Introduction

Jose Rizal grew up in the 19th century, an age of vast changes in Europe, Spain and the
Philippines. During this period, the glory and power of Spain had spread in many parts of the
globe. One cannot fully perceive Rizal’s thought without learning the social and political
surroundings of the 19th century. Social scientists considered the 19th century as the birth of
modern life as well as the birth of many nation-states around the globe. The birth of modernity
precipitated by three great revolutions around the world – the Industrial Revolution in
England, the French Revolution in France and the American Revolution.
 The Life and Works of Rizal 2

A. Discussion

The Global Context: The Three Great Revolutions

• Industrial Revolution
❖ The industrial revolution was an economic revolution which started with the invention
of the steam engine and resulted in the use of equipment in the manufacturing sector in
the cities of Europe. It has changed the entire economy of Europe from capitalism which
relied on machinery and wage labor. The merchants of Europe who became wealthy
through trade became the early capitalists of this apparent economy. Farmers from rural
areas and remote provinces of the country migrated to the cities and became industrial
workers.

❖ The industrial revolution that started in the West had a

consequence to the Philippine economy. The new
economic system created opportunities by the Industrial
Revolution had encouraged Spain in 1834 to open the
Philippine economy to world commerce. As a result, new
ports and cities were built. Foreign industry increased
rapidly – foreigners were given chance to engage in
manufacturing and agriculture. The presence of these
foreign traders stimulated agrarian production, particularly
sugar, rice, hemp, which ended the government monopoly.

❖ The fast tempo of economic development in the Philippines during the 19 th century
facilitated by the industrial revolution resulted in the rise of a new breed of influential and
wealthy Filipino middle class. This class, Spanish and Chinese mestizos, rose to a position
of power in the Filipino community and eventually became leaders in finance and
education. This class composed of the ilustrados who belonged to the landed upper class
and who were highly respected in their respective pueblos or towns, though regarded as
filibusteros or rebels by the friars. The relative prosperity of the period has enabled them
to send their sons to Spain and Europe for higher studies. Most of them later became
members of Freemasonry and active in the Propaganda Movement.

❖ Safer, faster and more comfortable means of transportation and communication such as
railways and steamships got constructed. The construction of steel bridges and the
opening of the Suez Canal opened shorter routes to commerce. Faster means of
communication enabled people to have better contacts for business and trade. It has
resulted in closer interaction between the Philippines and Spain and to the rest of the
world in the 19th century.
• French Revolution
❖ If the industrial revolution changed the economic
landscape of Europe and the Philippines, another great
revolution changed the political tone of the period – the
French revolution. The French revolution (1789-1799)
started a political revolution in Europe and some parts of
the world. This revolution is a period of political and social
upheaval and radical change in the history of France during
which the French governmental structure was transformed
from absolute monarchy with feudal privileges for the rich
and clergy to a more democratic government form based on
the principles of citizenship and inalienable rights. With the
overthrow of monarchial rule, democratic principles of
Liberty, Equality and Fraternity – the battle cry of the
French Revolution – started to spread in Europe and
around the world.

❖ Not all democratic principles spread as a result of the French revolution. The anarchy or
political disturbance caused by the revolution had reached not only in neighboring
countries of France but it had also reached Spain in the 19 th century. Spain experienced a
turbulent century of political disturbances during this era which included numerous
changes in parliaments and constitutions. Moreover, there arose radical shifts in
government structure introduced by extremists in the motherland. From 1834 to 1862, for
instance, a brief span of only 28 years, Spain had four constitutions, 28 parliaments, and
529 ministers with portfolio. All these political changes in Spain had their repercussions
in the Philippines, cracking the fabric of the old colonial system and introducing through
cracks perilous possibilities of reform, of equality and even emancipation.

❖ Because of this political turmoil in the motherland, her colonies had gained momentum
for independence owing to the cracks in political leadership. For example, Cuba, a colony
of Spain, was waging a revolution against Spain. The divided power of Spain triggered
with a continuous change of regimes due to the democratic aspiration created by French
Revolution. This aspiration had inspired colonies under Spain and Portugal to revolt to
gain independence from their colonial masters in the 19 th century.

