo's soldiers to desert him. He faced a final, crucial battle at Jaquijahuana near Cuzco. Without a large army to support him, Gonzalo was forced to surrender. He was beheaded by the royal forces on the battlefield. This made him the last of the Pizarro brothers to die a violent death. His brother Hernando lived many more years and died of old age in Spain.

Gonzalo Pizarro remains a significant figure in the history of South American colonization. His life shows the complex power struggles between Spanish explorers and the Spanish Crown. His expeditions also led to accidental discoveries, such as the exploration of the Amazon. In modern times, his life has been used as inspiration for art. The film "Aguirre, the Wrath of God," directed by Werner Herzog in 1972, features a character based on him. This film is considered a classic in cinema history.