170646915 Spanish Moro Wars

Presentation by:

Kevin John D. Laganao

SPANISH MORO WARS

• A war described as “querras piraticas” or a fight against Moro pirates

• Used piracy as a reason to give the military depredations of the colonizers a color of domestic affair – a fight against evil forces.

• It was a war against the free sultanates – a colonial war of aggression.

INTRODUCTION

• A war that made use of thousands of converted colonial subjects, misinformed indios, effective use of the Church and churchmen against people who refused to be their subjects.

PHASE ONE: BRUNEI CUT-OFF

• First phase of the war began around the coming of Legazpi in 1565 and ended with the invasion of Borneo in 1578 and 1581.

• March 1565 – Spaniards captured a trading vessel in Bohol.

• 1569 – Spanish trading successfully engaged 20 vessels owned by Borneans and Sulu – symbolized commercial rivalry.

PHASE ONE: BRUNEI CUT-OFF

• After the capture of Manila, the Spaniards were concerned about disgruntled Bornean aristocracy that they may seek aid in Brunei.12

• In 1578, Spaniards invaded Brunei and forced Sultan Seifur-Jiral to flee.

• The Spaniards returned in 1581, but was unsuccessful, but they succeeded in eliminating Bornean pretension in the country.

• Significant EVENT: the people of Brunei and Sulu were allies – their sultans were brothers-in-law.3

STRONGHOLDS

PHASE TWO

• The second phase started when the Spaniards tried to establish forts and colonies in Muslim lands, to exact tribute from the Muslim, and to wean them from their alliance to Ternate.

• Sulu Sultan paid a modest tribute, so did the chieftains in the Pulangi.

• A 1587 conspiracy of Tondo chieftains led by Magat Salamat failed.1

PHASE TWO: STRONGHOLDS

• 1591 – the Spanish government decided to colonize Mindano and incorporate it into its Philippine colony.2

• April 1596 – Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa, newly-designated governor of Mindanao, lanbded in Cotabato but failed to contact Maguindanao Sultan

• He was struck on the head with a Kampilan

• The second phase ended with a defeat of the Spanish invaders

• SIGNIFICANT EVENT:

• The Ternatan aid came not only on account for kinship relations between families of Mindanao and the Moluccas and religious ties...

... But the Ternatans realized that if Mindanao become a Spanish base, it will have operations against them.

• What was the Spanish Moro wars all about?

• How did the first phase of the wars started?

• What were the reasons of the Spaniards to invade Brunei?

QUIZ

• How did the second phase of the Wars start?

• What was the Spanish mission on invading Mindanao?

• Why did the Ternatans offer aid to the Muslims of Mindanao in their fight against the Spaniards?

COUNTER ATTACKS

PHASE THREE

• The third phase began in 1599-1600 when the Maguindanaoan launched and offensive against the Spanish forces in the Bisayas

• However, the Spaniards later succeeded in conquering Ternate.

• In 1635, the Spaniards established a strong fort in Zamboanga.

PHASE THREE: COUNTER ATTACKS

• Significant EVENTS:

• Sulu, Maguindanao, and Bauyan had Ternatan aids.

• The Dutch helped and encouraged the Muslims to create more difficulties for their Spanish rivals.

• 1599-1600 – rajahs of Maguindanao and bauyan launched raids on the Bisayas with 3000 warriors each.

• They launched another raid in 1602, this time with the help of Sulu, and reached as far as Southern Luzon.

• BUISAN, the Maguindanao rajah, attacked Bisayas towns.1

• He returned some captives and gold and exhorted the datus to sweep off the Spaniards

• 1606 – one of the biggest fleets by the Spaniards went to Ternate resulting to their victory and the Sultan captured.

• The rajahs of the Pulangi made peace with the Spaniards in the fear of attacks against them.

• In 1616, the presence of the Dutch in Philippine waters encouraged the Sulu to attack as far as Cavite and Camarines.2

• In 1627, the Sulu attacked the shipyard in Camarines led by Rajah Bongsu.3

• The Spaniards retaliated, resulting to complete burning of Jolo and destruction of Sultan’s fleet.

• In 1630, an expedition led by Lorenzo de Olazo failed, leaving him wounded and his men killed.

• Katchil Kudarat

• leader of the Iranun and Maguindanao

• became a chieftain around 1619 and kept the peace with the Spaniards

• Allied with the Dutch who helped him with ammunition and keep up with his commercial activities

RISE OF KATCHIL KUDARAT

• In 1634, he attacked the Visayas to weaken the Spaniards4

• 1635 – Spaniards built a fort in Zamboanga for protection of the mission in Mindanao, and an outpost where Muslim fleet movement could be watched.

