The Itneg Revolution: Igorot Resistance in the Cordillera — Fexingo History

Description

This episode of The History of the Philippines takes you to the rugged Cordillera mountains, where the Igorot peoples—particularly the Itneg of Abra—waged a sustained resistance against Spanish colonization. While the lowlands fell under colonial rule, the highlands remained unconquered for centuries. We explore the 17th-century Itneg uprising led by the babaylan (shaman) and warrior Miguel Lanab, the role of the Spanish reducción policy (forced resettlement), and the enduring legacy of Igorot autonomy. What drove the Itneg to rebel when other groups submitted? How did their mountain strongholds and animist beliefs fuel defiance? And why did the Spanish never fully subjugate the Cordillera? Lucas and Luna unpack the clash of worlds: colonial missions versus indigenous rituals, tribute demands versus a culture of reciprocity, and the Spanish failure to pacify a people who would rather fight than convert. Names like Fray Pedro de Vivar and Governor-General Diego Fajardo surface in this story of a revolt that sent shockwaves through Manila. The episode also touches on the Basi Revolt (covered in Ep 31) as a later echo of highland resistance, but focuses squarely on the 1620s Itneg rebellion as a defining moment of indigenous agency.#Itneg #Igorot #Cordillera #MiguelLanab #Babaylan #Abra #PhilippineHistory #ColonialResistance #SpanishColonization #Reduccion #Animism #FrayPedrodeVivar #DiegoFajardo #1620s #HighlandRevolt #Philippines #FexingoHistory #History #BanaueRiceTerraces #SpanishColonialismBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/the-history-of-the-philippines-empires-colonization-and-identity-fexingo-history--6985184/support.