Tupac Amaru II

(real name José Gabriel Condorcanqui). Born circa 1740; died 1781. Leader of a Peruvian Indian rebellion against the oppression of the Spanish colonizers and local Creole landowners.

The rebellion led by Tupac Amaru II began in November 1780 in the village of Tungasuca, in the province of Tinta. It soon spread throughout the country, rallying the people to the cause of independence and the restoration of the Inca state. The rebel army, which grew to 60,000, defeated the Spanish on several occasions, inflicting a particularly severe blow at Sangarara, near Cuzco. The Spanish struck back near Checacupe in April 1781. Tupac Amaru II was captured and executed along with the other leaders of the rebellion. The rebellion continued until 1783 and had a significant influence on the liberation movement in the Spanish colonies.