The empire grew too large to be administered by the emperor alone, who still retained ultimate authority. Information had to be relayed to him by messengers on foot. Because of the inefficiency of this means of communication where transportation was too slow, the [G 11 / Inca] Empire began to lose its grip, seemingly swamped by its own size.
Huayna Capac began his reign traveling around the empire (a journey which took some years) on an inspection tour, appointing more efficient administrators. He then undertook [I 013 / military campaigns] to hold and expand the empire. Huayna Capac wanted to outdo the achievements of his predecessors. He first subdued the rebellious Chachapoya tribe and then expanded the empire into the tropical forests of today's north eastern Peru.
Huayna Capac spent a large part of his reign in the northern part of the empire. He first went north to pacify the rebellious Quito in Ecuador, taking a great army and two of his illegitimate sons - one of his sons, Atahuallpa, proved to be an excellent leader who easily commanded the respect of the army. The Pasto and then the Cayambi tribes in north eastern Ecuador were next to fall. The northern limit of the empire was established at Ancasmayo River in Pasto territory - still the boundary between Ecuador and Colombia today - and the highlands of today's Ecuador were pacified and reorganized.
In the campaign against the Cayambi, Huayna Capac was almost killed. Nevertheless, a clever ploy was used to defeat them. First, while making a frontal attack, he ordered a large part of the army to make a detour. He then pretended to flee, drawing out the Cayambi from their garrison. The main body of Huayna Capac's men then approached them from their rear and cut off their retreat. The Cayambi, caught out in the open and unable to take cover, were decimated.
Now at its maximum size, the Inca Empire had some 380,000 square miles of territory under its control (equal to the Atlantic Coast states of the USA or an area incorporating modern France, Belgium, Holland, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Italy). From north to south, the empire stretched 2,500 miles.
