The Queen of the Orient
- Thread starter Mercenarius
- Start date
Mercenarius
Banned
A Much Needed Pause
By the end of October 1823, almost the entire Luzon was then in rebel hands, with the exception of Cagayan. Exhausted and depleted, Governor Juan Antonio Martínez didn't launched any more offensive within the year, still hoping that reinforcements would come to his aid. This lack of action gave the Filipino government a chance to recuperate. Around this time, the Junta made its preparations for the nation's first parliamentary elections.
The elections were held on November 3rd, but only those from the landowner elites, wealthy middle class and other chosen intellectual groups were permitted to vote; the main reason for this is the illeteracy of the peasantry and other lower classes. Nonetheless, the elections were successful, and the results were known within the week; Pedro Pérez de Tagle, who has been the provisional head of the Junta, was chosen as the Philippines' first Prime Minister. Tagle, in the presence of Luis I, was sworn in office by November 30th, along with the opening of the Imperial parliament's inaugural session.
One of Tagle's priorities was the implementation of the Constitution's basic provisions; this includes the establishment of basic rights, taxation reforms and the abolishment of the casta system, among others. His regime had finalized the formation of the Imperial Philippine Army on December 26th, with Luis I as its commander-in-chief, and formalized Andrés Novales' appointment as Captain General of the Army[1].
The first crisis of the Tagle goverment would come at the start of 1824. Several Spanish conservatives along with allied friars held secret meetings in Cavite, plotting a counter-revolution against the ruling government, which they called a "heretic cult under an atheist king". Acquiring arms from Chinese gun runners, they raised a "salvation army" and claimed loyalty to Fernando VII.
Meanwhile in Spain, the (once again) restored Fernando VII had finished purging his kingdom of liberal elements, and finally turned his attention to other matters. His empire was then in the brink of collapse, with rebellions in the Americas and the Philippines. At that point Spain's coffers are all dried up, and its military weakened. Fernando was pressured by his advisers to choose between them. The stubborn monarch refused and ordered reinforcements to both colonies, probably hoping for a miracle from the hand of God. But this might become Fernando's big mistake.
---
[1] Equivalent to OTL Philippine Army Commanding General
By the end of October 1823, almost the entire Luzon was then in rebel hands, with the exception of Cagayan. Exhausted and depleted, Governor Juan Antonio Martínez didn't launched any more offensive within the year, still hoping that reinforcements would come to his aid. This lack of action gave the Filipino government a chance to recuperate. Around this time, the Junta made its preparations for the nation's first parliamentary elections.
The elections were held on November 3rd, but only those from the landowner elites, wealthy middle class and other chosen intellectual groups were permitted to vote; the main reason for this is the illeteracy of the peasantry and other lower classes. Nonetheless, the elections were successful, and the results were known within the week; Pedro Pérez de Tagle, who has been the provisional head of the Junta, was chosen as the Philippines' first Prime Minister. Tagle, in the presence of Luis I, was sworn in office by November 30th, along with the opening of the Imperial parliament's inaugural session.
One of Tagle's priorities was the implementation of the Constitution's basic provisions; this includes the establishment of basic rights, taxation reforms and the abolishment of the casta system, among others. His regime had finalized the formation of the Imperial Philippine Army on December 26th, with Luis I as its commander-in-chief, and formalized Andrés Novales' appointment as Captain General of the Army[1].
The first crisis of the Tagle goverment would come at the start of 1824. Several Spanish conservatives along with allied friars held secret meetings in Cavite, plotting a counter-revolution against the ruling government, which they called a "heretic cult under an atheist king". Acquiring arms from Chinese gun runners, they raised a "salvation army" and claimed loyalty to Fernando VII.
Meanwhile in Spain, the (once again) restored Fernando VII had finished purging his kingdom of liberal elements, and finally turned his attention to other matters. His empire was then in the brink of collapse, with rebellions in the Americas and the Philippines. At that point Spain's coffers are all dried up, and its military weakened. Fernando was pressured by his advisers to choose between them. The stubborn monarch refused and ordered reinforcements to both colonies, probably hoping for a miracle from the hand of God. But this might become Fernando's big mistake.
---
[1] Equivalent to OTL Philippine Army Commanding General
Mercenarius
Banned
The Clergy's Counterattack
The Cavite Uprising of 1824, also known as the Friar's Rebellion, was a result of the Filipino government's liberal policies, which the clergy (and radical conservative elites) found distasteful. In particular was the seizure of lands and other properties belonging to the religious orders under the land reform program. This sudden loss of power and wealth was met with outrage among the friars, who began to condemn the ruling regime as heretics. The humiliations would go on until they finally decided to unite and eradicate the "spawns of the devils", and take back what was theirs.
