Latest / The Rise of Colonialism: How Europe Divided the World — Fexingo History / The Spanish Inquisition in Manila: The First Auto-da-Fé
Transcript
- Lucas: So we've talked about the Spanish Inquisition in Manila a few times now, but I want to zoom in on a very specific event — the very first auto-da-fé held there, in 1600. It's a moment that really crystallises how the Inquisition operated in a colonial setting. Luna: Wait, I thought the Inquisition was already active for decades before that? Lucas: It was, but mainly in Mexico and Peru. The Manila tribunal, called the Tribunal of the Holy Office, was established later — in 1583, but it took a while to get fully up and running. The first auto-da-fé wasn't until 1600, and it was a huge public spectacle. Lucas: The auto-da-fé was held in the Plaza Mayor of Manila, in front of the cathedral. The entire colonial population was expected to attend — Spanish officials, friars, soldiers, and a large number of Sangley Chinese, who were the primary targets. Luna: Sangley — that's the term for Chinese merchants and artisans in the Philippines, right? Lucas: Exactly. They lived in the Parián, the Chinese quarter just outside the city walls. The Spanish were deeply suspicious of them — they were wealthy, they had their own religious practices, and they were seen as a threat to Catholic orthodoxy. Lucas: The main charge against many Sangleys was 'Judaizing' — meaning they were secretly practising Jewish rituals. This seems odd because most of them were not Jewish; they were largely Buddhist or Taoist. But the Inquisition lumped all non-Christian practices under the umbrella of heresy. Luna: So it was more a way to control them than actual religious enforcement? Lucas: Partly. But also, the Inquisitors genuinely believed they were protecting the faith. The key figure in this first auto-da-fé was Diego de Oseguera, a secular priest who was the commissioner of the Holy Office in Manila. He had been investigating Sangleys for years. Lucas: Oseguera worked alongside Gabriel de Rojas, another official. Together they compiled evidence — mostly from informants and confessions extracted under torture — that dozens of Sangleys had renounced Christianity and returned to their old beliefs. Luna: Did anyone actually get executed? Lucas: Yes. At that first auto-da-fé, a number of Sangleys were condemned to death by burning. Some were burned in effigy because they had fled. The Inquisition also imposed lesser penalties — public flogging, galley service, confiscation of property. Lucas: The whole event was designed to instil fear. The accused wore a sambenito — a yellow robe with crosses and flames painted on it — and were paraded through the streets before the execution. It was a theatrical display of power. Luna: But the Spanish Crown must have had mixed feelings about this, right? Because they relied on Sangley labour and trade. Lucas: Absolutely. That's the fascinating tension. The Manila-Acapulco Galleon trade depended on Chinese goods — silks, porcelain, spices — brought by Sangley merchants. The Crown wanted to maintain that economic lifeline, but the Church wanted to enforce religious conformity. Lucas: So you had a conflict between the Augustinian and Dominican friars, who pushed for harsh persecution, and some colonial officials who were more pragmatic. Even the governor, Juan de Silva, tried to moderate things at times. Luna: Did the Inquisition target any Spanish settlers as well? Lucas: Occasionally — there were cases of Spanish bigamists, blasphemers, or people who made heretical statements. But the vast majority of victims were Sangleys. The Inquisition in Manila was really an instrument of racial and economic control as much as religious. Lucas: One interesting case from the first auto-da-fé involved a Sangley who had been a Christian for years but was accused of secretly worshipping ancestors. He defended himself by saying his ancestors' spirits were not gods, just family. The Inquisition didn't buy it. Luna: So they imposed their own categories on local beliefs, forcing them into the framework of heresy. Lucas: Exactly. And that framework was imported from Spain, where the Inquisition had spent centuries rooting out conversos — Jewish converts to Christianity who were suspected of backsliding. The same logic was applied in the Philippines, even though the cultural context was completely different. Lucas: The first auto-da-fé set a precedent. Between 1600 and the late 18th century, dozens of similar events were held in Manila, though none as large as the first. The power of the Inquisition slowly waned as Enlightenment ideas reached the colony. Luna: And the Inquisition was formally abolished in the Philippines in 1820, right? Lucas: Yes, after the Spanish constitution of 1812 and the liberal reforms. But its legacy was lasting — it created a climate of fear and suspicion that shaped Philippine society for centuries. The Sangley Chinese, in particular, were forced into a kind of double life. Lucas: If this episode gave you a new angle on how colonial power worked, that's exactly what we aim for. These ad-free deep dives only keep going because of listener support — you can help by buying us a coffee at buy me a coffee dot com slash fexingo. It's a small way to keep the history flowing without any ads. Luna: Yeah, it really helps us keep the show independent and focused on the stories that matter. Lucas: And speaking of stories — the Inquisition in Manila is just one piece of a much larger puzzle. Next time, I want to look at how the Spanish used the encomienda system in the Philippines to extract labour and tribute, and how it led to revolts. Luna: That sounds like a natural follow-up — see you then.