Moro Wars

Name: Eunice V. Panizales    BS-IT

ID no.: 2014-1339

Moro Wars

        It was a war against the free sultanates – a colonial war of aggression. A war described as “querras piraticas” or a fight against Moro pirates. A war that made use of thousands of converted colonial subjects, misinformed indios, effective use of the Church and churchmen against people who refused to be their subjects.

The phase 1, of which sided upon the Spanish perspective of war against piracy, started around the coming of Legazpi in 1565. The Spaniards captured a trading vessel in Bohol unto when the Spaniards invaded Brunei and forced Sultan Seifur-Jiral to flee. The Sultan of Brunei encouraged and supported the preaching of Islam. The Spaniards believed that with Brunei out of the picture, Sulu, Maguindanao and Bauyan would accept Spanish missionaries and sovereignty.

In the second phase, the Moro’s war against self-determination prevailed outweigh the Spaniards. When Esteban Rodriguez de Figueroa landed in Cotabato and failed to contact Maguindanao Sultan, he was struck on the head with a Kampilan. The second phase ended with a defeat of the Spanish invaders.

The Moro’s war against self-determination continued at phase three when they allied with the Protestants, whose by then, were after economic dominance. The Dutch helped and encouraged the Muslims to create more difficulties for their Spanish rivals. Katchil Kudarat became a chieftain around 1619, he kept the peace with the Spaniards and he allied with the Dutch.

The Spaniards represented determination to conquer Sulu and Sultanatas in Mindanao in phase 4. Governor Corcuera’s main task was to capture Kudarat and put Spanish puppet in Maguindanao Sultanate. He was given a hero’s welcome and his battles were enacted in plays. Thus, the Spanish war against piracy prevailed in this phase.

Hundreds of Muslims were carried into captivity in the fifth phase of the war. But in the end, the Muslims remained unconquered and they began to accelerate their commercial activities with the British. Meaning, both the Moro and the Protestant got the upper hand on this phase.