On January 20th, the conservatives managed to incite several followers -mostly religious fanatics- into open rebellion, calling a crusade against the "heretic government". They seized Fort San Felipe where the leaders declared for the Spanish Crown, and called themselves the "Loyal Knights of Ferdinand", more known as the Loyalists. This incident was followed by other similar uprisings in the provinces around Manila, causing chaos in several places.
With the fledgling nation in the brink of civil war, Luis I and Prime Minister Tagle responded swiftly, and instructed the army to stop the insurrection. Luckily, before the Imperial troops were to be deployed, a group of men -headed by the well-known insurgent Juan Silvestre- offered their services to the government. Silvestre had been rebelling against the colonial authorities since 1822, and had a sizeable peasant army under his leadership. After the overthrow of the Spanish regime Silvestre's group closely cooperated with the revolutionary troops, and participated in several battles against the Royalists. When he heard about the counter-revolution being instigated by religious leaders, Silvestre immediately grabbed the opportunity to give the detested friars a taste of their own medicine.
After receiving lots of weapons, Silvestre and his co-commander Luis de los Santos sets out to do his job. Silvestre first encountered the Loyalists at Bacoor on January 25th. A fanatical army stood no chance against Silvestre's battle-hardened insurgents and thus, were quickly routed. The Loyalists, however, managed to gain minor victories, prolonging the rebellion a little bit. The battle for Fort San Felipe started on January 28th and raged on until the Loyalists surrendered on February 1st. Some friars were captured during the battle, with a few of them executed by the enraged insurgents.
The fall of Fort San Felipe was the death knell for the Loyalists, as they suffered more defeats in Morong, Batangas and Laguna. The last of the Loyalists surrendered on February 6th, with most of them (peasants) pardoned. However all the leaders, including priests, were tried and executed.
Despite the scale of the rebellion, the reconstruction and rehabilitation process were relatively easy. The victory of the government solidify the legitimacy of the ruling regime. It also urged the remaining (and mostly moderate) conservative elites to join the government and work with the system, instead of destroying it. This event also marked the end of friarocracy in the Philippines.
The excellent performance of Silvestre's militia was highly praised by the parliament. With the encouragement from Luis I, a permanent peackeeping force was formed in order to prevent any other uprisings from popping up: the Guardia Nacional.[1]
---
[1] TTL's Guardia Civil/Philippine Constabulary
The Cavite Uprising of 1824, also known as the Friar's Rebellion, was a result of the Filipino government's liberal policies, which the clergy (and radical conservative elites) found distasteful. In particular was the seizure of lands and other properties belonging to the religious orders under the land reform program. This sudden loss of power and wealth was met with outrage among the friars, who began to condemn the ruling regime as heretics. The humiliations would go on until they finally decided to unite and eradicate the "spawns of the devils", and take back what was theirs.
On January 20th, the conservatives managed to incite several followers -mostly religious fanatics- into open rebellion, calling a crusade against the "heretic government". They seized Fort San Felipe where the leaders declared for the Spanish Crown, and called themselves the "Loyal Knights of Ferdinand", more known as the Loyalists. This incident was followed by other similar uprisings in the provinces around Manila, causing chaos in several places.
With the fledgling nation in the brink of civil war, Luis I and Prime Minister Tagle responded swiftly, and instructed the army to stop the insurrection. Luckily, before the Imperial troops were to be deployed, a group of men -headed by the well-known insurgent Juan Silvestre- offered their services to the government. Silvestre had been rebelling against the colonial authorities since 1822, and had a sizeable peasant army under his leadership. After the overthrow of the Spanish regime Silvestre's group closely cooperated with the revolutionary troops, and participated in several battles against the Royalists. When he heard about the counter-revolution being instigated by religious leaders, Silvestre immediately grabbed the opportunity to give the detested friars a taste of their own medicine.
After receiving lots of weapons, Silvestre and his co-commander Luis de los Santos sets out to do his job. Silvestre first encountered the Loyalists at Bacoor on January 25th. A fanatical army stood no chance against Silvestre's battle-hardened insurgents and thus, were quickly routed. The Loyalists, however, managed to gain minor victories, prolonging the rebellion a little bit. The battle for Fort San Felipe started on January 28th and raged on until the Loyalists surrendered on February 1st. Some friars were captured during the battle, with a few of them executed by the enraged insurgents.
