The Rest Is History – Episode 644

The Fall of the Incas: Empire of Gold (Part 1)
Date: February 16, 2026
Hosts: Tom Holland & Dominic Sandbrook

Overview

In this gripping opening to a six-part series, Tom Holland and Dominic Sandbrook unravel one of world history’s most astonishing sagas: the conquest of the vast Inca Empire by a tiny band of Spanish conquistadors under Francisco Pizarro. Blending historical narrative with lively banter, they trace the origins of Pizarro, sketch the fractured landscape of the Inca world, and set the stage for the dramatic collision of civilizations. The episode explores themes of ambition, colonial violence, the fragility of empires, and the role of luck and circumstance in the making of history.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Epic Introductions: The Stuff of Legend

• Tom opens by reading from Peter Shaffer’s The Royal Hunt of the Sun, setting the episode’s theatrical tone with the story of Martin, a Spanish soldier dying in Peru, wracked by hindsight and regret over following Francisco Pizarro.
• Tom and Dominic joke about casting choices in historical films, laying the groundwork for epic drama (“The film writes itself, doesn’t it?” – Tom, 18:52).

2. Setting the Stage: Why the Inca Story Matters

• Dominic frames this series as the “third part of a trilogy” following their explorations of the Columbian and Aztec conquests, underscoring the centrality of the Inca saga in the story of colonialism and global history.
• They marvel at the audacity and improbability: fewer than 200 Spaniards ultimately bring down a sprawling mountain empire of millions.

3. Francisco Pizarro: Character and Origins

• Background: Born c.1478 in wild, poor Extremadura—the “Spaghetti Western” of Spain. Illegitimate, possibly a former pig-herder.
• Attributes: Unlike the cunning, literate Cortés, Pizarro was illiterate, rugged, conservative in taste, and straightforward. Chroniclers debated if he was a mere “illiterate thug” or possessed hidden depths.

  “He was a good companion, without any vanity or pomposity.” – Spanish chronicler, 12:11
  “How kindly and gentle Pizarro was, we shall discover.” – Dominic, 12:38

• Motivation: Despite earning a comfortable status in Panama, Pizarro’s “yearning for glory” (16:04) compels him to keep risking all for a legend—an empire rich as Mexico.

4. The Path to Peru: Voyages and Hardship

• First Expeditions: Failed ventures along the Colombian coast with comrade Diego de Almagro. Almagro loses an eye, making him the “Gimli” of the story.
• The Raft Encounter: Bartolomé Ruiz, their pilot, stumbles on a raft loaded with gold, silver, tweezers, and trinkets—“The king will be thrilled to have some tweezers.” (21:27)
• The Famous Beach Scene (“Line in the Sand”, 24:57): Pizarro draws a literal line, offering his men a choice between comfort and possible riches (“On one side lies comfort, on the other lies death, hardship, nakedness, rain and abandonment...” – 25:17). Only 13 men cross, forming the immortal “Famous 13.”
• Encounters with Civilization: Reaching the town of Tombes, they find evidence of advanced society—pots, gold, temples—spurring Pizarro to push for royal authorization.

5. Spanish Legalism and Internal Feuding

• The Spanish are “obsessed by legalism,” always wanting notary evidence and royal approval, even as they carry out massacres and conquest (10:10, 29:18).
• Chronic, lethal infighting among conquistadors: alliances flip, old comrades betray—for example, Pizarro later orchestrates the arrest of former leader Balboa (14:04), and his own falling out with Almagro foreshadows tragedy.

6. Royal Approval and Broken Alliances

• In Spain, Pizarro secures a franchise (“It’s a franchise. He’s got the brand name.” – 31:10). The contract severely disadvantages Almagro, breaking their trust.
• The return to Panama with new recruits, including three Pizarro brothers and an important friar, Valverde, whose arrival signals coming intrigue.

7. The Inca Empire: Land of the Four Quarters

• As Pizarro’s band finally marches into the empire (autumn 1532), Dominic and Tom paint a portrait unlike the Aztecs:
  • The Incas called themselves Runa (“the people”) and their land Tawantin Suyu (“the land of the four quarters”), not “Inca” or “Peru.”
  • A civilization built without writing, the wheel, or draught animals, relying instead on rope bridges, terraced agriculture, and the largest road system in the Americas (14,000 miles).

