The Philippine islands, 1493-1898 (Vol. 47, 1728-1759)

This volume is part of a monumental collection documenting the history of the Philippine Islands under Spanish rule, a period spanning from the arrival of early navigators in 1493 to the close of the nineteenth century. This specific volume, the forty-seventh in the series, covers the mid-eighteenth century, compiling a diverse set of contemporaneous documents written between 1728 and 1759. These documents, translated and extensively annotated by the editors, provide a rich, multi-faceted look into the political, economic, commercial, religious, and social realities of the archipelago. The material offers deep insights into the administrative and military state of the colony through detailed surveys of Manila, Cavite, Cebu, and Zamboanga, along with reports on the financial and personnel status of the ecclesiastical estate and Catholic missions. It highlights the profound influence of charitable organizations like the Santa Misericordia and the Order of St. John of God, detailing their history and extensive welfare work, including the founding of hospitals and schools. Economically, the volume captures the struggles and proposals of the era, notably with discussions on the galleon trade and a proposal for a direct Spanish commercial route to the Philippines via the Cape of Good Hope to avoid foreign dependence. Additionally, it contains a significant ethnographic account of the Zambal people of western Luzon, offering detail on their religious beliefs, social customs, and the efforts to integrate them into the colonial system. The compilation serves as an essential primary source for understanding the complexities and internal workings of the Spanish colonial administration and society during the middle of the eighteenth century.

The book is considered valuable. It is advised that researchers use digital copy rather than physical books for preservation purposes. APA Citation: Blair, E. H., & Robertson, J. A. (Eds.). (1906). The Philippine islands, 1493–1898: explorations by early navigators, descriptions of the islands and their peoples, their history and records of the Catholic missions, as related in contemporaneous books and manuscripts, showing the political, economic, commercial and religious conditions of those islands from their earliest relations with European nations to the close of the nineteenth century (Vol. 47). The Arthur H. Clark Company.