Morga's Sucesos De Las Islas Flashcards
He wrote the Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas
Antonio de Morga Sanchez Garay
When and where was Morga born?
1559, Sevilla Spain
How old did he graduate from the University of Salamanca?
15 years old
Morga obainted a doctorate in _____ in 1578.
Canon Law
After teaching briefly as Osuna, he returned to Salamanca to study ______
Civil Law
After joining government service as a lawyer, he was appointed to this second-highest colony rank in Manila on 1595.
Liutenant Governor
In 1598, he dropped his former position to take over as _____
Odor/Judge in the Audiencia
In December 14, 1600, he was assigned to lead a Spanish fleet against the __________, where the Spaniards were defeated.
Dutch Invasion
When did Morga publish the Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas?
1609
What happened to Morga in his later years?
He was investigated and arrested for corruption in 1625. He died at the age of 77.
- The first Philippine history book written by a layman.
- It is a historical account describing the scenarios in the Philippines from 1493-1603 under the Spaniards.
- It provided accounts on the Philippine islands, indigenous nature and customs, and political, socioeconomic aspects.
Sucesos De Las Islas Filipinas
Where did Morga base his work off?
- Morga’s firsthand experiences / eyewitness accountts
- Consultations, especially with survivors from Legazpi’s expedition
- Historical research and writing
He authored the publicization of Morga’s work in 1609
Viceroy Luis de Velasco
What was Morga’s purpose for writing Sucesos?
To chronicle the Spaniards’s discovery, conquest, and converision of the Filipino people
Where did Rizal first discover the Sucesos?
In a British Museum reading room
What did Rizal do with Morga’s Sucesos de Las Islas Filipinas?
He hand-copied all 351 pages and annotated every chapter of it.
The Oriental Islands: Philippines
The Philippines was regarded as Oriental Islands by Morga, wherein these ‘islands’ are described to be vast and noteworthy. Some of the known Islands were Luzon, Mindoro, Tendaya, Capul, Leyte, Samar, Cebu, Mindanao, etc. As described by Morga, the Oriental Islands may be located from west to east when sailing from India of Portugal.
The Island Tendaya, as annotated by Rizal, is difficult to determine since the island might relate to either the chief Tandaya or rather the southeastern region of Samar known as Ibabao or Zibabao.
Topography and Seasons of the Oriental Islands
According to Morga, the temperature on these islands varies depending on the location and province. Heavy rains, whirlwinds, and storms can be expected from June through September. The sky is bright and the sea is calm from October to the end of May. However, winter and severe rains arrive sooner in certain areas than in others.
On the other hand, Rizal criticized Morga in his annotation for thinking rainy seasons to be winter and the rest of the year to be summer. He also stated that the temperature in Manila drops more in the months of December, January, and February than in the months of August and September.
The Oriental People
Luzon - locals of the islands who are middle-sized and have a complexion comparable to the quince fruit. Both men and women have attractive characteristics, such as dark hair and a sparse beard, and are intelligent, determined, sharp, and quick-tempered.
Cagayan - natives have the same color as the others, but they are more physically capable, courageous, and warlike. They have lengthy hair that reaches all the way down to their shoulder.
Before the arrival of the Spaniards, the people of Luzon wore cangan fabric without a collar, bahaque with their waist, and potong above the forehead.
Rizal corrected Morga in his annotation, stating that men and women walk out without outerwear and barefooted. He added that locals everywhere are cautious and concealing their bodies with tremendous modesty and shyness.
Abundances of Natural Resources
Natural resources were plentiful during the pre-conquest period. A wide range of fruit-bearing plants and fish species may be found. In the provinces, livestock such as cows, pigs, and chickens are plentiful. There was such an abundance of livestock, according to Rizal, that Fr. Gaspar de San Agustin speaks of Dumangas. This monastery has a large cattle pasture with around 30,000 cows. This farm also boasts a large number of excellent horses.
Variation of Languages and Dialects among the Oriental People
The language spoken in Luzon and its neighboring islands differs significantly from that spoken in the Visayas, according to Morga. Cagayan, like the Ilocanos, Zambalenos, Pampanga, Manila, and other regions, has its distinct dialect. Writing is highly established throughout the islands, and writing was done on bamboo or paper. The horizontal orientation was adopted once the Spaniards arrived, according to Rizal.
Customs and Other Practices of the Oriental People
The custom of marriage is prominent in Morga’s observations. Marriages between the principals and their fellow principals or nobles are common among the natives. The practice of dowry was also prevalent at the time. “This custom continued the union between the parents and the children, a wiser practice that which is followed in many parts of Europe where cases are found of children neglecting their parents once they have taken possession of their patrimony, or of parents who refuse to consent to the marriage of their children in order to avoid parting with their property,” Rizal said
Bigay-kaya (dowry) means to give what one can, a voluntary offering, a gift of good-will. This confirms further that in the case of marriage there was no sale, unlike in the already known alms for scapulars, rosaries, belt, etc.
He is an Austrian educator, Leitmeritz secondary school administrator, lecturer, and author of essays and books about the Philippines and its ethnography. He is well known in the Philippines for his close connection with writer and propagandist José Rizal, and the countless letters between the two serve as an important reference for Rizal historians and researchers, notably his final letter from prison before his execution.
Ferdinand Blumentritt
Rizal thanked Blumentritt for writing the introduction to his edition of the book. He praised it but Rizal strongly reacted upon Blumentritt’s mention of _____. He then declared that he does not want to soil the pages of the book with his name as this could give a wrong impression.
Quioquiap - Pablo Feced’s pseudonym, who wrote anti-Indio articles
Blumentritt’s preface included:
- The Spaniards have to correct their conception of Filipinos as “children of limited intelligence”
- That there are 3 kinds of Spanish delusion about the Philippines:
- Filipinos as an inferior race
- Filipinos were not ready for parliamentary representation and other reforms
- Denial of equal rights can be compensated by strict dispensation of justice
Importance of Rizal’s Annotations to the present generation:
- To awaken the consciousness of Filipinos to the Philippine History.
- To prove that Filipinos already had their own culture prior to colonization and that Filipinos were NOT inferior to other races, especially to white men.
- To shatter the myth of the so-called “Indolence of the Filipinos”
- To reduce the future generation’s denial of their native tongue especially in these kinds of times.
- To study Tagalog and comprehensively understand its roots.
- To embrace the “Indio” with all its negative connotation, turning it into someone with dignity and nobility.
Where and when was Rizal’s annotations published?
Paris, January 1890
