Rizal & His Times: University of San Agustin Iloilo City

University of San Agustin
Social Science Department

Iloilo City
Rizal & His Times

Rizal and His Times
To appreciate and understand
the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, it is
necessary to know the historical
background of the world and of
the Philippines during his
times.
The 19th century when he lived was a century of
ferment caused by blowing winds of history.
In Asia, Europe and the Americas, events surged

inexorably like sea tides, significantly affecting the
lives and fortunes of mankind.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
WORLD DURING
RIZAL’S TIMES
Emancipation of Serfs and Slaves
Feb. 19, 1861 in Russia –
Liberal Czar Alexander II
issued a proclamation
emancipating 22, 500,
000 serfs.
Sept. 22, 1861 in America
– Pres. Lincoln issued his
famous Emancipation
Proclamation freeing the
Negro slaves.
Imperialism: Exploitation of the
Smaller and Weaker Nations by the
Powerful Ones
Countries Rising as World Powers:

French Imperialism – Emperor
Napoleon III of the Second
French Empire invaded and
conquered Mexico, Italy and
Germany. His Empire did not
last long because these colonies
rose in arms and eventually
succeeded in regaining their
independence.
British Imperialism – Britain
under Queen Victoria (1837-
1901) acquired Hong Kong,
Kowloon Peninsula, India,
Pakistan, Bangladesh,
Burma, Sri Lanka, Maldives,
Aden, Malaya, Singapore,
Egypt, Australia and New
Zealand.
French Imperialism – France
(Third French Republic)
acquired Vietnam, Cambodia
and Laos.
Russian Imperialism (1865-
1844) – Russia acquired
Siberia, Kamchatka, Kuriles,
Alaska, Khanates, Khiva,
Kokand, and Manchuria.
Japanese Imperialism
(1894-1910) – Japan under
Emperor Meiji acquired
Taiwan, Pescadores and
Korea.
German’s Imperialism –
Germany in 1885 acquired
the right to trade and
established a coaling
station in Yap (Carolines).
Country Stagnating as a World Power
Spanish Imperialism –
Spain lost her rich colonies
in Latin America
(Paraguay, Argentina,
Chile, Cambodia &
Ecuador), the Central
American Countries (Costa
Rica, Honduras,
Guatemala, El Salvador,
Nicaragua, Venezuela,
Peru, Bolivia & Uruguay).
These colonies had risen in arms against Spanish
tyranny and achieved their independence.
Spain continued a despotic rule in Cuba, Puerto Rico

and the Philippines.
“The Little Philippines”
Rizal’s Calamba
Rizal described Calamba as a very beautiful town
His poem, Memories of my Town describes Calamba
as “a beautiful place” where the “fondest memories of
his life were formed”.
Why was Calamba considered
as a “Little Philippines”?
Calamba as the “Little
Philippines”
The abuses that we suffered under the hands of the
Spaniards resounded throughout the country save, in
Mindanao , which was under the stronghold of Islam.
What Rizal wrote about in his novels reflected what
he and his family had gone through.
(Example: Parts of the Kabesang Tales Chapter, THE
Character of Senyor Pasta and Ben Zayb, Pilosoppong
Tasyo, Ang Klase sa pisika, Ang Pasko ng Isang
Kuchero)
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND OF THE
PHILIPPINES DURING RIZAL’S TIMES
During the time of Rizal, the Filipino people agonized
beneath the yoke of Spanish misrule for they were
unfortunate victims of evils of an unjust, bigoted and
deteriorating colonial power. Among these evils were
as follows:
Instability of Colonial Administration
In 1808-1833, Spain under King Ferdinand VII
continuously experienced political chaos. From 1834-
1862, Spain had adopted 4 constitutions, elected 28
parliaments, installed no less than 529 ministers and
experienced several party strife, revolutions and other
political upheavals.
In the Philippines, there were
frequent periodic shifts in
colonial policies and periodic
rigodon of colonial officials.
From 1835-1897, the country
was ruled by 50 governors
general. These hampered the
political and economic
development of the country.
Corrupt Colonial Officials
The colonial officials sent by Spain to the Philippines
in the 19th century were highly corrupt, incompetent,
cruel or venal.
Rafael de Izquierdo (1871-73) executed the innocent
GOMBURZA in 1872.
Primo de Rivera (1880-83, 1897-98) enriched himself
by accepting bribes from gambling casinos in Manila.
Valeriano Weyler (1888-91) arrived in Manila a poor
man and returned to Spain a millionaire. He brutally
persecuted the Calamba tenants particularly the Rizal
family.
Camilo de Polavieja (1896-97) executed Dr. Rizal.
Other Spanish colonial officials were of the same evil

