Chapter 2.1: Setting Up the Pieces
Previously on "The Sons of Inti Shall Not Perish"
Quisipe-Tupac ruled over a broken realm, and now he was forced to try and fix it. Returning home, the young man cemented his rule by marrying his sister Cura Huarcay, much to the disgust of the Spanish contingent in Qusqu. By the end of the recent Hispano-Tawantinsuyu War the Sapa Inka had finally grasped the danger the Spanish posed and was well aware of his weakened position. As the Spaniards began building a church in the navel of the world Quisipe-Tupac began to ponder how to maintain his shaky rule.
His first move was to “humbly request” that his uncle Manco Capac send a son north to be educated in Qusqu. These sorts of requests were not uncommon towards conquered peoples and Quisipe-Tupac wished to ensure his uncle’s submission. Manco Capac did indeed send a son, but not one to educated. Titu Cusi was 22 years old and was already well educated. Everyone in Qusqu soon realized that Titu Cusi was not being sent as a hostage/student but as the founder of a faction in Qusqu supportive of his father. It was small, and had little in the way of actual local support. Even Qusqu nobles who were suspicious of Spain still remembered how Manco Capac had betrayed their trust during the Machu Picchu rebellion. However, it was a tangible reminder that Quallasuyu was not at the beck and call of the Sapa Inka. In this early jostling for position Titu Cusi was payed little attention, however the man had the authority to speak for his father, and as more complex plans emerged this would become very important.
The once untied Qusqu nobility fractured without a northern menace to oppose, and they were split into three groups. First were the supporters of Spain, who argued that Spain was an ally of the Tawantinsuyu, had proven itself such, and should be respected. This group was propped up by the Spanish in Qusqu who would make vaguely threatening moves if it seemed they would fall out of favor. No members of the Qusqu nobility dared convert to Christianity openly, but a few dabbled with it in the shadows as fact that often forced Quisipe-Tupac to look over his shoulder.
Then there was a faction, the most amorphous of the bunch, that could best be described as hedonists. So long as their power did not cease and so long as they did not starve, they did not particularly care whose side the Sapa Inka was on. This middle group often shifted with the tide and it borders were often blurred.
Finally, there were the anti-Spanish faction. They had hated the northern bent under Atawallpa as much as anyone, but they had wanted to lord over the north, not to lose it. They wanted to get more weapons from the Spanish, but had little interest in trade otherwise. This faction often advocated for harsher actions against Christian converts as well, though often in a veiled manner. Though the Spanish spies in the capital tied his hands Quisipe-Tupac would drift towards this group.
It is worth noting that these divisions applied mostly to advice given to the Sapa Inka, many were still fanatically loyal to their god. Many a pro-Spanish advisor would have died fighting had Quisipe-Tupac gone to war. Despite this there were still those at the fringes who would sell anything for advancement.
Spaniards were no longer confined to one town
For their part the Spanish in Qusqu were mostly concerned with ensuring that no secret plans were being made to make war on the Spanish or kidnap them for information. Though they were a potentially powerful force for now they were passive, as struggles in New Oaxoca distracted the Spanish leadership.
Cristóbal Vaca de Castro was a loyal man to the Spanish crown, quite a useful trait as governor of Nuevo Oaxaca. Yet when the time came to divvy up the newly Spanish land he faced forces pushing back against the crown’s goals. Various groups stood in opposition to his plans to create an efficient, top down system to extract as much wealth as possible.
In 1544 Charles V had promulgated the New Laws which restricted the rights of Spanish landowners with regards to Indian Labor, with the intent of creating more humane conditions for the Native Americans. It had failed completely. It was hardly enforced in New Spain, and where enforced it did improve life for the natives but that hardly meant they were treated well by any stretch of the imagination. But although the New Laws had failed in New Spain Castro was determined to enforce the will of the crown in New Oaxaca. Most rabble rousers in Mexico had seen that Castro was a royal man through and through and given him the cold solider. But some had come south to escape what they saw as onerous regulations. Now they saw them being imposed in their new conquests, and they would not take it lying down.
Other Spaniards had different reasons for opposing any attempt by Castro to create an efficient system, Under the control of Sebastián de Belalcázar corruption had been rampant, lawlessness was at times encouraged and bribes were paid to pretty much everyone in Panama City, which had grown into a city of vice. There was even more wealth to be found with Spanish territories now being larger. However, a cleanly run administration would cut into their profits so another base of opposition was formed to Castro. They were not as numerous in New Oaxoca but they were very common in Panama. Castro had clear orders to establish a Real Audiencia in Tumbez, which would destroy one of the main sources of revenue for the Audiencia in Panama City. As it became apparent that Castro could not be bought off rumors were spread that he was corrupt or carousing with the natives. And they began to exert economic pressure on New Oaxoca inspecting ships bound for Tumbez, seizing goods for trivial reasons. Panama was lifeline for the southern reaches of the Empire, and the people there fully intended to use their influence for their own gain.
The final group arrayed against any attempt to set up an efficient colonial system were the Chimu and the Cañari. Both groups were crucial allies during Castro’s expansion of New Oaxoca, and neither group were eager to submit to a new foreign yoke, having just thrown off the Tawantinsuyu. Castro could probably have defeated them if they rebelled, but at a high price in blood and treasure. In addition, it might strengthen the hand of any Tawantinsuyu who wished for war with Spain. So Castro was determined any such rebellion. Yet avoiding a native rebellion might send him into conflict with his fellow Spaniards.
Despite these challenges Castro pressed forward with a plan designed to create a system that could fill the coffers with whatever bounties could be found in New Oaxoca. He began by restoring the Chimu and Cañari to governing themselves, however in doing so he drastically reduced their holdings from what they had possessed prior to his reorganization of the colony. With the decimation of war and of plague some resettlement was possible but not all Chimu and Cañari would be able to escape the areas under Spanish control. This was fine for Castro, and his plan called for using these natives as a middle group between the Spanish and the natives who were to be used to mine and farm. To encourage this new class Castro promised them certain rights similar to those given to the Tlaxcala in New Spain including weapons ownership. They would however be required to serve under the supervision of Spaniards who saw the divided up between them. Like in Mexico there were a variety of local offices overseeing the landowners, unlike in Mexico Castro intended to have them enforce the law strictly. He gave local governments more influence by granting said governments encomienda rights over Chimu and Cañari “wanderers”, giving local leadership an alternative powerbase to the nearby landowners. This formula did not exactly please the Spaniards who were opposed to royal influence but it was not so egregious as to provoke rebellion, and most believed that it could be corrupted soon enough. With regards to trade in and out of the colony Castro was unyielding, the Crown would have it’s due, regardless of anyone else’s opinion. And so, Panama seethed, spreading rumors and preparing bribes to try and chart a course to profit despite Castro’s best efforts. Castro had managed to set up his colony without open warfare, but how successful it could be remained to be seen.
Both Quisipe-Tupac and Cristóbal Vaca de Castro faced difficult tasks in the aftermath of the war. And their first confrontation was fast approaching.
Yet at least they could console themselves with the fact that they weren’t the Welsers.
Last edited:
