The Tupac Amaru Rebellion

The largest rebellion in the history of Spain's American empire―a conflict greater in territory and costlier in lives than the contemporaneous American Revolution―began as a local revolt against colonial authorities in 1780. As an official collector of tribute for the imperial crown, José Gabriel Condorcanqui had seen firsthand what oppressive Spanish rule meant for Peru's Indian population. Adopting the Inca royal name Tupac Amaru, he set events in motion that would transform him into Latin America's most iconic revolutionary figure.