Law, War, Imperial Competition, and the Colonial Foundations of the Sixteenth-Century Philippines

Abstract

This article contributes to the understanding of the conquest and colonization of the Philippines, particularly the global and regional processes that molded the Spanish Empire throughout the sixteenth century. It suggests that the foundation of Spanish dominion in the archipelago involved the development of royal policies in line with imperial competition. Drawing upon Spanish legislation that legitimized the subjugation of natives and reports from colonial authorities on that matter, this article calls attention to the relationship between the development of law and imperial competition. Both processes influenced how the Philippine native elites were accommodated within Spanish rule.