The Age of Discovery, also known as the Age of Exploration, was a period starting in the early 15th century

and continuing to the 17th century during which Europeans explored Africa, the Americas, Asia and Oceania. The fall of Constantinople in 1453 severed European trade links by land with Asia leading [1][2] many to begin seeking routes east by sea and spurred the age of exploration. Historians often refer to [3][4] the 'Age of Discovery' as the pioneer Portuguese and Spanish long-distance maritime travels in search [5] of alternative trade routes to "the East Indies", moved by the trade of gold, silver and spices. The Age of Discovery can be seen as a bridge between the Middle Ages and the Modern era, along with its contemporary Renaissance movement, triggering theearly modern period and the rise of European nation states. European overseas expansion led to the rise of colonial empires, with the contact between the Old and New Worlds producing the Columbian Exchange: a wide transfer of plants, animals, foods, human populations (including slaves), communicable diseases, and culture between the Eastern and Western hemispheres, in one of the most significant global events concerning ecology, agriculture, and culture in history.European exploration allowed the global mapping of the world, resulting in a new world-view and distant civilizations acknowledging each other, reaching the most remote boundaries much later. Portugal's neighbouring fellow Iberian rival, Castile, had begun to establish its rule over the Canary Islands, located off the west African coast, in 1402, but then became distracted by internal Iberian politics and the repelling of Islamic invasion attempts and raids through most of the 15th century. Only late in the century, following the unification of the crowns of Castile and Aragon and the completion of the reconquista, did an emerging modern Spain become fully committed to the search for new trade routes overseas. The Crown of Aragon had been an important maritime potentate in the Mediterranean, controlling territories in eastern Spain, southwestern France, major islands like Sicily, Malta, and the Kingdom of Naples and Sardinia, with mainland possessions as far as Greece. In 1492 the joint rulers conquered the Moorish kingdom of Granada, which had been providing Castile with African goods through tribute, and decided to fund Christopher Columbus's expedition in the hope of bypassing Portugal's monopoly on west African sea routes, to reach "the Indies" (east and south Asia) by travelling [49] west. Twice before, in 1485 and 1488, Columbus had presented the project to king John II of Portugal, who rejected it. On the evening of 3 August 1492, Columbus departed from Palos de la Frontera with three ships; one larger carrack, Santa Mara, nicknamed Gallega (the Galician), and two smaller caravels, Pinta(the Painted) and Santa Clara, nicknamed Nia. Columbus first sailed to the Canary Islands, where he restocked for what turned out to be a five-week voyage across the ocean, crossing a section of the Atlantic that became known as the Sargasso Sea. Land was sighted on 12 October 1492, and Columbus called the island (now The Bahamas) San Salvador, in what he thought to be the "West Indies". Columbus also explored the northeast coast of Cuba (landed on 28 October) and the northern coast of Hispaniola, by 5 December. He was received by the native cacique Guacanagari, who gave him permission to leave some of his men behind. Columbus left 39 men and founded the settlement of La Navidad in what is now present[50] day Haiti. Before returning to Spain, he kidnapped some ten to twenty-five natives and took them back with him. Only seven or eight of the native Indians arrived in Spain alive, but they made quite an [51] impression on Seville.

On the return, a storm forced him to dock in Lisbon, on 4 March 1493. After a week in Portugal, he set sail for Spain, entering the harbor of Palos on 15 March 1493. Word of his "discovery" of new [52] lands rapidly spread throughout Europe. Columbus and other Spanish explorers were initially disappointed with their discoveries unlike Africa or Asia the Caribbean islanders had little to trade with the Spanish ships. The islands thus became the focus of colonization efforts. It was not until the continent itself was explored that Spain found the wealth it had sought.

b. Kinds of Colonial Policies 1. Monopoly controlling the goods and resources of Filipinos 2. Exploitation gathering of products which are produced by Filipinos 3.. Land grabbing used by friars in order to make the Filipinos pay a required amount(quota) before the next harvest. If not paid, the debt will be added to the nest harvest until the quota is reached. 4. Polo y servicio forced labor c. Objectives of Colonial Policies - To prevent and destroy the unity among Filipinos - To be able to centralized and exploit goods and resources - To abuse Filipinos - To gain power and at the same time, money II. Reasons why there is no unity among Filipinos to

Datu during the Spanish period

The Datu Class (First Estate) of the four echelons of Filipino Society at the time of contact with the Europeans (as described by Fr. Juan de Plasencia- a pioneer Franciscan missionary in the Philippines), [34] was referred to by the Spaniards as the Principala. Loarca, and the he Canon Lawyer Antonio Morga, who classified the Society into three estates (ruler, ruled, slave), also affirmed the usage of this term and [35] also spoke about the preeminence of the Principales. All members of this Datu class were [36] [37] Principales, whether they ruled or not. San Buenaventura's 1613 Dictionary of the Tagalog [35] Language defines three terms that clarify the concept of this Principala: 1. Poon or Pun (chief, leader) - principal or head of a lineage. 2. Ginoo - a noble by lineage and parentage, family and descent. 3. Maguinoo - principal in lineage or parentage. The Spanish term Seor (Lord) is equated with all these three terms, which are distinguished from the nouveau riche imitators scornfully called Maygintao (man with gold or Hidalgo by gold, and not by [38] lineage).

