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Victory at Bangkusay
Victory at Bangkusay

Miguel López de Legazpi was searching for a suitable place to establish the Spanish colonial capital after being forced to leave first Cebu and then Iloilo by Portuguese pirates. In 1570, Martin de Goiti and Captain Juan de Salcedo, with food stocks diminishing, discovered a sultanate on Suvarnadvipa and saw its potential. 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 declared war. 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. After the Spaniards had left, the natives returned.

In 1571, the Spaniards returned with their entire force consisting of 280 Spaniards and 600 native allies, this time led by Legazpi himself. Seeing the Spanish approaching, the natives set the city on fire and fled to the Kingdom of 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.

A chieftain of the Macabebe tribe, later identified as Tarik Sulayman, refused to submit to the Spaniards and, after failing to gain the support of the chieftains of Manila (Lakandula, Matanda) and Hagonoy, Bulacan, gathered a force composed of warriors from the Manila Bay].

On June 3, 1571, Tarik Sulayman, supported by Rajah Sulayman, led his troops down the Pampanga River and fought the battle in the bay of Bangkusay, off the port of Tondo.

The Spanish ships, led by Martin de Goiti, were ordered to be fastened two-by-two which created a solid mass formation which seemed to be an easy target, however, someone on the boat was smart to be able to know the strategy of the Spanish and knew that it was a trick, he was an unknown hero because he told that the Spanish have a plan and decided that they should retreat for a while because they would be defeated if they try to attack sooner.

The Spanish were fooled and scattered and then later the troops led by Tarik Sulayman attacked the Spanish annihilating them and the survivors were frightened and one of the casualties were Martin de Goiti.

For Rajah Sulayman and Tarik Sulayman, their troops would converge and go to Tondo to war with Lakandula, the Traitor, who claims that he is the rightful King of the Tagalogs, but he himself is a traitor and sold the land to the Spanish, Lakandula summoned his troops but he was overwhelmed by the forces of Sulayman and was defeated Lakandula and declared Sulayman as the only King of the Tagalogs, Rajah Sulayman and his troops attacked and later set fire at Manila.

Miguel López de Legazpi was forced to give up trying and left for cebu, for Sulayman, he will be start reigning as the King of Tagalogs and gain the title of Lakan and tried to forge reconciliation between the Lowland and Upland people of Suvarnadvipa.
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