The fall of Fort San Felipe was the death knell for the Loyalists, as they suffered more defeats in Morong, Batangas and Laguna. The last of the Loyalists surrendered on February 6th, with most of them (peasants) pardoned. However all the leaders, including priests, were tried and executed.
Despite the scale of the rebellion, the reconstruction and rehabilitation process were relatively easy. The victory of the government solidify the legitimacy of the ruling regime. It also urged the remaining (and mostly moderate) conservative elites to join the government and work with the system, instead of destroying it. This event also marked the end of friarocracy in the Philippines.
The excellent performance of Silvestre's militia was highly praised by the parliament. With the encouragement from Luis I, a permanent peackeeping force was formed in order to prevent any other uprisings from popping up: the Guardia Nacional.[1]
---
[1] TTL's Guardia Civil/Philippine Constabulary
Mercenarius
Banned
Announcement
I'm afraid I've got some bad news...
This TL is officially under rewrite. I'll be using another format for writing it, since I realized that I really suck at textbook-style writing.
Please look forward for Version 2.
Adios, amigos.
UPDATE (08/25/14): I've deleted the post related to Ver 2. Consider the latest updates as Ver 2.5...
I'm afraid I've got some bad news...
This TL is officially under rewrite. I'll be using another format for writing it, since I realized that I really suck at textbook-style writing.
Please look forward for Version 2.
Adios, amigos.
UPDATE (08/25/14): I've deleted the post related to Ver 2. Consider the latest updates as Ver 2.5...
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Just continue with the flow. Change the writing format if you want. Dont restart. The PI Empire has a lot of following.
How about posting version 2 on this thread? And I agree what Namayan said
Mercenarius
Banned
Really? Am I the only guy here who thought of that POD?
I think you're right. I might just post it here, instead of putting up a new thread.
Thanks for your patronage. I'll post the rewrites on the next page. (but that means... a lot of fillers
)Mercenarius
Banned
Changed my mind... again.
OK...
A friend of mine (who knows something about writing) "suggested" to me to return to a narrative format of writing this TL, as it is more interesting to read than in outline form. So, just disregard the previous 3 updates. Version 3 is up I guess.
I'm really sorry for this, guys. It's just that my mind is in some clusterfuck situation at this point. Hope you understand.
But don't worry, I'll NEVER abandon this TL. Not in a million years.
OK...
A friend of mine (who knows something about writing) "suggested" to me to return to a narrative format of writing this TL, as it is more interesting to read than in outline form. So, just disregard the previous 3 updates. Version 3 is up I guess.
I'm really sorry for this, guys. It's just that my mind is in some clusterfuck situation at this point. Hope you understand.
But don't worry, I'll NEVER abandon this TL. Not in a million years.
Mercenarius
Banned
The Oueen of the Orient (Version 2.5)
Okay so this is the second time I'm reformatting this TL. Hopefully, it'll be the last. Wish me luck, and may God bless me...
***
The Road to Independence
The end of the Napoleonic Wars left Spain a screwed-up nation. With its army battered and its treasury without money, the nation entered its worst chapter in years. Fernando VII badly wanted to fix that problem, and he thought only absolute rule was the right answer. Thus, he abolished the Constitution of 1812, which made the liberals enraged. The Felon King expected the reaction, and have every supporter of the constitution arrested. His iron fist rule would last for almost a decade. The 1820s saw the demise of Spain's possessions in the Americas, as New Spain, New Granada, Peru, and Rio de la Plata succeeded in gaining their independence from the Crown. An effect of this was the increased mistrust of mainland Spaniards, or peninsulars, towards the criollos and mestizos. So, they planned to curb their power and to reassert control over the remaining Spanish colonies. At that time, many peninsular officers and administrators from the New World were left jobless with the fall of the viceroyalties. In response, Madrid reassigned them to Cuba, Africa and the Philippines.
In Manila, the local criollos and mestizos were outraged by the new policy, calling it very discriminatory. They tried to appeal, but the protests were put down by the colonial government. The army was no exception. Many criollo officers were demoted and replaced by peninsulars. This time the government readied a countermeasure, by sendeng the non-peninsular troops to Mindanao. When the order was declared, an army captain decided that it's enough, and began to hatch a plan. That man is Andrés Novales.
On 1 June, Novales defied his orders and marched into the walls of Manila with 800 men. Their arrival caught the city by surprise. In a couple of hours, government buildings and other important structures were seized. But there's one surprising fact: instead of facing opposition from the locals, Novales was cheered by them. This, coupled with shouts of "Long Live the Emperor!" prompted Novales to change his plans. The mutiny is now a full-pledged war of liberation.
