Tamblot Uprising
Encyclopedia
The Tamblot Uprising of 1621, also known as the Tamblot Revolution or Tamblot Revolt, was led by Tamblot
, a babaylan
or native priest from the island of Bohol
in the Philippines
. It was basically a religious conflict. Tamblot exhorted his people to return to the faith of their forefathers and free themselves from Spanish oppression.
; Hibor Tasing of Ilihanan, Cortes
; Bula-od of Batuan
; Tam-isan of Loon
; Tagbakan of Tubigon
; and Pagali of Carigara
on the neighbouring island of Leyte
. Tamblot was a sab-o or seer who could know the future. He received a bugna or divine revelation. The Boholanos, even before the coming of the Spaniards, already believed in the first man, the flood, paradise, and punishment after death. (Blair & Robertson, Vol. 29, p. 283). These are beliefs similar to Christianity
. They have a tabernacle-like place of worship at Malabago.
, on 17 November 1596, two Jesuit
priests, Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sánchez, arrived in Baclayon
on Bohol. It is said that the mother of the encomiendero of Bohol, Doña Catalina de Bolaños invited them. They established their headquarters in Baclayon, and quickly started to spread the Catholic faith on the island.
Only a few years after the Jesuits' arrival, on 26 October 1600, Baclayon was raided by some 300 Maguindanao
Moros commanded by Datu Sali and Datu Sirongan. In response, the Jesuits moved their headquarters to the inland town of Loboc, at a safe distance from the coast. Since then, until the departure of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1768, Loboc has been the residence of the local Jesuit superior. Here they also founded the first parish on the island in 1602, followed in 1604 by a school, the Seminario Colegio de Indios, a training school for the children of the local ruling class.
The new religion was not easily accepted by all.
When the Spaniards overran the camp of the Boholanos they destroyed 1000 houses, and stole various jewels of silver and gold. These were given to the Cebuano and Kapampangan soldiers of the expedition.
Around 2000 Boholanos responded to Tamblot
's war call and began the uprising at a time when most of the Jesuit fathers, the spiritual administrators of the island, were in Cebu
celebrating the feast of the beatification of St. Francis Xavier.
As soon as news of the revolt reached Cebu
, Don Juan de Alcarazo, the alcalde
or magistrate there, rushed an expedition to Bohol
, consisting of 50 Spaniards and more than 1,000 Cebuanos. On New Year's Day, 1622, the government forces began the campaign against the rebels. In a fierce battle, fought in a blinding rain, Tamblot
and his followers were crushed.
Another version of the history says that in the following battle, fought out in a torrential rain at Malabago, Cortes, Bohol, the mayor was wounded and the Spanish had to retreat. Six months later, in a second attempt, the rebels where victorious again, but then some Spanish priests from Loboc managed to enter the camp of Tamblot
and assassinate him. Then, without their leader, the insurgents were easily defeated, and Spanish power was restored. After these events, the Spanish more firmly established their power in Bohol.
Tamblot
Tamblot was a babaylan or native priest from Bohol, Philippines who led the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 to 1622 during the Spanish era. He opposed the new religion spread by the Spaniards and fought against the subsequent conversion of the Boholanos to the Catholic faith. According to Legend, he...
, a babaylan
Babaylan
Babaylan is a Visayan term identifying an indigenous Filipino religious leader, who functions as a healer, a shaman, a seer and a community "miracle-worker"...
or native priest from the island of Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
. It was basically a religious conflict. Tamblot exhorted his people to return to the faith of their forefathers and free themselves from Spanish oppression.
Tamblot
Tamblot was a tumanan or hermit. He was also a biki or high priest of the local organized religion in Bohol dedicated to the god Ay Sono. The other priests, or biriki, on Bohol were Kator Kukon of Tagobas, AntequeraAntequera, Bohol
Antequera is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 14,357 people.A popular place of interest in Antequera are the Mag-Aso Falls...
; Hibor Tasing of Ilihanan, Cortes
Cortes, Bohol
Cortes is a 5th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. It is about northeast of the City of Tagbilaran. Its nearest neighbor along the national highway to the north is the town of Maribojoc...
; Bula-od of Batuan
Batuan, Bohol
Batuan is a 6th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 12,137 people in 2,494 households.- Barangays :Batuan is politically subdivided into 15 barangays.- History :...
; Tam-isan of Loon
Loon, Bohol
Loon is a 2nd class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 42,441 people. The town has an old church dating from the 1850s.-Socioeconomic profile:* Class of municipality: Second...
; Tagbakan of Tubigon
Tubigon, Bohol
Tubigon is a 1st class municipality and seaport in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 44,434 people....
; and Pagali of Carigara
Carigara, Leyte
Carigara is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Leyte, Philippines. According to the 2000 census, it has a population of 43,455 people in 8,571 households.-Barangays:Carigara is politically subdivided into 49 barangays.-History:...
on the neighbouring island of Leyte
Leyte
Leyte is a province of the Philippines located in the Eastern Visayas region. Its capital is Tacloban City and occupies the northern three-quarters of the Leyte Island. Leyte is located west of Samar Island, north of Southern Leyte and south of Biliran...
. Tamblot was a sab-o or seer who could know the future. He received a bugna or divine revelation. The Boholanos, even before the coming of the Spaniards, already believed in the first man, the flood, paradise, and punishment after death. (Blair & Robertson, Vol. 29, p. 283). These are beliefs similar to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. They have a tabernacle-like place of worship at Malabago.
