Background
Miguel López de Legazpi, searching for a suitable place to establish his capital after being compelled to move from Cebu to Panay by Portuguese pirates and imminent famine under Martin de Goiti and Captain Juan de Salcedo to discover the location and potentials of a sultanate in Luzon. De Goiti anchored at Cavite, and tried to establish his authority peaceably by sending a message of friendship to Maynila. Rajah Sulayman, its ruler, was willing to accept the friendship that the Spaniards were offering, but did not want to submit to its sovereignty. Thus, Sulayman waged war against them. As a result, De Goiti and his army attacked Maynila on June 1570. After a stout fight, Sulayman and his men were forced to flee uphill. The natives only came back to the city after the Spaniards had left.
In 1571, the Spaniards returned with their entire force (consisting of 280 Spaniards and 600 native allies), this time led by Legazpi himself. Seeing them approach, the natives set the city on fire and fled to Tondo. The Spaniards occupied the ruins of Maynila and established a settlement there. On May 19, 1571, Legaspi gave the title city to the colony of Manila. The title was certified on June 19, 1572. Under Spain, Manila became the colonial entrepot in the Far East. The Manila-Acapulco Galleon Trade between the Philippines and Mexico flourished thereafter.
However, a Kapampangan chieftain of the Macabebe tribe, later identified as Tarik Sulayman, refused to submit to the Spaniards and gathered together a force composed of Kapampangan warriors after failing to get the support of the chieftains of Manila (Lakandula, Matanda) and Hagonoy.
Read more about this topic: Battle Of Bankusay Channel
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