jos Rizal

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia This article is about the Philippine national hero. For other uses, see Jos Rizal (disambiguation).

Jos Protasio Mercado Rizal y Alonso Realonda

Jos Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines.

Born

June 19, 1861 Calamba, Laguna, Philippines

Died

December 30, 1896 (aged 35) Bagumbayan, Manila,Philippines

Monuments

Rizal Park, Manila Calamba City, Laguna

Alma mater

Ateneo Municipal de Manila,University of Santo Tomas,Universidad Central de Madrid, University of Paris,Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg

Organization La Solidaridad, La Liga Filipina

Notes

Jos Protasio Rizal Mercado y Alonso Realonda [1][not in it tion needed] (Ju 19, 1861 D b 30, 1896, B gu b ), w ti t S i x ti i il lw ft uti l t l i l ti b t li l S ,w t tt i t f t .H i i i t g v t f f t f

iv n cl ification ][

ili i ui gt i li t

i t P ili i t ili i ti t

f t P ili i i 1896, t ft u ft

b N ti P ili

lH u ll i w

C itt . [2] Hi Ri al Day, P ili i v luti t i g . v B ti u g t l f l v fAt , i tu i

b .H

il i C l b , L gu At Mu i i l M

il ,

ll i i i t t U iv it f S t T .H t t U iv i C t l M i i M i ,S i , i gt f Licentiate in Medicine . H l tt t U iv it f P i t i lw t tt U iv v

it

fH i

lb g. gu g . [3][4][5][6] H w tf u w i l ful f lifi w t i i t

l gl t

t i tw

t tw l

ul f v luti i

t li .

u l u

f lit

tu

g B if g v

i i

ti t

t ub

qu

tl g v bi t t t l f

K ti u

[8]

E ili Agui l . H w full t ug i tituti t "vi l ti l , w?" T i l

t f i vi g P ili i t t t ug vi l " ti i u P ili l t t. lf -g v

[9]

v luti , lt ug w ul u b li v t t t l ju tifi ti f t t i t ti ft will b t x . ig it t t uti b t ft ft S

t l lib i g "...w g l

t i v luti

t b i g b ut t

[citation needed]

liti

l figu , J

lw

f u

f La Liga ili ina, l b A

t, i tw

i t, i i t, v l , Noli e angere

t, El fili

v li t w teri o .[7] T ti i

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ivi lf t l ti t l v l l f

Contents [hide] 1 The Family of Rizal 2 Rizal's Alma Mater 3 Women in the life of Rizal 4 Writings of Rizal 5 Other works 6 Persecutions 7 Exile in Dapitan 8 Last days 9 Execution 10 Aftermath
o o o o

10.1 Retraction controversy 10.2 "Mi ltimo adis" 10.3 Josephine Bracken 10.4 Camilo de Polavieja

11 Criticism 12 Legacy
o

12.1 Rizal in popular culture

13 See also 14 References 15 Further reading 16 External links

[edit]

he Family of Rizal

E g

lM

Hi T f t D

t , M l w w i i

i Al g . i

E g l t lw l t

l : S tu i (N g) (18501913), P i (18511930), N i (Si ) i (Y i ) (1855 1887), Lu i (18571919), M (Bi g) (18521939), Ol (18591945), Jos Protasio (18611896), C i (C ) (1862 1865), J f (P gg ) (18651945), T i i (1868 1951) S l (C l g )(1870 1929). i lw C i : l ), Chi 5t -g ; i i ti lifi ig t t ili C i t l : t f D i g L ; i i : K Ynn; P hu who il
[11]

f om Ji ji g, Qu hou i the mi -17th entu . a Sangley of Luzon. In 1849, Governor-General of the Phili

which native ili ino and immigrant families were to adopt Spanish surnames from a list of Spanish family names. Although the Chino Mestizos were allowed to hold on to their Chinese surnames, Lam-co changed his surname to the Spanish "Mercado" (market), possibly to indicate their Chinese merchant roots. Jos's father rancisco[10] adopted the surname " izal" (origin ally icial, [12] the green of young growth or green fields), which was suggested to him by a provincial governor, or as Jos had described him, "a friend of the family". However, the name change caused confusion in the business affairs of rancisco, most of which were begun under the

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!