Background of the uprising
About thirty years after the Spanish established themselves on CebuCebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, on 17 November 1596, two Jesuit
Society of Jesus
The Society of Jesus is a Catholic male religious order that follows the teachings of the Catholic Church. The members are called Jesuits, and are also known colloquially as "God's Army" and as "The Company," these being references to founder Ignatius of Loyola's military background and a...
priests, Juan de Torres and Gabriel Sánchez, arrived in Baclayon
Baclayon, Bohol
Baclayon is a 4th class municipality in the province of Bohol, Philippines. According to the 2007 census, it has a population of 18,015 people....
on Bohol. It is said that the mother of the encomiendero of Bohol, Doña Catalina de Bolaños invited them. They established their headquarters in Baclayon, and quickly started to spread the Catholic faith on the island.
Only a few years after the Jesuits' arrival, on 26 October 1600, Baclayon was raided by some 300 Maguindanao
Maguindanao
Maguindanao is a province of the Philippines located in the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao . Its capital is Shariff Aguak. It borders Lanao del Sur to the north, Cotabato to the east, and Sultan Kudarat to the south....
Moros commanded by Datu Sali and Datu Sirongan. In response, the Jesuits moved their headquarters to the inland town of Loboc, at a safe distance from the coast. Since then, until the departure of the Jesuits from the Philippines in 1768, Loboc has been the residence of the local Jesuit superior. Here they also founded the first parish on the island in 1602, followed in 1604 by a school, the Seminario Colegio de Indios, a training school for the children of the local ruling class.
The new religion was not easily accepted by all.
Tamblot’s challenge
When the Boholanos began to convert to Christianity, Tamblot issued a challenge to the Spanish priest as to whose God was more powerful. The challenge was who can produce rice and wine from the bamboo stalk. The Spanish priest prayed to his god, of course in Latin, and then cut the bamboo stalk from a grove but no rice and wine came out. Tamblot then prayed to Ay Sono and then cut the bamboo stalk from a grove and out came rice and wine. (“Medina’s Historia 1630-34,” Blair & Robertson, Vol. 24, p. 116). Tamblot won the challenge and the people sided with Tamblot. Only the towns of Baclayon and Loboc remained loyal to the Spaniards. The Spaniards said it was trickery and the work of the demons. Yet the same account in “Medina’s Historia” said that when Alcalde Mayor Juan Alcarazo was hit by a stone, got wounded and fell to the ground, he allegedly arose cured by calling on the Holy Child. It was called a miracle! But when Tamblot allegedly produced wine and rice from the bamboo stalk, prayed for rain and the rains allegedly came and the leaves allegedly turned into fishes, it was called trickery or the work of the demons.When the Spaniards overran the camp of the Boholanos they destroyed 1000 houses, and stole various jewels of silver and gold. These were given to the Cebuano and Kapampangan soldiers of the expedition.
The revolt of Tamblot (1621-22)
In 1621, Tamblot exhorted the Boholanos to return to the faith of their forefathers and convinced them "that the time has come when they could free themselves from the oppression of the Spaniards, in as much as they were assured of the aid of their ancestors and diuatas, or gods."Around 2000 Boholanos responded to Tamblot
Tamblot
Tamblot was a babaylan or native priest from Bohol, Philippines who led the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 to 1622 during the Spanish era. He opposed the new religion spread by the Spaniards and fought against the subsequent conversion of the Boholanos to the Catholic faith. According to Legend, he...
's war call and began the uprising at a time when most of the Jesuit fathers, the spiritual administrators of the island, were in Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
celebrating the feast of the beatification of St. Francis Xavier.
As soon as news of the revolt reached Cebu
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
, Don Juan de Alcarazo, the alcalde
Alcalde
Alcalde , or Alcalde ordinario, is the traditional Spanish municipal magistrate, who had both judicial and administrative functions. An alcalde was, in the absence of a corregidor, the presiding officer of the Castilian cabildo and judge of first instance of a town...
or magistrate there, rushed an expedition to Bohol
Bohol
Bohol is an island province of the Philippines located in the Central Visayas region, consisting of Bohol Island and 75 minor surrounding islands. Its capital is Tagbilaran City. With a land area of and a coastline long, Bohol is the tenth largest island of the Philippines...
, consisting of 50 Spaniards and more than 1,000 Cebuanos. On New Year's Day, 1622, the government forces began the campaign against the rebels. In a fierce battle, fought in a blinding rain, Tamblot
Tamblot
Tamblot was a babaylan or native priest from Bohol, Philippines who led the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 to 1622 during the Spanish era. He opposed the new religion spread by the Spaniards and fought against the subsequent conversion of the Boholanos to the Catholic faith. According to Legend, he...
and his followers were crushed.
Another version of the history says that in the following battle, fought out in a torrential rain at Malabago, Cortes, Bohol, the mayor was wounded and the Spanish had to retreat. Six months later, in a second attempt, the rebels where victorious again, but then some Spanish priests from Loboc managed to enter the camp of Tamblot
Tamblot
Tamblot was a babaylan or native priest from Bohol, Philippines who led the Tamblot Uprising in 1621 to 1622 during the Spanish era. He opposed the new religion spread by the Spaniards and fought against the subsequent conversion of the Boholanos to the Catholic faith. According to Legend, he...
and assassinate him. Then, without their leader, the insurgents were easily defeated, and Spanish power was restored. After these events, the Spanish more firmly established their power in Bohol.
External links
- Chris Antonette P. Pugay The Revolts before the Revolution www.nhi.gov.ph