Luis Pérez Dasmariñas
Encyclopedia
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
. His father, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, was governor of the Philippines from 1590 to 1593.
to capture the fort at Terrenate
, in the Moluccas. He 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
. Luis Pérez was second in command of the expedition, with the title of captain general
.
Gómez Pérez left the military affairs of Manila and the rest of the Philippines in charge of Diego Ronquillo
, and civil affairs in charge of Pedro de Rojas. After his son left, he remained briefly in Manila, making final preparations and arming a galley 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 Spanish embarked on the galley, and the galley itself was accompanied by a few frigate
s and smaller vessels, in which private individuals embarked. The entire fleet consisted of 200 sail, counting galleys, galliots, frigates, vireys and other craft. More than 900 Spanish 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.
Meanwhile, news of the seizure of the galley had arrived in Manila. The citizens and soldiers who had remained there assembled at the house of Licentiate Pedro de Rojas to discuss what to do. First they elected Rojas governor and captain general. Then they sent two frigates in pursuit of the galley, but they were unable to find it. Rojas also sent a message to Luis Pérez in Pintados, informing him of Rojas's election and ordering him to return immediately to Manila, as the city had been left nearly defenseless.
Rojas also began a search of the governor's papers to find the document naming his successor. The papers had been deposited in the Augustinian monastery in Manila, but the prior, not trusting Rojas, had secretly removed the document.
About 40 days after the election of Rojas, Luis Pérez and Estevan Rodríguez arrived together in the harbor, with many men. They did not disembark, and Pérez ordered another search for the missing document. This was now found, and it named Pérez as his father's successor. The city magistrates then withdrew recognition of Rojas, and turned over the government to Pérez. This was seconded by Pérez's soldiers, and by the fleet. Rojas left office, having governed for 40 days.
Pedro de Rojas was promoted to alcalde in Mexico City, and Antonio de Morga was named as his replacement in the Philippines, with increased authority. (Rojas had been lieutenant assessor in judicial matters, but Morga was also lieutenant governor of the colony.) Morga sailed from Acapulco
, New Spain
on March 22, 1595, arriving at Cavite
on June 11 of the same year.
However, seeing the city as strongly defended as ever, the Chinese made no hostile moves. They returned to China without showing any particular motive for the journey, and without either side mentioning the apparent motive.
. King Langara of Cambodia had been forced to flee to Laos. Pérez Dasmariñas was persuaded by Spanish and Portuguese who had been in Cambodia that the kingdom could be easily reconquered, and doing so would gain the Spanish a foothold on the mainland of Asia.
The governor ordered the dispatch of one vessel of moderate size and two junks, with 120 Spaniards and some Japanese and Filipinos. This expedition sailed at the beginning of 1596.
The flagship became separated from the two junks. The junks arrived in Cambodia only to find that the Cambodians had already driven out the Siamese. One of the anti-Siamese leaders, Anacaparan, had declared himself king. The Spanish decided this was a favorable opportunity, but they would await the arrival of their flagship before taking action. Nevertheless, an altercation occurred with Chinese traders in port, and the Spanish took up arms against them, killing some. This led to a confrontation with the new king, whom the Spaniards also defeated, burning much of his capital in the process.
At about this time, the flagship of the expedition finally arrived in Cambodia. The commander refused the entreaties of his subordinates to restore King Langara to the throne, and sailed for the Philippines.
at his own expense, for the right to rule it for two lifetimes. This agreement was confirmed in Spain and an order sent to go ahead. In February 1596, Rodríguez set out with 214 Spaniards and many Filipinos in some galleys, galleots, frigates, vireys, barangays and lapis to begin his conquest. He soon reached the Mindanao River
, where he was joined by the men of two native settlements, Tancapan and Lumaguan. He now commanded about 6,000 men.
The combined force now proceeded to Buhahayen, principal town of the island and the capital of the most important chief. Buhahayen was well fortified. Shortly after their arrival the Spanish were involved in a skirmish with the natives. Rodríguez was still aboard his flagship, but seeing that the Spanish were faring badly, he left the ship with a few men to take command. In order to travel more quickly, he was not wearing his helmet. Before he reached the scene of the skirmish, a single native surprised him, giving him a blow on the head with a sword.
