My read of it is that Cajamarca wasn't about force ratio but coup d'etat effects. Shortly before sunset Atahualpa left the armed warriors who had accompanied h

My read of it is that Cajamarca wasn't about force ratio but coup d'etat effects. Shortly before sunset Atahualpa left the armed warriors who had accompanied him on an open meadow about half a mile outside Cajamarca. His immediate party still numbered over seven thousand but were unarmed except for small battle axes intended for show. However, the shock of the Spanish attack —coupled with the spiritual significance of losing the Sapa Inca and most of his commanders in one blow—apparently shattered the army's morale, throwing its ranks into terror and initiating a massive rout.