Gómez Pérez das Mariñas
Encyclopedia
Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas y Ribadeneira (b. Viveiro
, d. October 25, 1593, Caca, the Philippines
) was a Spanish politician, diplomat, military officer and colonial official. He was the seventh governor-general of the Philippines from May or June 1, 1590 to October 25, 1593. The city of Dasmariñas, located 24 km south of Manila, was named after him. Dasmariñas is a member of the Order of Santiago
.
on January 30, 1579. There he built the meat market and various fountains and streets. His work there was viewed favorably, and he was promoted to corregidor of Murcia
, Lorca
and Cartagena, Spain
on September 27, 1584. He held these positions until January 1, 1587. In 1589 he was named governor and captain general
of the Philippines by King Philip II
. At the same time, Philip increased the salary of the position to 10,000 Castilian ducados per year and made Pérez Dasmariñas a knight of the Order of Santiago
.
His orders included the suppression of the Audiencia of Manila, something that had been requested by the Spanish settlers in the Philippines. He also had instructions to establish a garrison of 400 soldiers, paid at His Majesty's expense, for the defense of the colony.
Pérez Dasmariñas sailed for New Spain
on December 8, 1589, on the same ships as Luis de Velasco (hijo)
, the newly appointed viceroy of New Spain. Continuing his journey, Pérez Dasmariñas left from Acapulco
on March 1, 1590 and arrived in Manila
in May, or, according to his own account, on June 1.
During his term of office he increased trade with China and improved communication with Spain. He built some galleys for the defense of the coast and suppressed an uprising in Zambales
. He sent his son Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
at the head of a military expedition to Cagayan
, across parts of the island of Luzon
never before seen by Spaniards. He also built an artillery foundry in Manila, but because of a lack of skilled founders, this project was not very successful.
In the first year of his administration, he sent the president and the oidores (judges) of the suppressed Audiencia to Spain. However Licentiado Pedro de Rojas, the senior oidor, remained in Manila by order of the king as lieutenant-assessor in matters of justice, until some years later he was appointed alcalde in Mexico City.
Also during his administration (1592), an arrogant letter was received from Toyotomi Hideyoshi
, the ruler of Japan at that time, demanding submission and tribute and threatening to come with a fleet and troops to lay waste the country. The correspondence dragged out for several years, until finally Hideyoshi died.
In 1593 the king of Cambodia
sent an embassy to the governor, namely the Portuguese Diego Belloso. Belloso brought a present of two elephants and offers of friendship and trade. He also implored aid against Siam, which was threatening the kingdom. Pérez Dasmariñas sent the king a present of a horse and some emeralds and other objects, but postponed a reply to the request for aid. This was the origin of the later Spanish involvement and expeditions to the kingdoms of Siam and Cambodia.
On May 12, 1591, Estevan Rodríguez de Figueroa, a wealthy Spaniard of Manila, made an agreement with the governor to conquer Mindanao
. This was to be done at Rodríguez's own expense, in exchange for which he would name the governor of the conquered territory for two lifetimes.
Pérez Dasmariñas quarreled with Bishop Salazar, who departed for Spain in 1592.
, in the Moluccas. (Two previous Spanish expeditions, in 1582 and 1584, had failed.) Pérez Dasmariñas had planned this expedition for some time, but in secret, and did not reveal his intention until most of the preparations had been made. He intended to lead the expedition personally. Before he set sail, he sent his son, Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
, on ahead with part of the fleet to the province of Pintado
.
The governor left the military affairs of Manila and the rest of the Philippines in charge of Diego Ronquillo
, and the civil affairs in charge of Pedro de Rojas. After his son left, he remained briefly in Manila, making final preparations and arming a galley (La Capitana) of 28 benches, in which he was to sail. This galley he manned with good Chinese rowers, with pay. According to Antonio de Morga
, in order to win the good will of the rowers, he would not allow them to be chained, and even winked at their carrying certain weapons.
About forty Spaniards embarked on the galley, and the galley itself was accompanied by a few frigates and smaller vessels, in which private individuals also embarked. The entire fleet consisted of 200 sail, counting galleys, galliots, frigates, vireys and other craft. More than 900 Spaniards were on the expedition.
The governor set sail from Cavite
for Pintados in October 1593, to join the part of the fleet under Luis Pérez already at Pintados. They were then to proceed to the Moluccas.
