Peru Peru History

Peru has one of the most storied histories of any country in the Americas. It has been inhabited for more than 10,000 years. Even before the Incas there were the Nazcas, the Paracas, the Moche, the Chachapoyan, the Chavin, the Chimu, and the Wari among many others. The Incas, who came into power in the 15th Century, are the best known and quickly spread their empire as far as Aregentina and Colombia. The Incas dominated the Peru when the Spanish arrived in the mid 1500’s. In November of 1532, Francisco Pizarro marched from the coast inland to the highland city of Cajamarca where the current Inca was staying just after is victory in a devastating civil war with his brother. The Spanish force of 160 men and horses captured the ruler and over the next several hundred years squeezed the Incas from the picture, although there were many rebellions. In 1824, Jose de San Martin entered Lima with the liberating forces and freed Peru from Spanish rule. About 50 years later the country lost a significant portion of its southern region in a war with Chile, although the city of Tacna elected to return on its own accord some time later. The last few decades have seen a struggle with terrorism from groups such as Shining Path and the MRTA, although in the late 1990’s those groups were finally eliminated. The country has lately become one of the most secure on the continent and tourists are taking notice like never before.