Spanish East Indies Las Islas Filipinas | |
---|---|
1565–1898 | |
Flag of Islas Filipinas
Flag | |
Capital | Cebu City April 27, 1565-1571 January 1 ? January 1, 1571-1595 Manila 1596-1762 September 24 ? September 24 , 1762-1764 Manila 1764 |
Common languages | Spanish (official), Austronesian languages, Spanish creoles |
Government | Captaincy General under New Spain (1565-1821) Direct rule under the Spanish monarchy (1821-1898) |
King of Spain | |
• 1565-1898 | List of Spanish monarchs |
Spanish Royal Governor | |
• 1565-1898 | List of Spanish Royal governors |
Historical era | Spanish colonization |
• Establishment | April 27 1565 |
• Disestablishment1 | December 10 1898 |
Currency | Peso |
Las Islas Filipinas or the Spanish East Indies was a term to describe Spanish possessions in the East Indies. Primarily, it is used to describe the Philippines and the latter's dependencies, Guam and the other islands of the Marianas, Palau and Micronesia. Following the Spanish-American War in 1898, most of the islands, primarily the Philippines and Guam, were occupied by the United States while the rest were sold to Germany. However, the kings of Spain (including the current monarch) still continued to use the title 'King of the Spanish East Indies' as part of their full style.
Terminology
The Spanish gave several places in the Spanish East Indies names which are never used. Examples of such are Gran Moluccas (Great Molluccas) for Mindanao island, Nueva Filipinas (New Philippines) for the Caroline Islands and Nueva Castilla (New Castile) for Luzon island.
History
Before the Spaniards arrived, the area was divided between Austronesian tribal groups.
Spanish contact began on March 6, 1521, when Ferdinand Magellan reached the Marianas Islands. He initially named Guam the "Island of Sails" because his crew saw a lot of sailboats there. However, it was renamed to "Ladrones Island" because a lot of small boatsof the ship Trinidad were stolen there.
Magellan's crew eventually left the island and reached the island of Homonhon in the Philippines on March 16, with only 150 crewmen. There, they met the native peoples and were able to communicate with the because the Malay interpreter, Henry the Black, could understand the natives' language...
Government
The Spanish East Indies were governed from Mexico City in the Viceroyalty of New Spain (now called Mexico). During the 1800s, when Mexico became independent of Spain, the Philippines was declared a province of Spain, (Filipinas), which technically included the Philippine Archipelago, Northern Marianas Islands, Guam, Palau and the Caroline Islands. The province was governed from Manila, the citadel of the Spanish governor-general, while the religious orders were governed from Cebu.
Captaincy General (1565-1821)
The Captaincy General of the Philippines was an administrative district in Spanish colonial times. The Captaincy General encompassed the modern country of the Philippines and associated Spanish Pacific possessions. It was founded in 1565 with the first permanent Spanish settlements, and for centuries was ruled under the Viceroyalty of New Spain (Mexico). However, in 1821, Mexico gained its independence, and the Spanish crown took direct control and the ares was accorded with provincial status.
Following the Spanish-American War, several parts of the Spanish East Indies were ceded to other countries. One example of such is the cession of the Caroline Islands to Germany.
Cultural Influence
Spain
Spain's influence on her former colonies in Asia and Oceania are undebatable, and to this day, the majority of the people of the Philippines, Guam, Marianas Islands and Palau have remained Roman Catholics. Also, a minority, particularly in the Philippines, Guam and the Marianas Islands, have Mestizo ancestry.
Philippines
During the Spanish Colonial Era, political prisoners (primarily Filipino revolutionaries) who were convicted of treason were deported to both Guam and the Marianas Islands. In doing this, the Spanish significantly influenced both the bloodline and the culture of the inhabitants of these places. In Guam and the Marianas Islands, the Philippine influence has been strong. The native people of Guam, the Chamorro, are of mixed Micronesian, Spanish, and Filipino blood, while due to the influx of immigrants from the Philippines, three in ten Guamanians have a direct Filipino ancestor. Chamorro's nearest language relatives are found in the Philippines, and many Filipinos and Chamorros have word cognates.
In Palau, 16% of the population is composed of ethnic Filipinos, who are primarily descendants of exiled political prisoners. Also, Filipinos now constitute the majority in the Northern Mariana Islands, the second most numerous in both Guam and Palau, and a minority in the Caroline Islands.