In the last watch before dawn, they attacked the guards and the sleeping Spaniards, killing most of them, although a few escaped by swimming or in the galley's tender. Upon hearing the commotion, Governor Dasmariñas, thinking that the galley was dragging and the men were taking to the oars, carelessly left his cabin bareheaded. He was killed by several Chinese waiting outside the door. Two Spaniards, Juan de Cuellar, the governor's secretary, and Franciscan Father Montilla, survived by remaining in their cabin amidships. They were later released ashore by the rebels.
The rebels then made for China
in the captured galley, but were unable to arrive there. Instead they reached Cochin China, where the king confiscated the two cannons aboard and all the items of value (jewels, money, etc.). The rebels were dispersed to different places and the galley was abandoned. A few of the rebels were later captured in Malacca
and sent back to Manila, where "justice was dealt them."
Meanwhile, the citizens and soldiers in Manila elected Licenciado Pedro de Rojas governor and captain general. But with the return of Luis Pérez Dasmariñas, the previous governor's instructions were found, and his son became the new governor.
Viveiro
Viveiro is a town and municipality in the province of Lugo, in the northwestern Galician autonomous community of Spain. It borders on the Cantabric Sea, to the west of Xove and to the east of O Vicedo...
, d. October 25, 1593, Caca, the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
) was a Spanish politician, diplomat, military officer and colonial official. He was the seventh governor-general of the Philippines from May or June 1, 1590 to October 25, 1593. The city of Dasmariñas, located 24 km south of Manila, was named after him. Dasmariñas is a member of the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
.
Background
Pérez Dasmariñas was born in Galicia, Spain. He was named governor of LeónLeón (province)
León is a province of northwestern Spain, in the northwestern part of the autonomous community of Castile and León.About one quarter of its population of 500,200 lives in the capital, León. The weather is cold and dry during the winter....
on January 30, 1579. There he built the meat market and various fountains and streets. His work there was viewed favorably, and he was promoted to corregidor of Murcia
Murcia
-History:It is widely believed that Murcia's name is derived from the Latin words of Myrtea or Murtea, meaning land of Myrtle , although it may also be a derivation of the word Murtia, which would mean Murtius Village...
, Lorca
Lorca
Lorca is a municipality and town in the autonomous community of Murcia in southeastern Spain, 36 miles southwest of the city of Murcia. It had a population of 92,694 in 2010, up from the 2001 census total of 77,477. Lorca is the municipality with the second-largest surface area in Spain with...
and Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena, Spain
Cartagena is a Spanish city and a major naval station located in the Region of Murcia, by the Mediterranean coast, south-eastern Spain. As of January 2011, it has a population of 218,210 inhabitants being the Region’s second largest municipality and the country’s 6th non-Province capital...
on September 27, 1584. He held these positions until January 1, 1587. In 1589 he was named governor and captain general
Captain General
Captain general is a high military rank and a gubernatorial title.-History:This term Captain General started to appear in the 14th century, with the meaning of commander in chief of an army in the field, probably the first usage of the term General in military settings...
of the Philippines by King Philip II
Philip II of Spain
Philip II was King of Spain, Portugal, Naples, Sicily, and, while married to Mary I, King of England and Ireland. He was lord of the Seventeen Provinces from 1556 until 1581, holding various titles for the individual territories such as duke or count....
. At the same time, Philip increased the salary of the position to 10,000 Castilian ducados per year and made Pérez Dasmariñas a knight of the Order of Santiago
Order of Santiago
The Order of Santiago was founded in the 12th century, and owes its name to the national patron of Galicia and Spain, Santiago , under whose banner the Christians of Galicia and Asturias began in the 9th century to combat and drive back the Muslims of the Iberian Peninsula.-History:Santiago de...
.
His orders included the suppression of the Audiencia of Manila, something that had been requested by the Spanish settlers in the Philippines. He also had instructions to establish a garrison of 400 soldiers, paid at His Majesty's expense, for the defense of the colony.
Pérez Dasmariñas sailed for New Spain
New Spain
New Spain, formally called the Viceroyalty of New Spain , was a viceroyalty of the Spanish colonial empire, comprising primarily territories in what was known then as 'América Septentrional' or North America. Its capital was Mexico City, formerly Tenochtitlan, capital of the Aztec Empire...
on December 8, 1589, on the same ships as Luis de Velasco (hijo)
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas
Luis de Velasco, marqués de Salinas , Spanish nobleman, son of the second viceroy of New Spain, and himself the eighth viceroy. He governed from January 27, 1590 to November 4, 1595, and again from July 2, 1607 to June 10, 1611...