Rodríguez was taken back to the ship, where he died the next day. Thus ended the first lifetime of his rule of Mindanao. The Spanish, with Juan de la Xara now in charge, retreated to the more friendly Tancapan, where they built a fort and a Spanish settlement named Murcia.
, was arriving. Tello de Guzmán had been sent from Spain. He took over the government on July 14, 1596.
Luis Pérez remained in the Philippines after his term as governor ended. He played a prominent role in the massacre of 20,000 Chinese after a revolt in 1603, the Sangley rebellion
.
Cambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
and 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...
.
Pérez Dasmariñas was a knight of the Order of Alcántara
Order of Alcántara
The Order of Alcántara , also called the Knights of St. Julian, was originally a military order of León, founded in 1166 and confirmed by Pope Alexander III in 1177.-Alcántara:...
. His father, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas, was governor of the Philippines from 1590 to 1593.
Expedition to the Moluccas
In 1593, Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas (the father) led a Spanish expedition from ManilaManila
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,...
to capture the fort at Terrenate
Terrenate
Terrenate may refer to:*An alternative name for Ternate, an island and town in the Maluku Islands*Terrenate, Sonora*Terrenate, Tlaxcala...
, in the Moluccas. He 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
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...
. Luis Pérez was second in command of the expedition, with the title of 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...
.
Gómez Pérez 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 civil affairs in charge of Pedro de Rojas. After his son left, he remained briefly in Manila, making final preparations and arming a galley 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 Spanish embarked on the galley, and the galley itself was accompanied by a few frigate
Frigate
A frigate is any of several types of warship, the term having been used for ships of various sizes and roles over the last few centuries.In the 17th century, the term was used for any warship built for speed and maneuverability, the description often used being "frigate-built"...
s and smaller vessels, in which private individuals embarked. The entire fleet consisted of 200 sail, counting galleys, galliots, frigates, vireys and other craft. More than 900 Spanish 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.
The choice of a new governor
Governor Gómez Pérez had brought with him to the Philippines a royal order directing him to choose a temporary successor in the event of his 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. Rodríguez was with the governor on the expedition to the Moluccas. Both he and Luis Pérez hurried back to Manila to take command of the colony.Meanwhile, news of the seizure of the galley had arrived in Manila. The citizens and soldiers who had remained there assembled at the house of Licentiate Pedro de Rojas to discuss what to do. First they elected Rojas governor and captain general. Then they sent two frigates in pursuit of the galley, but they were unable to find it. Rojas also sent a message to Luis Pérez in Pintados, informing him of Rojas's election and ordering him to return immediately to Manila, as the city had been left nearly defenseless.
Rojas also began a search of the governor's papers to find the document naming his successor. The papers had been deposited in the Augustinian monastery in Manila, but the prior, not trusting Rojas, had secretly removed the document.
About 40 days after the election of Rojas, Luis Pérez and Estevan Rodríguez arrived together in the harbor, with many men. They did not disembark, and Pérez ordered another search for the missing document. This was now found, and it named Pérez as his father's successor. The city magistrates then withdrew recognition of Rojas, and turned over the government to Pérez. This was seconded by Pérez's soldiers, and by the fleet. Rojas left office, having governed for 40 days.
Pedro de Rojas was promoted to alcalde in Mexico City, and Antonio de Morga was named as his replacement in the Philippines, with increased authority. (Rojas had been lieutenant assessor in judicial matters, but Morga was also lieutenant governor of the colony.) Morga sailed 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...
, 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 March 22, 1595, arriving at 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...
on June 11 of the same year.
Arrival of the Chinese Mandarins
Not many days after the return of the fleet, there arrived in Manila many Chinese ships, ostensibly for trade. However, they carried many men and little merchandise, with seven Mandarins bearing the insignia of their office. This led to the suspicion on the part of the Spaniards that the Chinese had heard of the departure of most of the Spanish forces for the Moluccas, and had sent a fleet to try to conquer the nearly defenseless islands.However, seeing the city as strongly defended as ever, the Chinese made no hostile moves. They returned to China without showing any particular motive for the journey, and without either side mentioning the apparent motive.
