He promised that his people can fill the room where he lived with gold artworks made by the best Incan goldsmiths. The adjoining room would also be filled with other treasures. The deal was that, he would be released immediately.
The Spaniards agreed. The Incans have responded to their leader and filled the room (an area 20 feet long by 17 feet wide by 9 meters high), the ransom was a total of 1326539 ounces of gold, which at today's value approximately $ 900 an ounce, and it would worth 1.2 billion dollars. But it was felt that 'because of the many works of art that were deposited in the chamber have higher commercial value" the value may reach almost four times higher, which means that the Incans offered a ransom of more than 4.6 billion dollars to free their leader. So much gold was delivered and many items were melted down into ingots of gold, which are then shipped to Spain; that the value of gold in Spain and other possessions in India in fact decreased.
But once the ransom was delivered, Pizarro, De Soto, and their men felt differently about the deal, they concerned that the release of Atahualpa may tip the balance of power to the Incas. Atahualpa was then brought to justice, accused of various crimes and sentenced to death by burning at the stake. He received an act of clemency: he can convert to Christianity and, therefore, could die by strangulation.
On Saturday evening, August 29, 1533, after the conversion to Christianity, which was believed that his soul would not be able to return to his Father, the Sun, Atahualpa was tied to a stake and a black hood is placed over his head. An executioner used a wooden rod to twist a rope around his neck until he was dead.
The Incans reacted with horror and the episode left a legacy of conflict between Spain and the descendants of the Incas. Many of the captured Incan leaders were killed in various ways. And ever afterward, Spain never gain full domination of central Americas that, they might have had, if they use a less destructive and avaricious approach to New World.
