1. Civil war and internal strife: The Inca Empire was weakened by internal power struggles and civil wars, particularly after the death of the ruler Huayna Capac. This weakened the empire and divided political and military resources.
2. Succession crisis: After the death of Huayna Capac, there was a struggle for the throne between his two sons, Huascar and Atahualpa, which led to a civil war known as the War of the Two Brothers. This conflict further weakened the empire and left it vulnerable to external threats.
3. Diseases: The Inca Empire was also weakened by the introduction of foreign diseases brought by the Spanish conquistadors, such as smallpox and measles, which decimated the Inca population and reduced their ability to resist the Spanish invasion.
4. Disruption of trade networks: The arrival of the Spanish disrupted the Inca Empire's trade networks and economy, further weakening their ability to resist the invasion.
5. Lack of centralized leadership: The Inca Empire's decentralized governance system, with regional governors reporting directly to the emperor, made it difficult to coordinate a unified response to external threats, such as the Spanish invasion.
What had weakened the inca empire before the spanish conquered it
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