Colonial Peru

Before spain conquered Peru, it was last recorded that they were 12 million indians inhabiting the land. In 45 years the census recorded figures of only 1,100,000 Indians living there, that is nine tenths of the population, killed. The reasons or causes for these deaths are the outcome of high taxes “impoverishing” the Indians, cruel punishment, hard slave labor and european diseases.

Peru had many of their values taken away from them. Peru used to be inhabited by Inca cultures where they worshiped gods such as the Sun and the Moon, then with violence they were forced to change their beliefs “This entire set of beliefs was attacked with blood and iron, and replaced by an invisible foreign god”(Colonial Peru). Spain robbed Peru of all their wealth, everything from food to minerals, such as in a 50 year period they stole 185,000 kilo’s of gold, and 16 million kilo’s of silver.

From the beginning Peruvian natives fought against the europeans to prevent colonialism. In the 18th century there were 14 uprisings led by Juan Santos Atahualpa and Tupac Amaru against the europeans. These uprisings led the Spaniards to get rid of “all traditions and manifestations of Inca identity”. But today in Peru you call see that some traditions survived in Peru.