Francisco Chilche

[1] According to Mestizo chronicler Inca Garcilaso de la Vega, who treated him personally, Chilche became a page for Huayna Capac thanks to his rank as a prince of the Cañari.

[2] His role in Pizarro's entourage was instrumental to gain the loyalty of the majority of the Cañari resident in Cusco, who except by Chilche's aides had declined to pick a side in order to wait to see which would take the advantage during the conquest.

Francisco Pizarro and his mestizo son Gonzalo retained the titular ownership of the valley, but they passed its management to Chilche, making him de facto one of the most powerful men in the Inca Empire under Spanish rule.

Chilche was at the peak of a practically feudal network of influence, attracting many native noblemen as clients and receiving women from their families as concubines in order to secure their deals.

[2] In 1558, Sayri Túpac was installed as new kuraka of Yucay as a consequence of political changes in the Spanish crown, but he died suddenly, after which Chilche was accused of poisoning him to recover his domains.

He spent one year in prison between trials, but was freed as no evidence of the crime was found, although Garcilaso and Felipe Guaman Poma de Ayala believed he was guilty.