Expedition to Cambodia
In 1594 news was received in Manila that the king of Siam had invaded and conquered CambodiaCambodia
Cambodia , officially known as the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country located in the southern portion of the Indochina Peninsula in Southeast Asia...
. King Langara of Cambodia had been forced to flee to Laos. Pérez Dasmariñas was persuaded by Spanish and Portuguese who had been in Cambodia that the kingdom could be easily reconquered, and doing so would gain the Spanish a foothold on the mainland of Asia.
The governor ordered the dispatch of one vessel of moderate size and two junks, with 120 Spaniards and some Japanese and Filipinos. This expedition sailed at the beginning of 1596.
The flagship became separated from the two junks. The junks arrived in Cambodia only to find that the Cambodians had already driven out the Siamese. One of the anti-Siamese leaders, Anacaparan, had declared himself king. The Spanish decided this was a favorable opportunity, but they would await the arrival of their flagship before taking action. Nevertheless, an altercation occurred with Chinese traders in port, and the Spanish took up arms against them, killing some. This led to a confrontation with the new king, whom the Spaniards also defeated, burning much of his capital in the process.
At about this time, the flagship of the expedition finally arrived in Cambodia. The commander refused the entreaties of his subordinates to restore King Langara to the throne, and sailed for the Philippines.
Expedition to Mindanao
Captain Estevan Rodríguez de Figueroa had made an agreement with Governor Gómez Pérez Dasmariñas to conquer the island of MindanaoMindanao
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...
at his own expense, for the right to rule it for two lifetimes. This agreement was confirmed in Spain and an order sent to go ahead. In February 1596, Rodríguez set out with 214 Spaniards and many Filipinos in some galleys, galleots, frigates, vireys, barangays and lapis to begin his conquest. He soon reached the Mindanao River
Mindanao River
The Mindanao River, also known as the Rio Grande de Mindanao, is the second largest river system in the Philippines, after the Cagayan River of Luzon. It is also the largest river on the southern Philippine island of Mindanao having a drainage area of 23,169 square kilometers, draining majority of...
, where he was joined by the men of two native settlements, Tancapan and Lumaguan. He now commanded about 6,000 men.
The combined force now proceeded to Buhahayen, principal town of the island and the capital of the most important chief. Buhahayen was well fortified. Shortly after their arrival the Spanish were involved in a skirmish with the natives. Rodríguez was still aboard his flagship, but seeing that the Spanish were faring badly, he left the ship with a few men to take command. In order to travel more quickly, he was not wearing his helmet. Before he reached the scene of the skirmish, a single native surprised him, giving him a blow on the head with a sword.
Rodríguez was taken back to the ship, where he died the next day. Thus ended the first lifetime of his rule of Mindanao. The Spanish, with Juan de la Xara now in charge, retreated to the more friendly Tancapan, where they built a fort and a Spanish settlement named Murcia.
After serving as governor
Luis Pérez Dasmarinas was still awaiting word of the expeditions to Cambodia and Mindanao when news was received that the new governor, Francisco de Tello de GuzmánFrancisco de Tello de Guzmán
Francisco de Tello de Guzmán was Spanish governor of the Philippines from July 14, 1596 to May 1602. He was a knight of the Order of Santiago.-Early life and appointment as governor:...
, was arriving. Tello de Guzmán had been sent from Spain. He took over the government on July 14, 1596.
Luis Pérez remained in the Philippines after his term as governor ended. He played a prominent role in the massacre of 20,000 Chinese after a revolt in 1603, the Sangley rebellion
Sangley Rebellion
The Sangley rebellion was a Sangley Chinese rebellion which took place in Manila, Philippines, in October 1603.The reasons for the rebellion are unclear, but they seemed to have originated in the suspicions of the Spanish Archbishop Benavides against Chinese ambitions to control the Philippines.The...
.
External links
- History of the Philippine Islands by Dr. Antonio de Morga (1907). This work is also available at Project Guttenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/etext/7001
- A little biographical information
- Governors of the Philippines during the Spanish colonial period