    

   

(18181898)

i f v

lM Al j (18181898)[10] Qui t (1826 1911),[10] w u hacienda i g i f b t il ft i l v il

(t iti l -j : Kho G-

to the Phili

i es

L m- o married Inez de la osa,

ines Narciso Claveria issued a Decree by

old name. After a few years, he settled on the name " izal Mercado" as a compromise, but usually just used the original surname "Mercado". Upon enrolling at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila, Jos dropped the last three names that make up his full name, at the advice of his brother, Paciano izal Mercado, and the izal Mercado family, thus rendering his name as "Jos Protasio izal". Of this, izal writes: "My family never aid much attention [to our second surname Ri al], ut now I had to use it, thus giving me the appearance of an illegitimate child!" [13] This was to enable him to travel freely and disassociate him from his brother, who had gained notoriety with his earlier links with native priests who were sentenced to death as subversives. rom early childhood, Jos and Paciano were already advancing unheard -of political ideas of freedom and individual rights which infuriated the authorities. [14][15] Despite the name change, Jos, as " izal" soon distinguishes himself in poetry writing contests, impressi ng his professors with his facility with Castilian and other foreign languages, and later, in writing essays that are critical of the Spanish historical accounts of the pre -colonial Philippine societies. Indeed, by 1891, the year he finished his El fili usterismo, this second surname had become so well known that, as he writes to another friend, "All my family now carry the name Ri al instead of Mercado ecause the name Ri a l means persecution! Good! I too want to join them and e worthy of this family name...".[13]
% & & % & & $ %

[edit]

izal's Alma Mater

i zal as a student at the University of Santo Tomas.

to Manila. As to his father's request, he took the entrance examination in Colegio de San Juan de Letran and studied there for almost three months. The Dominican riars asked him to transfer to another school due to his radical and bold

'

izal first studied under Justiniano Aquino Cruz in Bian, Laguna before he was sent

questions.[16] He then enrolled at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila and graduated as one of the nine students in his class declared sobresaliente or outstanding. He continued his education at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila to obtain a land surveyor and assessor's degree, and at the same time at the University of Santo Tomas where he did take up a preparatory course in law.[17] Upon learning that his mother was going blind, he decided to study medicine specializing in ophthalmology at the University of Santo Tomas aculty of Medicine and Surgery .

i zal, 11 years old, a student at the Ateneo Municipal de Manila.

ithout his parents' knowledge and consent, but secretly supported by his brother Paciano, he traveled alone to Europe, to Madrid, Spain in May 1882 and studied medicine at the Universidad Central de Madrid where he earned the degree, Licentiate in Medicine. His education continued at the University of Paris and the University of Heidelberg where he earned a second doctorate. In Berlin he was inducted as a member of the Berlin Ethnological Society and the Berlin Anthropological Society under the patronage of the famous pathologist udolf Virchow. ollowing custom, he delivered an address in German in April 1887 before the anthropological society on the orthography and structure of the Tagalog language. He left Heidelberg a poem, "A las flores del Heidelberg," which was both an evocation and a prayer for the welfare of his native land and the unification of common values between East and est. At Heidelberg, the 25-year-old izal, completed in 1887 his eye specialization under the renowned professor, Otto Becker. There he used the newly invented ophthalmoscope (invented by Hermann von Helmholtz) to later operate on

