Philippine E-Journals

Principales y Conquistadores: Why It Took the Filipinos Too Long to End Spanish Domination in the Philippines

Luis C. Dery

Discipline: History, Philippine History

 

Abstract:

Despite their numerical inferiority, Spaniards ruled the Philippines for almost 300 years. The popular view is that this long Spanish domination was due to Spanish military superiority and the invaluable role played by the friar-missionaries. This paper attempts to revise this traditional view and highlights the role played by native principal families who served and sustained the Spanish colonial system in the country.