Spanish Conquest and the Friarocracy

Most early Filipinos practiced forms of animism, often influenced by Hindu-Buddhist mythology. Some converted to Islam when it arrived in the 14th and 15th centuries in the southern islands, where several Muslim sultanates were established. The Spanish arrived in the 16th century and overtook the islands with minimal violence. The conversion of locals to Christianity was a major Spanish goal, and a variety of religious orders were enlisted in this task and in the administration of the colony itself. Missionaries built schools, churches, and hospitals. Many Filipinos converted, but significant Muslim populations remained, particularly in the south. Thriving trade also brought many Chinese immigrants during the early 18th century. The British took control of Manila briefly during the Seven Years’ War (1754-63). While the islands were later returned to Spain, the colonial order was weakened. Throughout the centuries of Spanish rule, members of the Franciscan, Augustinian, Dominican, and, to a lesser extent, Jesuit religious orders served important colonial functions in a system some have dubbed a “friarocracy.” The Spanish friars resisted their gradual replacement by indigenous priests, barring many Filipinos from the priesthood altogether. Liberal reforms under Governor-General Carlos María de la Torre (1869-71) were swiftly overturned by conservative forces but exposed more Filipinos to contemporary political attitudes. A revolution in 1896 led to the creation of the First Philippine Republic, the Constitution of which guaranteed religious freedom and the separation of Church and State.