The Inca Empire was conquered by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro. In 1532, Pizarro led an expedition of about 168 Spanish soldiers into Peru, taking advantage of a civil war between Inca leaders Atahualpa and Huáscar. Pizarro captured Atahualpa in a surprise attack at Cajamarca, despite being vastly outnumbered. The Spanish used superior weaponry, cavalry, and tactics, along with exploiting internal Inca political instability and disease, to defeat the Incas. After executing Atahualpa, Pizarro's forces captured the Inca capital of Cuzco and established Spanish control, founding Lima as the new capital. This conquest marked the end of the Inca Empire and the beginning of Spanish colonial rule in the region