While the British were in Manila, and for several years after they left the country, the islands were very unquiet. There were many small uprisings among the people, who hoped, in this time of unrest, to gain some of the rights which they felt were theirs.
One of these uprisings was led by a native named Silan (sē´län). This man was not quite sane, and made many pretensions, such as that he was the earthly representative of divine power. Many of Simon de Anda’s followers deserted him to join Silan’s army, and for a time Silan was very successful against the Spanish. He turned the vicar-general of Ilocos Sur out of his house, and made the Augustine friars pay tribute to support the rebel forces. His brain was weak, however, and success seemed wholly to destroy his reason. He came to think that he was more than human, and then, of course, he began to make mistakes.
At last Silan joined with the British against his own country. This opened the eyes of the Filipinos to his real nature. They saw that he was ready to betray them instead of leading them against their enemies, and at once they turned from him. In May, 1763, he was killed by a half-caste named Vicos (vē´kōs), and the rebellion which he had led died out.
There were other revolts in Luzon, however. Everywhere the people were ready, on any pretext, to take up arms against authority. They refused to pay tribute, and resented all demands of Spain upon them. Small riots kept breaking out in the provinces, and the loyal troops were constantly marching about the island in pursuit of rebels. In all this petty warfare the Spanish lost 70 Europeans and 140 native soldiers, and fully 10,000 natives were slain. By the year 1765, however, the Spanish had the country again under control, and some degree of peace settled over the land.
There was still political strife in Manila, even though the people were no longer in revolt. This strife at last became very serious. A bitter quarrel also existed between the Augustine friars on the one hand, and the members of the Society of Jesus on the other.
The Augustines were the first order of friars to send priests to the islands. From earliest times the Augustine friars had been concerned in the welfare of the people. Like all other leaders in the islands, they made many mistakes, but they also did many wise and good things. An Augustine friar had first (in 1595) taught the Filipinos the art of weaving, and as early as 1610 the Archbishop of Manila, an Augustine friar, had founded the College of Santo Tomas.
The Jesuits also had a college in Manila, San José College, founded by them in 1601. This Society had among its members many fine scholars. It had done much for education in the islands, and the Jesuit priests were nearly all men learned in law and matters of government.
Each party to this quarrel between the orders accused the other of cruelty to the natives. Each declared that the other was hindering the government in its rule, instead of helping to keep the peace. At last the trouble became so serious that, in 1768, the Jesuits left the archipelago. It was thought best for the peace of the country that they should go, and they remained away for ninety-one years. In 1859 the Society again came to the islands and took up its work among the people.
At the time the Jesuits left, Governor-General José Raon (hō sā´ rä ōn´) was accused by the other Orders of favoring this Society. He was charged with telling the Jesuits state secrets, and on this charge was disgraced and sent home. Soon afterwards Simon de Anda, who was in Spain during this time, was made governor-general, and came back to Manila.