Juan de Silva facts for kids

Juan de Silva was an important Spanish military leader and governor of the Philippines. He served as governor from April 1609 until he died on April 19, 1616.

Juan de Silva was from Trujillo, Spain. He was a brave soldier, known for his strong will. He arrived in the Philippines in 1609, bringing extra soldiers to help the Spanish army. He quickly became known for his courage in fighting against the Dutch in Asia.

Fighting the Dutch in Manila

In 1607, a large Dutch fleet from the Company of the East Indies set sail. Their goal was to attack Portuguese ships and forts in the East. This fleet had 13 ships, 225 cannons, and over 2,800 men. It was led by Admiral Pierre Willemsz.

The Dutch fleet fought in places like Mozambique and Sumatra. They built a fort in the Banda Islands (now part of Indonesia). In 1609, Admiral Willemsz was killed in an attack by local people. François de Wittert then took command of the fleet.

Wittert sailed to Manila to attack the Spanish. At this time, Spain and Portugal had the same king, Philip III of Spain, so they were allies. Wittert's fleet surrounded Manila for five months, starting in 1609.

However, on April 24 or 25, 1610, the Spanish surprised Wittert. He was overseeing the unloading of ships when at least 12 Spanish ships attacked. His main ship, the Amsterdam, was captured after a long battle. Admiral Wittert was killed. Two Dutch ships managed to escape, but the Spanish killed at least 85 Dutch soldiers and captured more than 120.

During this time, the fourth archbishop of Manila, Diego Vazquez de Mercado, also arrived in the city in June 1610.

Moluccas Expeditions

Juan de Silva wanted to remove the Dutch from the Moluccas islands. In 1611, he sent an expedition there, but it wasn't successful. However, his forces did capture Sabougo on Gilolo and built a fort there.

De Silva planned to get help from the Portuguese to finally drive out the Dutch. In 1612, he sent Cristobal de Azcueta, a former governor of Ternate, to Portuguese India. Azcueta was supposed to make plans with the Portuguese viceroy for a joint attack. Sadly, Azcueta and his entire group were lost in a shipwreck between Manila and Macao.

De Silva tried again. This time, he sent two Jesuit priests to Goa in India. They arrived in 1615 and made an agreement with the Portuguese viceroy. The Portuguese promised to send four large warships to Malacca.

This news reached Manila in July 1615. A large Spanish fleet was already ready. To get enough cannons for this big trip, de Silva took artillery from Manila's defenses. This was a risky move, as it left Manila weaker if the Dutch decided to attack.

The Final Voyage

The Portuguese warships never arrived. Despite advice from many of his officers, Governor de Silva decided to sail for Malacca anyway. He left on February 9, 1616.

His fleet was huge: ten large galleons, four smaller galleys, and other vessels. His main ship, the San Marcos, weighed 1,700 tons. The fleet carried 5,000 men, including almost 2,000 Spanish soldiers and 500 Japanese infantry. It also had 300 cannons and 6 Jesuit priests. This was the biggest European fleet ever seen in that part of the world.

The fleet sailed towards the Strait of Malacca. De Silva's plan was to meet the Portuguese fleet there. Then, they would attack the Dutch trading post on Java and later the Dutch bases in the Moluccas.

However, the Portuguese fleet had already been attacked by the Dutch near Malacca. It was completely destroyed. The Portuguese had even burned their own large ships to prevent them from being captured.

The Spanish fleet entered the Strait of Singapore on February 25, 1616. From there, Governor de Silva sent Juan Gutierrez Paramo with some ships to strengthen Ternate in the Moluccas.

But the governor was very sick. He had asked several times to be relieved of his duties because of his health. His health got worse, and he died in Malacca on April 19, 1616. With his death, the entire Spanish mission against the Dutch had to be stopped. Nothing was achieved.

The fleet returned to Manila on June 1, 1616. Many men had died from fevers and other illnesses during their time in Malacca and the Strait of Singapore, even though they hadn't faced combat.

Some people, both at the time and later, believed that if de Silva had sailed directly to the Moluccas instead of Malacca, he might have been able to defeat the Dutch, who were not as strong there.

After Juan de Silva's Death

After Juan de Silva died, the Audiencia (a high court and governing body) in Manila took charge of the colony. Jerónimo de Silva, who was the governor's uncle, was named interim (temporary) governor by a royal order in March 1616. The Audiencia governed until June or July 1618. That's when the new governor, Alonso Fajardo y Tenza, arrived and took over.

See also

In Spanish: Juan de Silva para niños