• American Revolution
❖ The American revolution, though not directly affecting the local economy and politics of
the Philippines in the nineteenth century had significant repercussions to the democratic
aspirations of the Filipino reformist led by Rizal during this period. The American
revolution refers to the political upheaval during the last half of the 18 th century in which
the 13 colonies of North America overthrew the rule of the British empire and rejected
the British monarchy to make the United States of America a sovereign nation.
 ❖ The American Revolution had given the world in the 19th
century the idea that colonized people can gain their
independence from their colonizers. The Americans were
able to overthrow their British colonial masters to gain
independence and the status of one sovereign nation-state.
This significant event had reverberated in Europe and
around the world and inspired others to follow.

❖ Indirectly, the American Revolution had in a way inspired Filipino reformists like Rizal
to aspire for freedom and independence. When Spain opened the Philippines to world
trade in the 19th century, liberal ideas from America borne by ships and men from foreign
ports began to reach the country and influenced the ilustrados. These ideas, contained in
books and newspapers, were ideologies of American and French Revolution.

The Church in the 19th Century

• In addition to the three great revolutions, the weakening of the grip of the Catholic Church
of the growing secularized society of Europe and Spain has implications to the Philippines.
Conversely, the Catholic Church in Europe was the most powerful institution in Europe.

• The union of Church-State has identified the Church with the monarchy and aristocracy since
the Middle Ages. Since it upheld the status quo and favored the monarchy, the Church in the
nineteenth century had been considered an adversary to the new Republican states and the
recently unified countries. The French saw the Church as a threat to the newly formed
Republican state.

• In Spain, the liberals considered the Church as an enemy of reforms. Thus, they sought to
curtail the influence of the Church in political life and education. This movement against the
Catholic Church called anti-clericalism had gained strength in the nineteenth century not
only for political reasons but also for the materialistic preferences of the people generated by
the economic prosperity of the period.

• The declining influence of the Catholic Church in Europe and Spain has little effect, however,
to the control and power of the local Church in the Philippines. Despite the anti-clericalism
in Spain, the power of friars in the Philippines in the 19 th century did not decline; instead, it
became consolidated after the weakening of civil authority owing to the constant change in
political leadership.

• It means that Filipinos turned more and more to the friars for moral and political guidance
as Spanish public officials in the colony become more corrupt and immoral. The union of the
Church and State and the so-called “rule of the friars” or “frailocracy” continued during
this period.
• In the last decades of the 19th century, the Spanish friars were so influential and powerful that
they practically ruled the whole archipelago. The Spanish civil authorities as well as patriotic
Filipinos feared them. According to Zaide (1999), in every Christian town in the country, for
instance, the friar is the real ruler, not the elected gobernadorcillo. He was the supervisor of
local elections, the inspector of the schools, the arbiter of morals, and the censor of books and
stage shows. He could order the arrest of or exile to distant land any filibustero or anti-friar
Filipino who disobeyed him or refused to kiss his hands.

• One of the aims of Jose Rizal and the propagandists in

preparing the Filipino people for revolution and independence
was to discredit the friars. Exposing the abuses and
immoralities of the friars is one way to downplay their power
and influence among the people and thus can shift the
allegiance of the Indios from the friars to the Filipino reformists
and leaders. The strengthening power of the friars in the 19th
century has encouraged the nationalists to double their efforts
to win the people to their side.
 C. References

• Agoncillo, T. (1990). History of the Filipino People (8th ed.). Quezon City, Philippines:
Garotech Publishing.
• Umali, V. D., Ramos, O. H., Ambida, M. N., & Maliban N. P. (2019). Jose Rizal: A Review
on the Life and Works of the First Filipino. Mandaluyong City, Philippines: Books Atbp.
Publishing Corp.
• Zaide, G. F., & Zaide, Z. M. (1999). Jose Rizal: Life, Works, Scientist and National Hero
(2nd ed.). Quezon City, Philippines: All-Nations Publishing Co., Inc.

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