Quizquiz (died 1535) was a leading general of the Inca Empire under the rule of Atahualpa. Along with Chalcuchimac and Rumiñawi, he is remembered as one of Atahualpa's most important military leaders during the Inca Civil War and the initial phase of the Spanish conquest. His name, derived from the Quechua language, can mean "leader" or "little bird". Some historians suggest it translates to "barber," possibly due to his role in shaving the Inca emperor Huayna Capac.
Quizquiz gained prominence through his military skills, first demonstrated in the northern campaigns of Huayna Capac. After Huayna Capac's death, he supported Atahualpa and commanded the Quito armies against Huáscar's forces from Cuzco. He led Atahualpa's armies to victory in several key battles, including Mullihambato, Chimborazo, and Quipaipan, capturing Huáscar in the process and seizing the capital, Cuzco. Despite initial successes against the Spanish, Quizquiz was eventually defeated in battles such as Vilcaconga, Cuzco, and Maraycalla. After his master's capture, Quizquiz tried to maintain a centralized point of reference in the person of an Inca chief. Quizquiz fled into the Andean mountains where his troops, weary of war and desiring to return to their families for planting season, eventually killed him in 1535.
