Jose Rizal famously annotated the first book on Philippine history ever published – Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas by Dr. Antonio de Morga, alcalde of the court in the royal Audiencia of Mexico.
What led Rizal to Morga's work?
Morga was an exceptional historian and politician as well as a soldier. Rizal held him in high regard. As depicted in his books, Noli Me Tangere and Eli Filibusterismo, Rizal himself was a historian of sorts. He had a passion for knowing the truth and this desire led him to Morga’s work. He found Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas at the British Library during his stay in London.
Rizal wanted to know the true conditions in and around the Philippines during the Spanish colonial rule. He theorized that before Spain took over, the Philippines was already self-sufficient and economically stable and that the invasion of Spain contributed in some way to the slow and steady decline of the robust culture and traditions of the Filipino people.
He hand-copied all 351 pages of the book and annotated every chapter. The resulting text became the first historical work on the Philippines by a Filipino -- a rare account of the colonization of a country by the colonized rather than the colonizer.
Why Morga in particular?
- Rizal found Morga to be more objective compared to other religious writers.
- Morga had great empathy for the natives as opposed to other religious writers.
- Morga was not only an observer but an actual participant in the events he narrates.
- Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas was the only secular historical account of the Philippines published during the Spanish colonial period, which made it more objective than its religious counterparts which peppered their narrative with tales of miracles and apparitions.
What was Rizal's purpose in annotating Morga's Sucesos?
- To awaken Filipino consciousness and open their eyes to the richness of their history.
- To correct misconceptions and to rectify things that have been distorted regarding the Philippines as a result of Spanish rule and influence.
- To prove that Filipinos have been civilized long before the invasion of Spain.
Salient Points in Rizal’s Annotation
- The Philippines had a culture of its own long before the Spanish invasion.
- Pre-Hispanic Philippines was literate, self-sufficient and had good relations with its surrounding nations.
- During the Spanish colonization, Filipinos were decimated, demoralized and exploited.
- “The Philippines was depopulated, impoverished and retorted, astounded by metaphor, with no confidence in their past, still without faith in her present and without faltering hope in the future”.
More from this series:
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 1 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 2 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 3 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 4 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 5 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 6 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 7 of 8
Rizal's Annotation of Morga's Sucesos de las Islas Filipinas: Chapter 8 of 8