Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II

Nov. 4, 1780

Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II Watercolor portraying José Gabriel Condorcanqui, alias Túpac Amaru. It is the oldest known image so far of the indigenous rebel, unveiled in 2015.
The Rebellion of Túpac Amaru II was an uprising by kuraka-led Aymara, Quechua, and mestizo rebels aimed at overthrowing Spanish colonial rule in Peru, from 1780 to 1783. The causes of the rebellion included opposition to the Bourbon Reforms, an economic downturn in colonial Peru, and a grassroots revival of Inca cultural identity led by Túpac Amaru II, an indigenous kuraka and the leader of the rebellion. While Amaru II was captured and executed by the Spanish in 1781, the rebellion continued for at least another year under other rebel leaders. Among Túpac Amaru II's proclamations were the demands of the freedom of the indigenous population and the abolition of slavery.