Skip to main content

Primary sourceDocument26 July 1529

Capitulation of Toledo

Crown of Castile · 26 July 1529

A 1529 royal decree naming Francisco Pizarro governor and captain-general of New Castile, authorizing his conquest of Peru.

This decree legally created Pizarro's authority as governor and leader of the conquest of Peru.

Ask Francisco Pizarro about this sourceView the original(opens in new tab)
Map titled Capitulaciones de 1529 showing South America divided into colored zones: Tierra Firme at top, Capitulación de Francisco Pizarro in yellow across the middle, Capitulación de Simón de Alcazaba in purple below, and the Tratado de Tordesillas line on the east. Cities labeled include Caracas, Quito, Lima, Cuzco, Asunción, Buenos Aires and Santiago.
Map of the Capitulaciones de 1529, showing the territory granted to Francisco Pizarro and Simón de Alcazaba.

About this source

What it is

This is a royal licence issued in 1529 in Toledo by the Crown of Castile, signed by Queen Isabel of Portugal acting for Charles V. It granted Francisco Pizarro the right to explore, conquer and settle a long stretch of South America's Pacific coast, later called New Castile.

Why it matters

The decree made Pizarro governor, captain-general and adelantado, while giving his partners Diego de Almagro and Hernando de Luque lesser posts. This unequal division of power and reward sowed the seeds of the bitter rivalry between Pizarro and Almagro that later tore the conquerors apart. It shows how the Spanish Crown formally authorized conquest and rewarded loyal captains with titles and salaries.

Look closer

  • Why might the Crown have given Pizarro so much more than his partners?
  • What does this document reveal about how Spain organized its conquests legally?
  • What is left out of this agreement about the people already living in the lands it describes?

This document is part of the curated material that grounds the AI version of Francisco Pizarro and Atahualpa on Humy.ai — when students ask about related events, the AI can quote it and cite it.

More Francisco Pizarro sources

Meet the AI Francisco Pizarro →
Black-and-white etching of an interior with a tall barred window. A kneeling figure with raised arm faces a standing man in a military coat who points a pistol. Soldiers with muskets stand at right, and a figure in a plumed headdress stands at left.Painting

Secondary source

L'Ynca du Pérou aux pieds de Pizarre

A.C.F. Villerey after N. Vallain

Black and white engraving of a 16th-century confrontation. A feathered, robed figure stands centre, flanked by women and attendants. A friar in a dark hooded robe holds an open book and speaks to him. Armoured Spanish soldiers stand at right, one holding a helmet-topped staff, and a kneeling man in dark clothing is in the foreground. Keys lie on the ground.Painting

Secondary source

Valverde urging Atahualpa to convert

Henry Perronet Briggs (painting); engraved by W. Greatbach · 1830

Scan of a dark brown, mottled book cover with a white library label at the top reading 'UC-NRLF' above a barcode and the call number '$B 284 962'. No title text is visible on the cover.Book

Primary source

Verdadera relación de la conquista del Perú

Francisco de Jerez · 1534 (this edition 1891)

Black-and-white ink line drawing with a bold Spanish caption across the top reading Conquista and Atahualpa, Ciudad de Caxamarca. A robed friar with a cross faces a kneeling Inca man, while a crowd of Spanish soldiers with spears and Andean figures fills the scene.Painting

Secondary source

Atawallpa Pizarro tinkuy

Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala · 1532 (depicted); drawing later

A bound manuscript volume lies open in a glass case on a white pedestal, showing two pages with handwritten Spanish text and a pen-and-ink drawing of figures with a Spanish-style scene at left. A numbered tag reading 35 sits beside it. Colorful graphic wall art surrounds the case.Book

Primary source

El primer nueva corónica y buen gobierno

Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala · c. 1615

Ready when you are

Start chatting with Francisco Pizarro now.

20 messages free · No credit card · Available in 50+ languages.

Trial Humy for freeGet a quote for institutions