But the victory is not yet complete, as Fort Santiago still stands as a Royalist bastion. Novales and his bolstered army marched into the fort to demand its surrender. Antonio Novales, brother of Andrés, refused the demands, and ordered his troops to resist. But Antonio's subordinates switched sides and seized their commander, and the opened the gates of Fort Santiago themselves, effectively joining the growing rebellion.
Novales and his supporters celebrated their victory, and confidently declared the end of Spanish tyranny. But reality speaks otherwise. The Governor General, Juan Antonio Martínez and his lieutenant Mariano Rodríguez de Folgueras escaped to Pampanga, and rallied the Spanish troops for a counterattack. This sets the stage for a new chapter in Philippine history: the War of Independence.
***
PS: I might try to write in a non-linear format. But no promises.
Okay so this is the second time I'm reformatting this TL. Hopefully, it'll be the last. Wish me luck, and may God bless me...
***
The Queen of the Orient
A Philippine History
A Philippine History
The Road to Independence
The end of the Napoleonic Wars left Spain a screwed-up nation. With its army battered and its treasury without money, the nation entered its worst chapter in years. Fernando VII badly wanted to fix that problem, and he thought only absolute rule was the right answer. Thus, he abolished the Constitution of 1812, which made the liberals enraged. The Felon King expected the reaction, and have every supporter of the constitution arrested. His iron fist rule would last for almost a decade. The 1820s saw the demise of Spain's possessions in the Americas, as New Spain, New Granada, Peru, and Rio de la Plata succeeded in gaining their independence from the Crown. An effect of this was the increased mistrust of mainland Spaniards, or peninsulars, towards the criollos and mestizos. So, they planned to curb their power and to reassert control over the remaining Spanish colonies. At that time, many peninsular officers and administrators from the New World were left jobless with the fall of the viceroyalties. In response, Madrid reassigned them to Cuba, Africa and the Philippines.
In Manila, the local criollos and mestizos were outraged by the new policy, calling it very discriminatory. They tried to appeal, but the protests were put down by the colonial government. The army was no exception. Many criollo officers were demoted and replaced by peninsulars. This time the government readied a countermeasure, by sendeng the non-peninsular troops to Mindanao. When the order was declared, an army captain decided that it's enough, and began to hatch a plan. That man is Andrés Novales.
On 1 June, Novales defied his orders and marched into the walls of Manila with 800 men. Their arrival caught the city by surprise. In a couple of hours, government buildings and other important structures were seized. But there's one surprising fact: instead of facing opposition from the locals, Novales was cheered by them. This, coupled with shouts of "Long Live the Emperor!" prompted Novales to change his plans. The mutiny is now a full-pledged war of liberation.
But the victory is not yet complete, as Fort Santiago still stands as a Royalist bastion. Novales and his bolstered army marched into the fort to demand its surrender. Antonio Novales, brother of Andrés, refused the demands, and ordered his troops to resist. But Antonio's subordinates switched sides and seized their commander, and the opened the gates of Fort Santiago themselves, effectively joining the growing rebellion.
Novales and his supporters celebrated their victory, and confidently declared the end of Spanish tyranny. But reality speaks otherwise. The Governor General, Juan Antonio Martínez and his lieutenant Mariano Rodríguez de Folgueras escaped to Pampanga, and rallied the Spanish troops for a counterattack. This sets the stage for a new chapter in Philippine history: the War of Independence.
***
PS: I might try to write in a non-linear format. But no promises.
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Mercenarius
Banned
The War for Independence (Part 1)
News about happenings in Manila spread like wildfire through the provinces. It inspired many people who were tired of Spanish abuse to rise up and rebel. The suburbs around Manila were the first to answer Novales' call to arms, who formed their own militias to fight the scattered Spanish troops. They were later joined by other provinces such as Cavite, La Laguna and Batangas. Meanwhile the colonial navy faced a civil war when criollo officers and seamen, inspired by Novales' actions, staged their own mutiny and began firing against Royalist vessels.
