The name Manila was coined from the term ‘maynilad’. Nilad is a mangrove plant, which has white flowers and is abundantly found in the particular area. Manila History records that at one time, the area of present day Manila was under the rule of three Muslim community leaders. However, with the coming of the Spaniards the entire political scenario changed in the region.
According to the history of Manila, the Spanish invaders came to the country in 1571. The famous explorer Miguel Lopez de Legazpi arrived in Philippines and declared that place was under the dominance of the King of Spain. He was the man behind the establishment of the city of Manila, making it the capital of the country. Though the Muslim leaders welcomed the Spaniards, yet the Spanish people had different intentions. They fought a fierce battle with the natives and defeated them. The Spaniards constructed a walled city known as Intramuros, which was built to provide protection and security to the Spanish colonizers.
In 1595, Manila was finally declared as the capital of Philippines. It gradually developed as one of the major centers of trade and commerce in the country and continued for a long time. Trade relations were developed with several countries of the world. The business of import and export flourished wonderfully well in the city. The Spaniards ruled Manila for a long time.
Manila was also under British rule for a brief period of time from 1762-1764. This happened due to the Seven Years’ war that was being fought between England and France. The British could only take control of a small
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part of Manila.After that Manila came under the dominance of the Americans, when the U.S troops attacked Manila in 1898. The U.S Army raged a severe battle against the Spaniards and the Filipinos in the Spanish-American War and the Philippine-American War. The American Navy was successful in defeating Spain in one of the most brutal wars in the history of mankind.
After being released from the shackles of Spanish rule, the Filipinos were not ready to come under any more foreign dominance. Emilio Aguinaldo had also started planning the making of an independent nation. However, the Americans did not wanted Manila to go out of their hands. They attacked Manila and the ill-armed Manila army could not stop them at any cost. After that many small wars and battles raged between the Americans and the Filipinos, where the Americans won almost every time.
The Second World War was an important event in the history of Manila, Philippines. Americans were asked to vacate Manila and it was declared as an open city in 1941. President Manuel L.Quezon was the person behind the formation of a new administrative jurisdiction section called Greater Manila. It was during the Second World War that Japanese troops attacked Manila from all quarters. The Manila Bay was an important route from where the attacks were planned and executed. However, the Filipinos managed to sink many Japanese ships and carriers in the Manila Bay. After the Second World War, the city was destroyed to a great extent. The city was also freed from Japanese control in 1945. In 1948, the Republic of Philippines had a new capital in the form of Quezon City. However, in 1976, Manila recovered its status as the capital of the country.
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