ABSTRACT
This chapter examines one, albeit a major one, of the many revolts that plagued Peruvian officials during the eighteenth century. It also examines the social structure of the rebel army recruited and deployed by Tupac Amaru in the bishopric of Cuzco as a way of better understanding the objectives, ideology, and dynamics of his rebellion. Because armed attack constituted only one form of native resistance, it is important to understand why this form of response to oppression was employed in 1780. An examination of the social composition of the rebel army, both officers and cadre, can help to explain the type of rebellion that took place. If the army were in reality a mass of Indian peasants of similar social derivation, occupational status, and place of origin, that fact would provide an important key to Tupac’s goals and objectives.
