The term was coined in 1944 by Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin. It was codified into international law by the United Nations in the 1948 Genocide Convention.  According to Article II of the Convention, genocide means any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy the targeted group: Killing members of the group.Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group. Deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about the physical destruction of the group (e.g., withholding resources or medical services). Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group. Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.

The "Inca genocide" refers to the devastating collapse of the Inca Empire following the 1532 Spanish invasion led by Francisco Pizarro. This destruction was driven by military slaughter—such as the massacre of thousands of unarmed attendants at Cajamarca—brutal forced labor, and European diseases like smallpox. Key Mechanisms of the Devastation Biological Warfare: Lacking immunity to Old World pathogens, the Inca population was decimated by waves of smallpox and influenza, which spread rapidly even before the Spanish arrived in full force.Massacres & Military Conquest: Conquistadors utilized steel, horses, and gunpowder to ambush Incan leadership, famously capturing and executing Emperor Atahualpa. Exploitation & Forced Labor: The mita system forced indigenous Anden populations into brutal, deadly labor in silver mines like Potosí, significantly accelerating the population collapse. Cultural Erasure: Systematic efforts were made to eradicate local traditions, burn indigenous texts, and eliminate scholars like the khipukamayuq (specialists who recorded history using knotted cords). The Toll: By 1620, it is estimated that the indigenous Andean population had declined by up to 90% due to a combination of introduced diseases, warfare, and severe colonial exploitation. While historians debate the term "genocide" because much of the mortality was unintentional (due to disease) and driven by the desire to subjugate a workforce rather than completely extinguish the people, the net effect was the utter destruction of Incan civilization.