The last emperor of the Inca Empire was Atahualpa. He ruled during the Spanish conquest of Peru, which began in the early 1530s. Atahualpa was eventually captured by the Spanish conquistador Francisco Pizarro in 1532 and was later executed. His reign marked the end of a vast civilization that had developed advanced agricultural, architectural, and political systems. Atahualpa's downfall symbolizes the tragic consequences of European colonization on indigenous cultures in the Americas.