alternatehistory.com

The agreement that had united Castro and Qusipe-Tupac had danced around the issue of religion almost completely. There however was a small line about the Sapa Inka promising to “raise the cross in Qusqo”. What exactly raising a cross constituted was a bone of contention.

Quisipe-Tupac thought he had already fulfilled his end of the bargain. The Spanish were allowed to worship freely in their homes in Qusqo. They were exempt from much of the pomp that surrounded the office of Sapa Inka as they did not revere Quisipe-Tupac as the son of a god. To the Tawantinsuyu this was an enormous concession, the divine status of the Sapa Inka was a central part of their faith. These privileges had never been granted to anyone else and only because of the time of need. To many these were in fact more rewards then the Spaniards deserved.

The Spanish however saw only limitations in the set up. Missionaries were barred from preaching near important religious sites. Pagan rituals were still practiced in the presence of Christians and when the subject of the exact legal status of their faith arose Qusipe-Tupac always found a way to change the subject. Thus Castro, hearing these reports from Qusqo, waited for an opportunity to press the issue of religion.

Mullihambato proved a perfect opportunity. The Spaniards who now ruled from Tumbez were a divided group, and not always the most adept at staying true to Christian virtues. But such a massacre of innocent Christians united them and offended even the worst sinners amongst them. Castro prepared a list of demands as soon as he got word of the massacre and then waited until some reports of brutality emerged from the lands controlled from Qusqo. On April 23rd a priest was beaten up near Qusqo by some overzealous Tawantisuyu who had probably engaged in a little too much partying. It was what Castro had been waiting for.

He sent to Qusqo several armed men, bearing demands for the Sapa Inka regarding the future of religion in the Tawantinsuyu. He did demand an end to human sacrifices, but he mainly focused on Christianity and the need for it to be protected.

Castro demanded complete religious freedom for Catholics inside the empire. The right of Christians to worship would be unquestioned in the Tawantinsuyu if he had his way, (it is worth noting that he was simultaneously surpressing native faiths in New Oaxoca). Castro wanted any crimes against Christians to instantly become capital offenses, regardless of how severe they were. Crimes by Christian Spaniards would naturally be tried by the Spanish under Spanish law and custom, but this was already practiced from existing treaties. However, Castro argued that local officials would never be able to fairly try crimes against Christians and so demanded that anyone accused of crimes against Christians be handed over to his government in Tumbez. To enforce this Castro proposed that his men be granted rights to enter the Tawantinsuyu and retrieve people who had committed crimes against Christians. Effectively Castro was using the issue to try and end the independence of the Tawantinsuyu in the name of protecting Christianity. Castro also claimed that any Christian converts had submitted themselves to his authority and that the Spanish had full rights to mediate any disputes

Castro also demanded that the Tawantinsuyu not only open the doors for missionaries but actively support them. Castro demanded that when a missionary entered a town they be accompanied by banners of the Sapa Inka and that at any religious event Priests be allowed to speak. Churches were to be built by government labor with government funds. The Catholic faith, wrote Castro, was accustomed to having the support of the state and so needed the funding in order to be viable.

These demands were completely outrageous, and Castro must have known this. The foundation of the Tawantinsuyu was the divinity of the Sapa Inka and the religious practices that sprung up around him. Elevating Christianity to equal status inside the Empire would be an all-out attack on the foundation of the rule of the Sapa Inkas. Castro was no expert in the workings of his nominal ally, but he had to have understood just how aggressive his demands were. There were several factors in play as Castro made his demands besides an honest desire to spread the Catholic Faith.


Firstly, it would expand Spanish rule. Although declarations of eternal peace had of course been declared between Spain and the Tawantinsuyu it was no secret that there were many Spaniards who wanted more. Spain had been on the rise since 1492, and being stopped by a pagan, American, empire was a blow to the pride of the Conquistadores. Castro’s demands would expand Spanish powers no matter what happened. If they were accepted Spain would have a major foothold in the still independent Tawantinsuyu lands and have near total freedom to do what they wished even in areas nominally under rule from Qusqo.

Secondly was the prospect of uniting the factions of New Oaxaca behind him. Castro had somewhat placated the landowners with his organization of the colony, but he could placate them more by pressing for more land. He had forever made an enemy of the merchants of Panama and their allies, but even their schemes would begin to wane if he possessed the full wealth of the Tawantinsuyu. Even a prolonged war would help him avoid internal dissent, since a war would give him a far greater leeway in prosecuting treasonous activities.

Castro so felt he had a strong position to push his demands onto the Tawantinsuyu. The ball was now in Quisipe-Tupac’s court.