Morga

Antonio de Morga

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Antonio de Morga Sánchez Garay (1559 – July 21, 1636) was a Spanish lawyer and a high-ranking colonial official in the Philippines, New Spain and Peru. He was also a historian. He published the book Sucesos de las islas Filipinas in 1609, one of the most important works on the early history of the Spanish colonization of the Philippines.[1] He also led the Spanish in one naval battle against Dutch corsairs in the Philippines, in 1600.

Contents [hide]

1 Education and service in the Philippines

2 Combat with Dutch corsairs

3 In New Spain and Peru

4 History of the Philippine Islands

5 References

6 External links

Education and service in the Philippines[edit]

Morga was born in Seville. He graduated from the University of Salamanca in 1574 and in 1578 received a doctorate in canon law. He taught briefly in Osuna, and then returned to Salamanca to study civil law. In 1580 he joined the government service. Among other positions in Spain, he held that of auditor general of the galleys.

In 1593 he was sent to Manila as lieutenant governor of the Philippines, the second most powerful position in the colony, after the governor-general. He arrived in Manila on June 11, 1595, from Acapulco, in New Spain. In 1598 he resigned as lieutenant governor to assume the office of oidor, or judge, in the newly re-established Audiencia of Manila.

Court Ladies of Former Shu, by Tang Yin (1470–1523); late Ming Dynasty silk cloths like the ones worn by ladies in this painting were imported in bulk to the Spanish territories through Manila, mentioned by De Morga.

While stationed in Manila, Antonio noted many of the wares imported from the Ming Dynasty of China, while mentioning porcelain only once, even though at this time it was becoming one of the greatest export items – along with silk – to Europe from China.[2] From his observation of textiles in the Manila inventory, the Spanish were buying:

...raw silk in...