Huayna Capac died in 1527. He is said to have felt that the empire was too large to be governed only from Cusco. Succession
to the Incaship was immediately disputed between Huascar, residing in Cusco, and Atahualpa, the favorite of Huayna Capac's
500 sons, living in Ecuador. A five- year-long civil war which devastated the empire ensued between the two half-brothers.
Atahualpa's final victory occurred only two weeks before the second arrival of Pizarro. The victorious chief was resting at the
provincial capital of Cajamarca in what is today northwestern Peru, surrounded by 40,000 veterans and planning to march to
Cusco, there to be formally acknowledged Inca.