The Philippines was inhabited by a diverse group of people who immigrated from the Asian mainland.
Pre-Spanish History
In the 15th century Filipinos had no central governing system. The people were mostly occupied with cultivation, hunting and fishing. They lived in kinship groups known as barangays. A barangay was lead by a chieftan called a datu and each group was normally made up of a few hundred people. Within this system there was three different classes: the chieftan and his family and nobility, freeholders and dependents.
Various local religions were followed by early Filipinos and included a mixture of monotheism and polytheism. To gain the favour of spirits Filipinos performed many rituals. There was a lot of variation in beliefs between islands. In the 15th century Islam was introduced to the Philippines. The religious beliefs and practices of the people began to change as well as the political and social structure. Two territories ruled by Muslim leaders (sultanates) were established by the mid 16th century and greatly influenced a number of barangays. It was during this rapid spread of Islam that the Spanish arrived.
The spanish period
The Spanish at first viewed the Philippines as a path to the riches of the East Indies of the Spice Islands. Even after the Portuguese and Dutch beat them there, the Spanish remained in the Philippines.
The first permanent Spanish settlement was established in Cebu, Philippines in 1565 by Miguel López de Legazpi. In 1571 the Spanish city of Manila was founded and by the late 16th century most of the coastal and lowland regions from Luzon to Mindanao were under Spanish control. Many people under the Spanish influence were converted to Roman Catholicism.
The first permanent Spanish settlement was established in Cebu, Philippines in 1565 by Miguel López de Legazpi. In 1571 the Spanish city of Manila was founded and by the late 16th century most of the coastal and lowland regions from Luzon to Mindanao were under Spanish control. Many people under the Spanish influence were converted to Roman Catholicism.
Until the 19th century the central government in Manila operated as a medieval cast. The governor general, appointed by the king of Spain, had lots of power. He was in control of the court, the military and the church. Manila not only became the political capital but also the trade capital of the Philippines. The trade of Mexican silver and Chinese silk attracted many Spanish as well as a large amount of Chinese.
The Spanish rule brought unity to the separated states of the Philippine Archipelago. Trade introduced foods like corn, tomatoes, potatoes, chilli and pineapple. Roman Catholic missionaries converted most of the lowland inhabitants and founded schools, a university and hospitals. The Spanish had possession of the islands for the 350 years.
The Spanish rule brought unity to the separated states of the Philippine Archipelago. Trade introduced foods like corn, tomatoes, potatoes, chilli and pineapple. Roman Catholic missionaries converted most of the lowland inhabitants and founded schools, a university and hospitals. The Spanish had possession of the islands for the 350 years.