• NOTES to consider:

• Muslim captured Spaniards for ransom purpose, as did the Spaniards when they captured Muslim leaders

• Muslims enslaved the natives from the Spaniards

• Significant EVENTS:

• The Muslims in the Philippines were helped by neighboring principalities.

• This alliance represented not only marriage ties between families, but a concerted effort against the intrusion of Western imperialism, colonialism and Christianity.

• Cite any event that happened during the Third Phase of the Spanish Moro Wars.

QUIZ

FORTRESS WAR

PHASE FOUR

• Began with the fortification of Zamboanga in 1635 and ended to its abandonment in 1663.1

• Governor Corcuera’s tasks:

• To capture Kudarat and put Spanish puppet in Maguindanao Sultanate

• To capture the main cotta of Sulu and establish colonies there.

• To invade Brunei once again and put it under Spanish sovereignty

PHASE FOUR: FORTRESS WAR

• Corcuera captured Lamitan in 1637 and invaded neighboring towns despite strong defenses.2

• The next year, 600 Spaniards and 1000 native allies seiged Sulu sultan’s cotta in Jolo – despite the superb defense, an epidemic forced the sultan to surrender.

• Spanish attempts to subject the Maranaos was shortlived and pacifying the Buayanons was difficult.

• Policy of the Spaniards:

• Destroying all Muslim orchards, plantations and seacrafts

• Depopulating Muslim and enslaving as many Muslims as possible

• But Kudarat’s gaining strength forced the Spaniards to make a treaty in 1645. The next year, they concluded a treaty pledging to abandon all forts in Sulu.

• 1655 – the peace was broken when the Spanish ambassador was assassinated in his insistence to convert the Sultan.

• Kudarat declared jihad and asked the aid of Sultan of Makassar, Sulu, Ternate and Brunei

• In 1663, Zamboanga was abandoned – an interlude of peace for the next 50 years.

PHASE FIVE

• The Spanish King issued various royal orders for the occupation and refortification of Zamboanga

• The fort was garrisoned in 1718 and made stronger than before. The fifth phase was to commence soon.

PHASE FIVE

• 1720-1721 – Sulu and Iranun attacked the fort but failed despite the use of hundreds of war vessels and thousands of warriors.

• Spaniards changed the program of evangelization – in exchange for commercial relations and treaties of alliance, the Sultanates shall accept the preaching of Christianity.

• Sultan Azim-ud-Din visited Manila for his baptism, imprisonment and return to Sulu.

• The Sultan went as far as to seek aid from China and Ottoman Empire to protect Jolo from Spanish forces.

• In this phase of the war,

• Hundreds of Muslims were carried into captivity

• Hundreds of Christian natives were captured and sold as slaves in Makassar and Java

• Muslim raids in the Visayas were fierce

• The Muslim remained unconquered and began to accelerate their commercial activities with the British.

PHASE SIX

• The British and the Dutch were extending in the islands of Southeast Asia – the Spaniards had to secure their southern frontier.

• The sixth phase of the wars commenced when the Spaniards utilized the existence of piracy to launch in 1845 the Balanging expedition.

• This led to depopulation of Samales Islands and transfer of survivors to Luzon for conversion.

PHASE SIX

• Another Spanish campaign in 1876 to capture Jolo was intended – this time used Sultan Jaml ul-Azam’s ignorance to previous treaties as an excuse.

• The war was a “just and holy one” against the “wicked sons of the Quran” by the Spanish clergy.1

• Upon abandonment of Jolo, the Sultan leased the Sabah territory to the British company.

• A treaty among Britain, Germany and Spain finally provided that Spanish sovereignty extended to Sulu.

• The last peace treaty between the Spaniards and the Sulu entered in 1878.

• The treaty provide a sort of Spanish protectorate for Sulu, while giving the Sulu a great deal of autonomy.

• However, datus and their followers kept on harrassing the Spaniards, making Jolo a town under seige.

• A few expeditions were sent by Spaniards to the Maranao areas and Buayan to consolidate their hold in their lands.

• Cotabato became a Spanish outpost and Spaniards were able to build forts along the Pulangi.

• Sultan Anwar ud-Din (Datu Utto) was the only opposing force against the Spaniards.

GAIN AS MANY POINTS AS YOU CAN!

• How did the fourth phase of the war start?

• What were the tasks of Governor Corcuera over the Moroland?

• There was an interlude of peace in 50 years. How did this happen?

QUIZ

• How did the fifth phase of the Wars start?

• Cite significant events that happened during the fifth phase of the Wars.

• How did the Sixth phase of the wars start?

• What were the reasons of the Spaniards to resume war over the Sulu?

THE END