Philippine Diplomatic History 2: The Philippines and the World

Roxas, Kathlene Dane

BAH 3-1

1. Discuss the role of US pacification policies in the Philippines in the decline of Sultanate

power in Mindanao

Us pacification policies, although some where harsh methods helped greatly for the

colonization of Americans to the colonization of Moroland – Islamic – people. There are three

policies that administered for Moroland. First policy was the “rough rider policy” under Gen

Leonard Wood, who launched an extensive military operation against the resistance. This policy

killed 600 Moros in 3-day battle – Battle of Bud Dajo, Sulu – from 6th to 8th of March 1905.

After Gen. Wood, Tasker Bliss succeeded the policies with a “velvet glove” policy, where he

gained the “peacemaker” nickname because no war happened during his time and in his 4-year

term he succeeds in recruiting Moros’ in the Philippine Constabulary and become a tool to

discipline fellow Muslims. After Bliss, John Pearshing becomes the governor that successful in

making a framework of civil government and economic development in Moroland with the peace

and order remains. Although with his term, another battle happened which is Bud Bagsak – 13th

of June 1913 – that killed 500 to 2,000 Moros. after the tragic battle, the Moro state somehow

normalized, with this time Moro trades with Chinese and Filipinos remained under the American

control.

In conclusion, that these policies help, not just to conquer the Moroland from the Sultanates but

also to control their foreign trades, as this was the population that Spaniards that didn’t

colonized. Aside from that these policies striped the power and the influence of Sultanates away

from them.
2. Explain the absence of “Islamic Solidarity” during the period of Moro-Hispanic Wars.

Moro-Hispanic Wars didn’t just happen in the Philippines but also to the other Islamic

State near the country, according to Cesar Majul it consists of 6 stages, (1) the arrival of

Legaspi and the ransacking of Spanish forces in Brunei in 1578 and 1581. (2) where the

Spaniards attempts to make the Sulu and Maguindanao as the vassal of Spain 1596 and 1597.

(3) Moro raid along the coastlines of Visayas and Luzon since 1599. (4) Spanish fortification of

Zamboanga in 1635, that only ended in 1664 due to Koxinga’s threat. (5) re-fortification of

Zamboanga by Spaniards in 1718. and lastly (6) the Spanish assault on Sulu in 1851 and ended

in 1898. With that it can be seen as the Spaniard and Moros’ didn’t get along as along the year

since the beginning of their interaction war begun. To understand this war, aside from Moros are

Islam and Spaniards are Christians, is that there was an absence of “Islamic Solidarity” with the

Moros, as this becomes the response to the foreign aggression of the Spaniards. Aside from the

other Islamic State in the Southeast, Moros were the last frontier of Islam in Southeast Asia. As

of course (1) the absence is due to the geographical distance, Philippines far away from the

“center” of the Islamic world. and (2) is the dissolution of Abbasid Caliphate on 1258 were led to

the Islamic world to disarray. Since then, power has no single center of power in the world.