, the newly appointed viceroy of New Spain. Continuing his journey, Pérez Dasmariñas left from Acapulco
Acapulco
Acapulco is a city, municipality and major sea port in the state of Guerrero on the Pacific coast of Mexico, southwest from Mexico City. Acapulco is located on a deep, semi-circular bay and has been a port since the early colonial period of Mexico’s history...
on March 1, 1590 and arrived in Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
in May, or, according to his own account, on June 1.
As governor
Upon taking office, he quickly suppressed the Audiencia and established the garrison. He worked diligently to build a stone defensive wall around the city of Manila, so diligently that this project was nearly completed by the time of the governor's death in 1593. He rebuilt Fort Santiago. He also had the cathedral of Manila constructed in stone, and encouraged private citizens to build their dwellings in stone.During his term of office he increased trade with China and improved communication with Spain. He built some galleys for the defense of the coast and suppressed an uprising in Zambales
Zambales
Zambales is a province of the Philippines located in the Central Luzon region. Its capital is Iba. Zambales borders Pangasinan to the north, Tarlac and Pampanga to the east, and Bataan to the south. The province lies between the South China Sea and the Zambales Mountains. With a land area of...
. He sent his son Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
Luis Pérez Dasmariñas was a Spanish soldier and governor of the Philippines from December 3, 1593 to July 14, 1596. In 1596 he sent unsuccessful expeditions to conquer Cambodia and Mindanao.Pérez Dasmariñas was a knight of the Order of Alcántara...
at the head of a military expedition to Cagayan
Cagayan
Cagayan , the "Land of Smiling Beauty", is a province of the Philippines in the Cagayan Valley region in Luzon. Its capital is Tuguegarao City and is located at the northeastern corner of the island of Luzon. Cagayan also includes the Babuyan Islands to the north. The province borders Ilocos Norte...
, across parts of the island of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
never before seen by Spaniards. He also built an artillery foundry in Manila, but because of a lack of skilled founders, this project was not very successful.
In the first year of his administration, he sent the president and the oidores (judges) of the suppressed Audiencia to Spain. However Licentiado Pedro de Rojas, the senior oidor, remained in Manila by order of the king as lieutenant-assessor in matters of justice, until some years later he was appointed alcalde in Mexico City.
Also during his administration (1592), an arrogant letter was received from Toyotomi Hideyoshi
Toyotomi Hideyoshi
was a daimyo warrior, general and politician of the Sengoku period. He unified the political factions of Japan. He succeeded his former liege lord, Oda Nobunaga, and brought an end to the Sengoku period. The period of his rule is often called the Momoyama period, named after Hideyoshi's castle...
, the ruler of Japan at that time, demanding submission and tribute and threatening to come with a fleet and troops to lay waste the country. The correspondence dragged out for several years, until finally Hideyoshi died.
In 1593 the king of Cambodia
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
sent an embassy to the governor, namely the Portuguese Diego Belloso. Belloso brought a present of two elephants and offers of friendship and trade. He also implored aid against Siam, which was threatening the kingdom. Pérez Dasmariñas sent the king a present of a horse and some emeralds and other objects, but postponed a reply to the request for aid. This was the origin of the later Spanish involvement and expeditions to the kingdoms of Siam and Cambodia.
On May 12, 1591, Estevan Rodríguez de Figueroa, a wealthy Spaniard of Manila, made an agreement with the governor to conquer Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
. This was to be done at Rodríguez's own expense, in exchange for which he would name the governor of the conquered territory for two lifetimes.
Pérez Dasmariñas quarreled with Bishop Salazar, who departed for Spain in 1592.
Expedition to the Moluccas
In 1593, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas organized an expedition from Manila to capture the fort at TerrenateTerrenate
Terrenate may refer to:*An alternative name for Ternate, an island and town in the Maluku Islands*Terrenate, Sonora*Terrenate, Tlaxcala...
, in the Moluccas. (Two previous Spanish expeditions, in 1582 and 1584, had failed.) Pérez Dasmariñas had planned this expedition for some time, but in secret, and did not reveal his intention until most of the preparations had been made. He intended to lead the expedition personally. Before he set sail, he sent his son, Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
Luis Pérez Dasmariñas was a Spanish soldier and governor of the Philippines from December 3, 1593 to July 14, 1596. In 1596 he sent unsuccessful expeditions to conquer Cambodia and Mindanao.Pérez Dasmariñas was a knight of the Order of Alcántara...