breed of men as the corrupt and degenerate governors
general.
No Philippine Representation in Spanish
Cortes
Philippines experienced her first period of
representation in Spanish Cortes from 1810-1813.
Delegate Ventura delos Reyes took active part in the
framing of the 1812 Constitution. He also caused the
abolition of Galleon trade.
Second period (1820-23) and third period (1834-37) of

representation were less fruitful.
In 1937, representations of the colonies including
Philippines in the Spanish Cortes were abolished. In
the Philippines conditions worsened because there
was no means by which Filipinos could express the
anomalies perpetrated by colonial officials.
Graciano Lopez Jaena and other
Filipino patriots valiantly pleaded
for the restoration of Philippine
representation in the Cortes but
Spain ignored them. Because of
this, Rizal and other Filipino
nationalists launched the
Propaganda Movement which
eventually paved way for the
Philippine Revolution of 1896.
Human Rights Denied to the Filipinos
The freedom of speech, press, association and other
human rights (except freedom of religion) enjoyed by
the people of Spain under the Spanish constitution of
1812 were denied to the Filipinos.
No Equality before the Law
During the last decades of Hispanic rule, Spaniards
arrogantly regarded the brown-skinned Filipinos as
inferior beings.
Despite the existence of Leyes de Indias, the Filipinos
were abused, brutalized, persecuted and slandered by
their Spanish masters.
Spanish Penal Code imposed heavier penalties on
native Filipinos or mestizos and lighter penalties on
white-complexioned Spaniards.
Maladministration of Justice
Courts of Justice in the Philippines during Rizal’s
times were notoriously corrupt. They were Courts of
Injustice for Filipinos.
Spanish judges, fiscals and other court officials were
inept, venal and oftentimes ignorant of law.
Justice was costly, partial and slow. Wealth, social
prestige and color of the skin were preponderant
factors in winning the case in court.
Examples of
maladministration of justice
are the cases of Juan de la
Cruz in 1886-1898, Doña
Teodora Alonso Rizal in 1871
and 1898, Jose Rizal’s
deportation in Dapitan in
1892, Paciano Rizal and his
relatives’ exile in different
parts of the archipelago, the
execution of GOMBURZA
and that of Dr. Jose Rizal.
Racial Discrimination
Spaniards regarded the Filipinos as inferior beings
undeserving of the rights and privileges that the white
Spaniards enjoyed.
A Spaniard or mestizo always enjoyed political and
social prestige in the community. These were denied
to the Filipinos.
Racial prejudice was prevalent everywhere – in
the government, courts of justice, armed forces,
social circles, educational institutions, church
et cetera.
Father Jose Burgos became one of the well
known Filipinos who fought against racial
discrimination.
Frailocracy
The union of the Church and State resulted into the
emergence of a unique form of government called
“frailocracy or frailocracia” meaning “government of
friars”.
The friars controlled the religion and educational life

of the Filipinos and later in the 19th century they
acquired tremendous political power, influence and
riches.
They ruled the Philippines
through the façade of civil
government. Colonial
authorities were under their
control.
Almost every town was ruled
by a friar curate.
Marcelo H. del Pilar,
Graciano Lopez Jaena, Jose
Rizal and other patriotic
Filipinos assailed frailocracy.
Examples of bad friars were Fray
Bustamante, Fray Rodriguez and Fray
Piernavieja and others who were portrayed
by Rizal in his novels as Padre Damaso and
Padre Salvi and hilariously caricatured by
Jaena as Fray Butod.
Forced Labor
It was a compulsory labor imposed by colonial
authorities on adult Filipino males in the
construction of churches, schools, hospitals,
bridges, ships and other infrastructures and public
works.
Filipinos came to hate the forced labor because of the
abuses connected with it such as the non-recruitment
of white Spanish residents in the forced labor, non-
payment of stipend to the polistas and too much
inconvenience and sufferings caused by it to the
common people.
Haciendas Owned by the Friars
Friars were the richest landlords for they own the
best haciendas in the Philippines.
Filipinos became their tenants only. Many of them
resented the loss of their ancestral lands.
The friar haciendas later became hotbeds of agrarian
revolts.
The Guardia Civil
Guardia Civil later were hated by the Filipinos for
their rampant abuses such as maltreating innocent
people, looting their chickens, carabaos and valuable
belongings and raping helpless women. They were ill
trained and undisciplined.
Through Elias in Noli Me Tangere, Rizal exposed the
Guardia Civil as a bunch of ruthless ruffians good only
for “disturbing the peace” and “prosecuting hones
men”.

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University of San Agustin

Social Science Department

Rizal & His Times

In Asia, Europe and the Americas, events surged

Countries Rising as World Powers:

Spain continued a despotic rule in Cuba, Puerto Rico

Camilo de Polavieja (1896-97) executed Dr. Rizal.

Other Spanish colonial officials were of the same evil

Second period (1820-23) and third period (1834-37) of

The friars controlled the religion and educational life

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