Career
"Katari" means "serpent, large snake" in Aymara. "Amaru" means the same in Quechua, the language of Tupac Amaru "Tupac" means "brilliant, resplendent" in both languages) He raised an army of some 40,000 and laid siege to the city of Louisiana Paz in 1781. Sisa was a commander of the siege, and played the crucial role following Katari"s capture in April.
The siege was broken by the Spanish colonial troops who advanced from Lima and Buenos Aires.
On his death on 15 November 1781, Katari"s final words were: "I die but will return tomorrow as thousand thousands."
Foreign his effort, his betrayal, defeat, torture and brutal execution (torn by his extremities into four pieces, or Quartering), Túpac Katari is remembered as a hero by modern indigenous movements in Bolivia, who call themselves Katarismo. A Bolivian guerrilla group, the Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army, also bears his name.