, on ahead with part of the fleet to the province of Pintado
Pintado
Pintado could refer to:*Cape Petrel, a seabird* Cerro Pintado, a mountain in South America* The fish species Pseudoplatystoma corruscans* A sombrero pintado, a style of Panama hat...
.
The governor left the military affairs of Manila and the rest of the Philippines in charge of Diego Ronquillo
Diego Ronquillo
Diego Ronquillo was the fifth Spanish governor of the Philippines, from March 10, 1583 until May 1584. He was the nephew of his predecessor, Gonzalo Ronquillo de Peñalosa, and served as interim governor for little more than a year....
, and the civil affairs in charge of Pedro de Rojas. After his son left, he remained briefly in Manila, making final preparations and arming a galley (La Capitana) of 28 benches, in which he was to sail. This galley he manned with good Chinese rowers, with pay. According to Antonio de Morga
Antonio de Morga
Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking colonial official in the Philippines, New Spain and Peru. He was also a historian. He published the book Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in 1609, one of the most important works on the early history of the Spanish colonization...
, in order to win the good will of the rowers, he would not allow them to be chained, and even winked at their carrying certain weapons.
About forty Spaniards embarked on the galley, and the galley itself was accompanied by a few frigates and smaller vessels, in which private individuals also embarked. The entire fleet consisted of 200 sail, counting galleys, galliots, frigates, vireys and other craft. More than 900 Spaniards were on the expedition.
The governor set sail from Cavite
Cavite
Cavite is a province of the Philippines located on the southern shores of Manila Bay in the CALABARZON region in Luzon, just 30 kilometers south of Manila. Cavite is surrounded by Laguna to the east, Metro Manila to the northeast, and Batangas to the south...
for Pintados in October 1593, to join the part of the fleet under Luis Pérez already at Pintados. They were then to proceed to the Moluccas.
Mutiny and death of the governor
On the second day of this first leg of the expedition, the governor's fleet reached the island of Caca, 24 leagues from Manila and just off the coast of Luzon. They found it difficult to round the headland known as Punta del Acufre because of a strong head wind. The governor ordered the ships to anchor there for the night, and attempt to round the point the next day. The Chinese rowers had been plotting for three days to seize the galley, and this night gave them an opportunity.In the last watch before dawn, they attacked the guards and the sleeping Spaniards, killing most of them, although a few escaped by swimming or in the galley's tender. Upon hearing the commotion, Governor Dasmariñas, thinking that the galley was dragging and the men were taking to the oars, carelessly left his cabin bareheaded. He was killed by several Chinese waiting outside the door. Two Spaniards, Juan de Cuellar, the governor's secretary, and Franciscan Father Montilla, survived by remaining in their cabin amidships. They were later released ashore by the rebels.
The rebels then made for China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
in the captured galley, but were unable to arrive there. Instead they reached Cochin China, where the king confiscated the two cannons aboard and all the items of value (jewels, money, etc.). The rebels were dispersed to different places and the galley was abandoned. A few of the rebels were later captured in Malacca
Malacca
Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...
and sent back to Manila, where "justice was dealt them."
The choice of a new governor
The colony was now without a governor. Pérez Dasmariñas had brought with him to the Philippines a royal order directing him to choose a temporary successor in the event of his own death. He had shown this order to various prominent Spaniards in the colony, implying to each that he was the designated successor. In particular, both the governor's son and conquistador Captain Estevan Rodríguez de Figueroa expected the appointment. Both were on the expedition to the Moluccas, and both hurried back to Manila to take command of the colony.Meanwhile, the citizens and soldiers in Manila elected Licenciado Pedro de Rojas governor and captain general. But with the return of Luis Pérez Dasmariñas, the previous governor's instructions were found, and his son became the new governor.
External links
- History of the Philippine Islands by Dr. Antonio de Morga (1907). This work is also available at Project Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/7001
- A little biographical information Gómez Pérez das Mariñas, Capitán General de Murcia en el último tercio del siglo XVI, by José Raimundo Núñez|José Raimundo Núñez-Varela y Lendoiro. 2001.
- Letter of Antonio de Morga to the King informing of Gomez Perez Dasmarinas' death