Upon the Christianization of most parts of the Philippine Archipelago, the Datus (king) of the pre-Hispanic kingdoms and principalities retained their right to govern their territory under theSpanish [39] [40] Empire. King Philip II of Spain, in a law signed June 11, 1594, commanded the Spanish colonial officials in the Archipelago that these native royalties and nobilities be given the same respect, and privileges that they had enjoyed before their conversion. Their domains became selfruled tributary barangays of the Spanish Empire. The Filipino royals and nobles formed part of the exclusive, and elite ruling class, called the Principala (Noble Class) of the Philippines. The Principala was the class that constituted a birthright [38] aristocracy with claims to respect, obedience, and support from those of subordinate status. With the recognition of the Spanish Monarchs came the privilege of being addressed as Don or Doa. a mark of esteem and distinction in Europe reserved for a person of noble or royal status during the colonial period. Other honors and high regard were also accorded to the Christianized Datus by the Spanish Empire. For example, the Gobernadorcillos (elected leader of theCabezas de Barangay or the Christianized Datus) and Filipino officials of justice received the greatest consideration from the Spanish Crown officials. The colonial officials were under obligation to show them the honor corresponding to their respective duties. They were allowed to sit in the houses of the Spanish Provincial Governors, and in any other places. They were not left to remain standing. It was not permitted for [42] Spanish Parish Priests to treat these Filipino nobles with less consideration. The Gobernadorcillos exercised the command of the towns. They were Port Captains in coastal [43] towns. Their office corresponds to that of the alcaldes and municipal judges of the Iberian Peninsula. [44] They performed at once the functions of judges and even of notaries with defined powers. They also had the rights and powers to elect assistants and several lieutenants and alguaciles, proportionate in [44] number to the inhabitants of the town. By the end of the 16th century, any claim to Filipino royalty, nobility, or hidalgua had disappeared into a [45] homogenized, hispanized and Christianized nobility - the Principala. This remant of the pre-colonial royal and noble families continued to rule their traditional domain until the end of the Spanish Regime. However, there were cases when succession in leadership was also done through election of new leaders (Cabezas de Barangay), especially in provinces near the central colonial government in Manila where the ancient ruling families lost their prestige and role. Perhaps proximity to the central power diminished their significance. However, in distant territories, where the central authority had less control and where order could be maintained without using coercive measures, hereditary succession was still enforced until Spain lost the Archipelago to the Americans. These distant territories remained Patriarchal [46] societies, where people retained great respect for the Principala. The Principala was larger and more influential than the pre-conquest Indigenous nobility. It helped create [47][48] and perpetuate an oligarchic system in the Spanish colony for more than three hundred years. The Spanish colonial government's prohibition for foreigners to own land in the Philippines contributed to the evolution of this form of oligarchy. In some provinces of the Philippines, many Spaniards and foreign merchants intermarried with the rich and landed Malayo-Polynesian local nobilities. From these unions, a [49] new cultural group was formed, the Mestizo class. Their descendants emerged later to became an influential part of the government, and the Principala.
[41]

The Spanish Friars were the crucial elements in the Westernizing the Philippine Archipelago, and in spreading the Christian faith in this part of the world. Journeying with the first European explorers in these islands in the Far East, they came with the intention of establishing the Catholic Religion under the Patronato real of the Kings of Spain. After the conquistadores won the natives to allegiance to the Spanish crown, by peaceful means of treaties and pacts or by means of war, Spain did not send large standing armies to maintain its empire in the East. The apostolic zeal of the missionaries followed up the efforts of men like Miguel Lpez de Legazpi, and aided to consolidate the enterprise of hispanizing the Philippines. The Spnaish missionaries were the real conquerors; they who without any other arms than their virtues, gained over the good will of the islanders, caused the Spanish name to be beloved, and gave the king, as it were by a miracle, two [1] millions more of submissive and Christian subjects. Contemporary Europeans would say that "In each [2] friar in the Philippines the King had a captain general and a whole army." The French historian Par J. Mallat also made a similar observation. He said:"It is only by the influence of religion that Philippines was [3] conquered. Only this influence could keep these (islands)."