Answer:
B. A long civil war had weakened the Incan Empire.
Step-by-step explanation:
The Spanish, led by Francisco Pizarro, took advantage of the civil war waged between Atahualpa and Huáscar to carry out the conquest of the Incas.
The Incas formed a large indigenous empire that concentrated mainly in the region of present-day Peru. These people were conquered by the Spanish from 1532, when an expedition headed by Francisco Pizarro took advantage of a civil war in the Inca Empire to dominate the region.
The Incas were an indigenous people who owned a large empire that stretched from southern Colombia to northern Argentina and Chile. This empire was built from battles and the conquest of other smaller indigenous peoples, such as the Aymara. The Incas called their empire Tahuantinsuyu, which means "the empire of the four directions."
At the time of the arrival of the Spanish, the Inca Empire was in a state of civil war, caused by the power dispute between Huáscar and Atahualpa. Both were sons of the last Inca emperor Huayna Capac. After Huayna Capac's death, the two brothers fought each other to occupy the throne of the empire.
Pizarro encouraged rebellions from a class of servants, the yanaconas. Pizarro's goal was to increasingly weaken the Inca domain. In addition, Pizarro allied with an indigenous Inca enemy people called wanka. This alliance with the wankas was very important in securing control over the Incas.
Shortly after imprisoning Atahualpa, Pizarro decided to execute the Inca emperor. He then ordered the staging of a trial that sentenced Atahualpa to hang. Atahualpa's death resulted in the total collapse of the Inca Empire. After that, the Spanish conquered the Inca capital, Cuzco, and the important city of Quito. Spanish allies were put in power to prevent rebellions from happening. Still, for about four decades, Spanish control over the region suffered from different rebellions.