The Spanish in Cajamarca demanded Atahuallpa's death fearing that if he lived he would incite rebellion. Reluctantly Pizarro agreed and Atahuallpa was charged with incest, idolatry, adultery, polygamy, embezzlement and the murder of Huascar. He was condemned to be burned alive. The sentence was changed to strangulation when Atahullpa accepted Christianity. On July 29, 1533 he was garroted.
The authorities in Panama and the Spanish king condemned the execution, preferring exile instead. Once the [G 11 / Inca] emperor was dead, the Spanish had a far better chance of capturing the rest of the empire. For over 100 years the Inca Empire had been essentially ruled by one man. When he was killed, the pyramidal power structure he headed no longer functioned.
