Atlas of Battles

battle, major, early modern

Battle of Cajamarca

Battle of Cajamarca was a battle fought on 16 November 1532 at Cajamarca, in what is now Peru. It was part of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire, which ran from 1532 to 1572. The recorded result: Spanish victory. Recorded strength: 106 infantry; 62 cavalry; four cannons; 12 harquebuses against 3,000-8,000 guards.

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Oil painting depicts The Capture of Atahualpa in Cajamarca (Battle of Cajamarca) and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532. The artwork was made between 1920-1927 by Juan Lepiani.
Oil painting depicts The Capture of Atahualpa in Cajamarca (Battle of Cajamarca) and the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in 1532. The artwork was made between 1920-1927 by Juan Lepiani.. Juan Lepiani, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons.
Fought16 November 1532
WhereCajamarca, Peru7.157S, 78.517W
OutcomeSpanish victory
BelligerentsSpanish EmpireagainstInca Empire
Casualties and losses1 slave dead; one woundedand2,000–3,000 killed; 7,000 captured
Part ofSpanish conquest of the Inca Empire1532 to 1572

Where it sits in the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire

Battle of Punta Quemada, 1525Battle of Puná, 1531Battle of the Mangroves, 1532Battle of Cajamarca, 1532First Battle of Jauja, 1533Battle of Huaripampa, 1533Battle of Capi, 1533Battle of Vilcas, 1533Battle of Cusco, 1533Battle of Anta, 1533Battle of Mount Chimborazo, 1534Battle of the Yacus River, 1534Second Battle of Jauja, 1534Battle of Maraycalla, 1534Battle of Riobamba, 1534Third Battle of Tiocajas, 1534Battle of Quito, 1534Battle of Ambato, 1534Battle of Sacsayhuaman, 1536Battle of Yucay, 1536Battle of Huaytará, 1536Battle of Parcos, 1536Third Battle of Jauja, 1536Battle of Lunahuaná, 1536Siege of Cusco, 1536Siege of Lima, 1536Battle of Rumichaca Bridge, 1536Battle of Ollantaytambo, 1536Battle of Calca, 1537Battle of Urcos, 1537Battle of Desaguadero, 1538Battle of Tapacarí, 1538Battle of Oncoy, 1538Battle of Yuramayo, 1538Siege of Cochabamba, 1538Battle of Chupas, 154215251542Battle of Cajamarca, 1532
36 placed engagements of the Spanish conquest of the Inca Empire in time order; taller ticks are more widely documented. Each tick is a link.

Record

Date16 November 1532
PlaceCajamarca, Peru
7.157S, 78.517W
KindBattle, early modern
Territorial changeCapture of Atahualpa; Fall of the Inca Empire
Strength106 infantry; 62 cavalry; four cannons; 12 harquebuses3,000-8,000 guards
Casualties and losses1 slave dead; one wounded2,000–3,000 killed; 7,000 captured
Commanders
  • Atahualpa
Battle of CajamarcaBattle of CajamarcaTrujilloChiclayoPacasmayoSalaverryMoyobambaChachapoyasPimentelChota100 km7.157S, 78.517W
The recorded site, with the nearest other engagements in the atlas. Present-day coastlines, rivers and borders; towns from Natural Earth.

The ground today

Relief of the ground around the site of Battle of Cajamarca
Relief within about 10.0 km of the site, contours every 50 m. Copernicus DEM GLO-30, ESA.
Satellite view of the site of Battle of Cajamarca today
The same ground from Sentinel-2 on 2024-03-28. Contains modified Copernicus Sentinel data 2024.

The recorded site stands at about 2,721 m; within 10.0 km the ground runs from 2,639 to 3,706 m, 1,067 m of relief, mountainous country and today it is 42% built-up, 27% grassland, 22% cropland.

built-up: 42%grassland: 27%cropland: 22%tree cover: 8%built-up 42%grassland 27%cropland 22%tree cover 8%
west to east, 10.0 km2,663 to 3,296 mnorth to south, 10.0 km2,702 to 3,137 m
Elevation from the Copernicus DEM GLO-30 (ESA, Airbus); land cover from ESA WorldCover 2021 (CC BY 4.0), within about 5 km of the recorded site. Computed, not recorded.

Nearest engagements

In the same war

Elsewhere in 1532

Battle of Cajamarca is one of 1,470 engagements of the 16th century in the atlas and one of 96 in present-day Peru.

Sources

Identity, coordinates, dates and the war from Wikidata Q1425362, released under CC0. Result, belligerents, commanders, strength and casualties from the infobox of the English Wikipedia article Battle of Cajamarca, revision 1379997957, read 2026-11-14, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0; the article's text is not reproduced here. Present-day country and state from Natural Earth. Dates before 1582 follow the Julian calendar as recorded.