This document is Volume XXXII of the essential historical series, The Philippine Islands, 1493–1898, compiled and edited during the early 20th century by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson. The volume presents a foundational primary source: the conclusion of Fray Diego Aduarte's Historia de la Provincia del Sancto Rosario de la Orden de Predicadores, originally published in Manila in 1640. The text covers a pivotal period in the Spanish colonial history of the Philippines, focusing on the years between approximately 1608 and 1637. The work is crucial for understanding the political, economic, commercial, and religious life of the islands during the 17th century. It offers a contemporaneous, highly detailed account of the Dominican Order's missionary efforts, detailing the spiritual conquest of regions like Cagayan and Pangasinan in Luzon. It also chronicles the establishment of key institutions, notably providing an historical sketch for the College of Santo Tomas in Manila. Furthermore, the volume provides a unique window into the broader East Asian colonial landscape by documenting the Order’s attempts to establish missions in Formosa, China, and Korea. A significant portion is dedicated to the increasing severity of Christian persecutions and the many martyrdoms suffered by both religious and native converts in Japan, illustrating the dangerous and interconnected nature of Spanish religious and trade ambitions in the region.
The Philippine islands, 1493–1898 (Vol. 32, pp. 19–299)