The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 38, 1674-1683: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
History
The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume 38, 1674-1683: Explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century
Demarcation line of Alexander VI; Missions -- Philippines; Philippines -- Discovery and exploration; Philippines -- History -- Sources
Much light is thrown upon the relations of the Spaniards with the
Filipinos, and upon the native character, by the accounts (some of
them almost contemporary) here presented of insurrections by Filipinos
in the seventeenth century. These occur in northern Luzón (1621,
1625, 1629, 1639), Bohol and Leyte (1622), Mindanao (1629, 1650),
Pampanga (1645, 1660) and Pangasinán (1661) in Luzón, the Visayan
Islands (1649-50), Otón in Panay (1663, 1672), and among the Zambals
(1661, 1681, 1683). Accounts of these are here translated from early
chronicles, their writers representing the various religious orders;
and are arranged chronologically. These revolts are caused partly by
Spanish oppression, but even more by the influence of certain chiefs
who desire to restore the old worship of idols, and who appeal to the
superstitious, credulous, and fickle natures of their followers. They
are, in each case, sooner or later quelled by the Spaniards, thanks to
their bravery and their possession of firearms; and severe punishments
are inflicted on the ringleaders, thus restraining further attempts
to throw off the Spanish yoke. The rebellion of 1649-50 is so general
that the Spaniards are obliged to call in the aid of the Lutaos of
southern Mindanao, themselves enemies and pirates not many years
before; but they willingly go to attack their ancient enemies the
Visayans. In several of these insurrections, great dangers are averted
by the influence that the missionaries have acquired over the natives,
and they sometimes are able even to prevent rebellions; they often
risk their lives in thus going among the insurgents, Nevertheless,
the first fury of the insurgents is directed against the churches,
and sometimes against the missionaries as well as the other Spaniards;
they kill some friars, burn the convents and churches, and profane the
images. Diaz ascribes this to the shrewd scheming of the ringleaders to
involve the crowd in general guilt, and thus secure the adherence and
more desperate resistance of their followers. One of the insurrections
is led by a scheming priest of idols who persuades the natives that
he is God; and certain of his associates personate Christ, the Holy
Spirit, and the Virgin Mary--only to receive heavier punishment when
their rebellion is overthrown. The policy of the Spaniards toward
the natives is plainly shown in these accounts, and often reminds the
reader of that pursued by the French with the North American tribes,
and by the English with the natives of India.
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