PROLOGUE The times of Rizal saw the flowering of Western imperialism.

England emerged as
the world’s leading imperialist power. On account of her invincible navy and
Rizal and His Times magnificent army, she was able to conquer many countries throughout the world
and to establish a global colonial empire. Thus the British people during the glorious
To appreciate and understand the life of Dr. Jose Rizal, it is necessary to know the reign of Queen Victoria (1837-1901) proudly asserted: “Britannia rules the waves.”
historical background of the world and of the Philippines during his times. The 19 th By winning the First Opium War (1840-1842) against the tottering Chinese Empire
century when he lived was a century of ferment caused by the blowing winds of under the Manchu dynasty, she acquired the island of Hong Kong (Fragrant Harbor).
history. In Asia, Europe, and the Americas, events surged inexorably like sea tides, In the Second Opium War (1856-1860),2 she won again and forced the helpless
significantly affecting the lives and fortunes of mankind, Manchu dynasty to cede the Kowloon Peninsula opposite Hong Kong. In 1859, after
suppressing the Indian Rebellion and dismantling the Mogul Empire, she imposed
The World of Rizal’s Times her raj (rule) over the subcontinent of India (now consisting of India, Pakistan, and
Bangladesh). By winning the Three Anglo-Burmese Wars (1824-26, 1852, and 1885),
On February 19, 1861, four months before Rizal’s birth in Calamba, the liberal she conquered Burma. Other lands in Asia which became British colonies were
Czar Alexander II (1855-1881), to appease the rising discontent of the Russian Ceylon (Sri Lanka). Maldives, Aden, Malaya, Singapore, and Egypt. Australia and
masses, issued a proclamation emancipating 22,500,000 serfs. When Rizal was New Zealand in the South Pacific also became British colonies.
born on June 19, 1861, the American Civil War (1861-65) was raging furiously in the
United States over the issue of Negro slavery. This titanic conflict, which erupted on Other imperialists, following Britain’s example, grabbed the weak countries in
April 12, 1861, compelled President Lincoln to issue his famous Emancipation Southeast Asia and colonized them. In 1858-1863, France, with the help of Filipino
Proclamation on September 22, 1863 freeing the Negro slaves, troops under Spanish officers, conquered Vietnam; annexed Cambodia (1863) and
Laos (1893); and merged all these countries into a federated colony under the name
On June 1, 1861, just eighteen days before Rizal’s birth, Benito Juarez, a full- of French Indochina. The Dutch, after driving away the Portuguese and Spaniards
blooded Zapotec Indian, was elected President of Mexico. A year after his election from the East Indies in the 17th century, colonized this vast and rich archipelago and
(in April 1862) Emperor Napoleon III of the Second French Empire, in his imperialistic named it the Netherlands East Indies (now Indonesia,).
desire to secure a colonial stake in Latin America, sent French troops which invaded
and conquered Mexico. President Juarez, owing to the raging American Civil War, Czarist Russia, unable to expand westward to Europe, turned eastward to Asia,
could not obtain military aid from his friend, President Lincoln, but he continued to conquering Siberia and later occupied Kam-chatka, Kuriles, and Alaska (which she
resist the French invaders with his valiant Indian and Mexican freedom fighters. To sold in 1867 to the U.S. for $7,200,000). From 1865 to 1884, she conquered the
consolidate his occupation of Mexico, Napoleon III, installed Archduke Maximilian Muslim Khanates of Bokhara. Khiva, and Kokand in Central Asia. Expanding towards
of Austria as puppet emperor of Mexico at Mexico city on June 12, 1864. Finally, after China, Czarist Russia joined England. France, and Germany in the despoliation of
the end of the American Civil War, Juarez, with U.S. support, defeated Maximilian’s the crumbling Chinese Empire, acquiring Manchuria as a “sphere of influence.”
French forces in the Battle of Queretaro (May 15, 1867) and executed Emperor Thus enabling her to build the 5,800-mile Trans-Siberian Railway, reputed to be “the
Maximilian on June 19, 1867 (Rizal’s sixth birthday anniversary). Thus fizzled out world’s longest railroad” linking Vladivostok and Moscow.
Emperor Napoleon III’s ambition to colonize Latin America.
On July 8, 1853, an American squadron under the command of Commodore
In Rizal’s times two European nations (Italians and Germans) succeeded in Matthew C. Perry re-opened Japan to the world. After this event, which ended
unifying their own countries. The Italians under the leadership of Count Cavour and Japan’s 214-year isolation (1639. 1853), Emperor Meiji (Mutsuhito) modernized the
of Garibaldi and his Army of “Red Shirts” drove out the Austrians and French armies country by freely accepting Western influences, including imperialism. No sooner
from Italy and proclaimed the Kingdom of Italy under King Victor Emmanuel, with had Japan strengthened her navy and/army along Western lines, when she, joining
Rome as capital city. The Prussians led by Otto von Bismarck, the “Iron Chancellor”, the Western imperialist powers, began her imperialist career by fighting weak China
defeated France in the Franco-Prussian War and established the German Empire on in the Sino-Japanese War (1894-95) and grabbed Formosa (Taiwan) and Pescadores.
January 18, 1871, with King Wilhelm of Prussia as first Kaiser of the German Empire. And later in 1910 she annexed Korea.
With his defeat in the Franco-Prussian War, Emperor Napoleon III’s Second French
Empire collapsed, and over its ruins the Third French Republic arose, with Adolph Germany, it should be recalled became a sovereign state in January 1871, and
Thiers as first President. was late in the scramble for colonies in Asia and Africa. In search for colonial stakes,
she turned to the island archipelagoes of the mid-Pacific world. On August 25, 1885,
a German warship, the Ilties, entered the harbor of Yap (an island in the Carolines),
landing the German marines who seized the island, hoisted the German flag and
proclaimed the Carolines and Palaus archipelagoes as colonies of Germany.
Strangely, the Spanish governor of the Carolines (Don Enrique Capriles) was present
in the island, with two Spanish ships moored at its harbor. But due to cowardice or
other reasons, he did not offer resistance to the German aggression.

