Study Questions for Jared Diamond, Guns, Germs and Steel, Chapter 3, Collision at Cajamarca
"The factors that
resulted in Pizarro’s seizing Atahuallpa were essentially the same ones that
determined the outcome of similar collisions between colonizers and native
peoples" p. 68.
How would you characterize Native American culture before 1492 as portrayed
at the start of chapter 3?
"Biggest population shift of modern times"
Pre-1492 Native American culture included complex agricultural societies that
developed in isolation from Old World societies.
At the time of Pizarro's conquest, the Inca empire was one of the New World's
most complex, populous, and powerful societies.
Pages 69 through 74 contains an account of Pizzaro’s conquest of the Incas
in 1532. Because it is written by eyewitnesses of the battle, we call this a
primary source. Keeping in mind that it was written by participants, what do we
know about the nature of colonization?
It often consisted of brutal reactions on the part of the conquerors to
unintended slights on the part of the vanquished, all of which derived from
fundamental cultural misunderstanding and readiness to exert force.
~How did the authors characterize the Inca; what terms do they use to
describe them?
Spaniards called the Inca "infidels" and "heathens".
They also noted the Inca's vast population (40,000-80,000),
Atahuallpa's beautiful camp, his well-organized attendants, the Inca's colorful
uniforms, a well-developed atmosphere of royal pomp. Inca were terrified
at sight of mounted Spanish warriors, and sound and damage created by
guns.
~What is the role of religion in the account, specifically, the
Catholic Church?
The Spanish chroniclers identified themselves as servants of the Catholic
god, represented on Earth by Spain's "Emperor of the Roman Catholic
Empire", who glorified his name by subjugating the
"heathen" Inca.
~How was the Spanish mission of salvation used as a way to legitimize
political conquest?
Conquer to convert. "We come to conquer this land by his (King of
Spain) command, that all may come to a knowledge of God and of His Holy
Catholic Faith."
~What did Pizarro tell Atahuallpa’s messenger?
"Tell Atahuallpa that I am a friend, that I want to meet him, and that
no harm will come to him.
What does this say about the nature of European-Native American relations?
It suggests that they were deceitful.
~What event precipitated the battle?
Atahuallpa threw the Bible to the ground, not realizing its importance to
the Spaniards, nor the significance of his action.
What was the last thing the friar said before the fighting began?
"March out against him, for I absolve you."
~Pizarro had 168 soldiers. How many Incas were slain?
~7000 according to Atahuallpa.
Specifically, what class of Incas were slain and how did Pizarro turn this
to an advantage in taking over the empire?
The Spaniards had killed much of the ruling elite, and best warriors of the
Inca empire. Because the Inca empire was so centralized, this severely
limited the Inca's ability to organize a resistance against the Spanish.
Diamond moves on to discuss some of the advantages that the Spanish
conquistadors had over the Inca. What were some of the military advantages?
Guns, steel armor and swords, and horses vs, Inca's wooden, and stone clubs
and cotton armor.
What was the state of the Inca Empire before the battle?
Atahuallpa had just won a civil war to determine ascendancy to empire's
throne. However, his authority was not yet completely in place.
How did European colonization cause this state of affairs?
The Spanish introduction of smallpox
into Panama 10-15 years earlier, and its later overland spread, had killed
(1526) the previous Inca emperor, his court and designated heir.
This caused the contested ascendancy that led to the civil war.
How is this an example of ecological imperialism?
This is a case of unintended subjugation that was possible because of
the differing ecologies of the warring sides.
How did European political organization enable Pizarro’s colonization of
European nation-states were developing centralized political organization, which
covered the expenses of exploration, and conquest.
How did writing and literacy figure in Pizarro’s conquest?
Writing and literacy were essential for rapid diffusion of information
(Columbus' discovery, Cortez’s conquest). Atahuallpa had only inaccurate
word of mouth information about Pizarro.
Diamond considers the European advantages (military technology, horses,
infectious diseases, maritime technology, centralized political organization,
and writing) proximate causes of Pizarro’s victory. What does Diamond mean by
"proximate"?
By "proximate", Diamond means that Europe's guns, germs and
steel were the "immediate reasons" of Europe's successful
colonization of the New World.
Why do scholars consider the Inca civilization an "unusual
achievement"? What's an altiplano?
developed in different physical environment; instead of lowland river
connected valleys, Inca developed in elongated highland basins (altiplanos) in
Andes
The territorial extent of the Inca empire was more than 2000 miles N-S
What was the population of Inca Empire? 20 million
Describe the social-political structure of the empire. Inca minority
of administrators that ruled every aspect of life in a multi-ethnic,
class-structured society