On the political front, several groups of intellectuals, led by members of the patriotic society Hijos del País convened in Manila's ayuntamiento on 5 June to discuss the future of the islands. Majority of the delegates called for the abolition of the "obsolete" Captaincy General. Thus, on 7 June the congress declared themselves as the General Junta. The Junta was perceived to be a transitional regime, and called for the other rebelling provinces to send delegates to Manila to form a representative body for the Philippines. At first the Junta showed skepticism about the notion of independence, as they hoped that the liberal government in Madrid would approve of them. But when a plot for a counter-revolution (which implicated a number of known ultraconservatives and high-ranking members of the clergy), coupled with the news of a French invasion of Spain to restore Fernando VII's absolute rule, unanimously changed their minds overnight. On 12 June the General Junta, led by de-facto leader Andrés Novales, declared the independence of the Philippines. In the process, the Junta elected its Diretor in the name of Luis Rodríguez Varela, a prominent liberal. The Junta then proceeded to make preparations for the drafting of a constitution.
Returning to the battlefront, Novales raised a new army to fight the Royalists in Bulacan, then under attack by Martínez. The first clash occured in Bocaue, which ended up in a stalemate. However on 17 June Rafael Ruiz, Novales' lieutenant, won a decisive victory against Folgueras in Hagonoy, pushing back the Royalists north of the Pampanga River. Martínez attempted to outflank the Revolutionists by attacking through Tayabas, but his troops were stopped at their tracks in Baler, where a heroic stand by Colonel José Bayot prevented the Royalists from advancing. In the Bicol Peninsula, Revolutionist forces under Regino Mijares defeated the small Royalist army in a series of battles across Camarines and Ibalon, culminating in the latter's final surrender in 27 June.
The naval theater also saw some actions. The rebel fleet, with assistance from privateers, scored victories against the Royalists in Sibuyan Sea, while the latter held their positions in Subic Bay. But the situation was unacceptable to the Junta, who believed that naval supremacy would be the key to total victory. Thus, the General Junta tried to sought professional assistance, or a mercenary to be precise, and began to send agents abroad in search of the rightful admiral to the fledgling Filipino navy.
News about happenings in Manila spread like wildfire through the provinces. It inspired many people who were tired of Spanish abuse to rise up and rebel. The suburbs around Manila were the first to answer Novales' call to arms, who formed their own militias to fight the scattered Spanish troops. They were later joined by other provinces such as Cavite, La Laguna and Batangas. Meanwhile the colonial navy faced a civil war when criollo officers and seamen, inspired by Novales' actions, staged their own mutiny and began firing against Royalist vessels.
On the political front, several groups of intellectuals, led by members of the patriotic society Hijos del País convened in Manila's ayuntamiento on 5 June to discuss the future of the islands. Majority of the delegates called for the abolition of the "obsolete" Captaincy General. Thus, on 7 June the congress declared themselves as the General Junta. The Junta was perceived to be a transitional regime, and called for the other rebelling provinces to send delegates to Manila to form a representative body for the Philippines. At first the Junta showed skepticism about the notion of independence, as they hoped that the liberal government in Madrid would approve of them. But when a plot for a counter-revolution (which implicated a number of known ultraconservatives and high-ranking members of the clergy), coupled with the news of a French invasion of Spain to restore Fernando VII's absolute rule, unanimously changed their minds overnight. On 12 June the General Junta, led by de-facto leader Andrés Novales, declared the independence of the Philippines. In the process, the Junta elected its Diretor in the name of Luis Rodríguez Varela, a prominent liberal. The Junta then proceeded to make preparations for the drafting of a constitution.
Returning to the battlefront, Novales raised a new army to fight the Royalists in Bulacan, then under attack by Martínez. The first clash occured in Bocaue, which ended up in a stalemate. However on 17 June Rafael Ruiz, Novales' lieutenant, won a decisive victory against Folgueras in Hagonoy, pushing back the Royalists north of the Pampanga River. Martínez attempted to outflank the Revolutionists by attacking through Tayabas, but his troops were stopped at their tracks in Baler, where a heroic stand by Colonel José Bayot prevented the Royalists from advancing. In the Bicol Peninsula, Revolutionist forces under Regino Mijares defeated the small Royalist army in a series of battles across Camarines and Ibalon, culminating in the latter's final surrender in 27 June.
The naval theater also saw some actions. The rebel fleet, with assistance from privateers, scored victories against the Royalists in Sibuyan Sea, while the latter held their positions in Subic Bay. But the situation was unacceptable to the Junta, who believed that naval supremacy would be the key to total victory. Thus, the General Junta tried to sought professional assistance, or a mercenary to be precise, and began to send agents abroad in search of the rightful admiral to the fledgling Filipino navy.
Mercenarius
Banned
Announcement
I have a news for you guys. I find this thread too cluttered already, so I decided to create a new thread for this TL. For those who follow this, go here.
I have a news for you guys. I find this thread too cluttered already, so I decided to create a new thread for this TL. For those who follow this, go here.