  “Some of the Spanish say there’s nothing like this in Europe.” – Tom, 56:27

8. The Inca Political and Social Order

• Highly centralized, militaristic, and communal—“more Stalin than Maoist China,” quips Dominic (59:10).
• Absence of private property, currency, or market; labor extracted via a rotational conscription system (mita).
• Nobles (“the big ears”) enjoyed palace privilege, but peasants labored under regimentation and risked being relocated.
• Religion: A patchwork of enforced Sun worship atop local cults; the Sapa Inca considered “son of the sun God Inti,” and the system strove for unity but fostered bitter local resentment and ethnic fault lines.

9. Civil War and the Seeds of Spanish Triumph

• The empire, wounded by smallpox (brought by the Europeans before their arrival) and a brutal succession struggle, is torn between Huáscar (Cusco-based) and Atahualpa (northern Quito).
  • Atahualpa’s victory comes at a cost: mass killings, terror, and burned bridges with southern elites, leaving the empire “irreparably torn.” (Mexican historian Fernando Cervantes, 71:22)

  “They’ve divided the ruling Inca elite…bitterly. The scars of war were too fresh, too painful and only too obvious.” – Dominic, 71:22

10. The Stage Set for Catastrophe

• The Spaniards, sensing division and opportunity, number only 168 yet are emboldened by reports of gold and civil war as they press south toward a decisive encounter with Atahualpa.
• Tom:

  “Showdowns. Lost cities. This really is a series that has it all.” (73:36)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Spanish Legalism:

  “They’re very legalistic. They’re always arguing about the sort of legal ramifications...and always traveling with notaries.” — Dominic, 10:10

• On Encounters with Native Technology:

  “Tweezers. The king will be thrilled to have some tweezers...Golden toe clippers.” — Tom & Dominic, 21:24

• On the Brutality of Conquest:

  “He will kill whoever he must to come out on top.” — Dominic, 12:50

• On the Road Network:

  “There’s nothing like this in Europe.” — Tom, 56:27

• On Inca Society:

  “Personal liberty was practically non-existent. Blind obedience and unquestioning self-abnegation had forever to be accorded.” — Quoting Hugh Thomas, 60:18

• On the Choice Facing Andean Peasants:

  “Would you rather be conquered by the Incas or the Spanish?” — Tom, 61:22

Timestamps for Key Segments

• 03:43: “We’re not talking about films…” – shift to historical narrative
• 06:25–13:39: Pizarro’s upbringing, personality, and early expeditions
• 17:23–23:01: The first rumors and evidence of a rich southern empire
• 24:57–25:37: Pizarro’s “line in the sand” at Isla de Gallo – the “Famous 13”
• 29:18–33:55: Pizarro’s journey to Spain, breaking of partnership with Almagro, return to Panama with new recruits
• 44:54–49:02: Introduction to the Incas – their name, land, and roots
• 53:05–57:44: Inca society, technology, state control, and road network
• 67:53–71:22: Inca civil war—Huáscar vs Atahualpa, ravages of smallpox
• 72:43–73:36: Spaniards assess their opportunity, move toward confrontation

Tone and Style

Tom and Dominic balance well-researched, cinematic storytelling with irreverent asides and running jokes about film casting, tweezers, and historical “what ifs.” They guide listeners through both the grand sweep and the gritty personal details, refusing moral simplification and inviting nuanced thought about the Conquest’s human cost and historic magnitude.

Conclusion & Next Steps

The episode ends as the Spanish, propelled by dogged ambition and abetted by Incan disunity, push deeper into the heart of Tawantin Suyu. The stage is set for audacious gambles, betrayals, shattered empires, and, indeed, the “fall of the Incas.” The coming episodes promise battles, lost cities, and more of the hosts’ signature blend of drama, humor, and analysis.

For those intrigued, the full series is available to members of The Rest Is History Club.