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Magellan's Defeat: Insights on Mactan Battle

Rivalries characterized relations between Filipino tribes when Magellan arrived in the Philippines. The local ruler Humabon, who controlled the important trading port of Cebu, had enemies including Lapulapu, the chieftain of nearby Mactan Island. When Humabon offered warriors to help Magellan attack Lapulapu, Magellan refused to pit Filipinos against each other. Magellan then led only 40 soldiers in attacking Lapulapu's forces on Mactan Island without proper planning or knowledge of his enemy's capabilities. This resulted in Magellan and most of his men perishing in the battle, in what was the first recorded military encounter between European explorers and Filipinos.

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Aubrey Cañete
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5 views1 page

Magellan's Defeat: Insights on Mactan Battle

Rivalries characterized relations between Filipino tribes when Magellan arrived in the Philippines. The local ruler Humabon, who controlled the important trading port of Cebu, had enemies including Lapulapu, the chieftain of nearby Mactan Island. When Humabon offered warriors to help Magellan attack Lapulapu, Magellan refused to pit Filipinos against each other. Magellan then led only 40 soldiers in attacking Lapulapu's forces on Mactan Island without proper planning or knowledge of his enemy's capabilities. This resulted in Magellan and most of his men perishing in the battle, in what was the first recorded military encounter between European explorers and Filipinos.

Uploaded by

Aubrey Cañete
Copyright
© All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd

Important points regarding Magellan and the battle in Mactan

Rivalries characterized Filipino tribal relations when Magellan arrived


Humabon was not Lapulapu’s only foe- Zula (foe in his own backyard who informed Magellan that
Lapulapu was defiant, asked Magellan for one boatload of Spanish soldiers but was ignored by Magellan
instead was the one who attacked
No record of how Lapulapu handled Zula and King Humabon before of after he crushed Magellan
Humabon was ruler of the principal trading port of Cebu. Pigafetta did not call him chief like others but
“king”
Humabon had under his sway minor chiefs who paid him tribute
Humabon had 2,000 lancers, a force bigger than 1,500 warriors Lapulapu had when he fought Magellan.
Humabon even with his strong army cannot subdue Mactan (may be because of Lapulapu’s courage)

The first recorded instance of Filipino eagerness to please foreigners even at the price of warring on
other Filipinos
Humabon offered Magellan some 25 warriors and wanted to join the war
Magellan was the first– and only-- Spanish commander throughout the centuries who refused to pit
Filipinos against Filipinos or apply the exigency of divide-and-rule
Although he was a great navigator and leader of men, he was no conquistador

Forty soldiers, including Magellan and Pigafetta, left the boats for the shore in thigh-deep waters.
Result: Most of Magellan’s soldiers manages to escape, Magellan and eight other Spaniards near him
perished. Military historian Uldarico Baclagon says Lapulapu did not bother about pursuit because he
was interested only in defense
Also points out that Magellan lacked preparatory planning. He did not know about the capabilities of
Lapulapu.
Proof that Magellan lacked military sense ( landed at a point so far from the shore, it being low tide, and
it proved to be most disadvantageous
Lapulapu seems to have been well-informed about the Spaniards, presumably by his spies in Humabon’s
terrritory

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