The German seizure of Yap island enraged Spain, who claimed sovereignty over
the Carolines and Palaus by right of discovery. It should be noted that the island of
Yap was discovered by the Manila galleon pilot, Francisco Lezcano, who named it
“Carolina” in honor of King Charles II (1665-1700) of Spain, which name was applied
to the other islands. Spanish-Ger-man relations grew critical. In Madrid, the Spanish
populace rose in violent riots, demanding war against Germany. To avert actual
clash of arms, Spain and Germany submitted the Carolina Question to Pope Leo XIII
for arbitration.

The Holy Father, after careful study of the pertinent documents submitted by both
parties, issued his decision on October 22, 1885 favoring Spain recognizing Spain’s
sovereignty over the Carolines and Palaus, but granting two concessions to
Germany (1) the right to trade in the disputed archipelagoes and (2) the right to
establish a coaling station in Yap for the German navy. Both Spain and Germany
accepted the Papal decision, so that the Hispano-German War was aborted. It is
interesting to recall that during the critical days of the Hispano-German imbroglio
over the Carolines, Rizal was in Barcelona visiting his friend Maximo Viola, At the
same time he wrote an article on the Carolina Question which was published in La
Publicidad, a newspaper owned by Don Miguel Morayta.

While the imperialist powers were enjoying the fruits of their colonial ventures and
achieving global prestige, Spain, once upon a time the “mistress of the world.” Was
stagnating as a world power. Gone with the winds of time was the dalliance of the
imperial glory of her vanished Siglo de Oro (Golden Age). She lost her rich colonies
in Latin America Paraguay (1811), Argentina (1816). Chile (1817), Colombia and
Ecuador (1819), the Central American countries (Costa Rica, Honduras, Guatemala,
El Salvador, and Nicaragua) in 1821, Venezuela (1822), Peru (1824), and Bolivia and
Uruguay (1825). These former Spanish colonies had risen in arms against Spanish
tyranny and achieved their independence. Evidently, Spain never learned a lesson
from the loss of these colonies, for she continued a despotic rule in her remaining
overseas colonies, including Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Philippines.