his own mother's eye. rom Heidelberg, izal wrote his parents: I spend half of the day in the study of German and the other half, in the diseases of the eye. Twice a week, I go to the bierbrauerie, or beerhall, to speak German with my student friends. He lived in a Karlstrae boarding house then moved to Ludwigsplatz. There, he met everend Karl Ullmer and stayed with them in ilhelmsfeld, where he wrote the last few chapters of "Noli Me Tangere". A plaque marks the Heidelberg building where he trained with Professor Becker, while in ilhemsfeld, a smaller version of the izal Park with his bronze statue stands and the street where he lived was also renamed after him. A sandstone fountain in Pastor Ullmers house garden where izal lived in ilhelmsfeld, stands.[18]

izal's multifacetedness was described by his German friend, Dr. Adolf Meyer, as "stupendous."[19][20] Documented studies show him to be apolymath with the ability to master various skills and subjects.[3][4][19] He was an ophthalmologist, sculptor, painter, educator, farmer, historian, playwright and journalist. Besides poetry and creative writing, he dabbled, with varying degrees of expertise, in architecture, cartography, economics, ethnology, anthropology, sociology, dramatics, martial arts, fencing and pistol shooting. He was also a reemason, joining Acacia Lodge No. 9 during his time in Spain and becoming a Master Mason in 1884.

[edit]

omen in the life of

izal

Business Card shows Dr. Jos

i zal is an Ophthalmologist in Hong Kong

Hong Kong Government erected a plaque beside Dr. Jos

ednaxela Terrace is a small lane on Mid-levels of Hong Kong Island (taken in 2011)

Jos izal's life is one of the most documented of the 19th century due to the vast and extensive records written by and about him. [21] Almost everything in his short life is recorded somewhere, being himself a regular diarist and prolific letter writer, much of these material having survived. His biographers, however, have faced the difficulty of translating his writings because of izal's habit of switching from one language to another. They drew largely from his travel diaries with their insights of a young Asian encountering the west for the first time. They included his later trips, home and back again to Europe through Japan and the United States, and, finally, through his self imposed exile in Hong Kong. During December 1891 to June 1892, izal lived with his family inNumber 2 of ednaxela Terrace, Mid-levels, Hong Kong Island. used 5 D'Aguilar Street, Central district, Hong Kong Island as izal

hisophthalmologist clinic from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.. This period of his education and his frenetic pursuit of life included his recorded affections. Historians write of izal's "dozen women", even if only nine were identified. They were Gertrude Becket of Chalcot Crescent (London), wealthy and high -minded Nelly Boustead of the English and Iberian merchant family, last descendant of a noble Japanese family Seiko Usui (affectionately called O-Sei-san), his earlier friendship with Segunda Kati gbak and eight-year romantic relationship with his first cousin, Leonor ivera. Leonor ivera is the one who kept izal focused on his studies and kept him from falling in love with other women. The news of Leonor ivera's marriage to an Englishman Henry Kipping (her mother's choice) devastated izal. She was then immortalized by izal in the character of "Maria Clara" in his novel Noli Me Tangere and El ilibusterismo.

izal residence in HongKong

The others ere: eonor Valenz ela Filipina , ons elo rti a y Rey Spanish , S zanna aco y Bel ian , Seiko s i/ Sei san apanese , and osephine Bracken Irish . is E ropean friends kept almost e erythin he a e them, incl din doodlin s on pieces of paper. In the home of a Spanish li eral, Pedro rti a y Prez, he left an impression that as to e remem ered y his da hter, ons elo. In her diary, she rote of a day Rizal spent there and re aled them ith his it, social races, and slei ht of hand tricks. In ondon, d rin his research on or a's ritin s, he ecame a re lar est in the home of r. Reinhold Rost of the British se m ho referred to him as a em of a man. [ ][ ] The family of Karl llmer, pastor of Wilhelmsfeld, and the Bl mentritts sa ed e en ttonholes and napkins ith sketches and notes. They ere ltimately e treas re tro e of memora ilia. In , Rizal,
2 11 1

eathed to the Rizal family to form a

, left Paris for Br ssels as he as preparin for the p

lication of

his annotations of Antonio de or as S cesos de las Islas Filipinas. There, he li ed in the oardin ho se of the t o aco y sisters, atherina and S zanna ho had a niece also named S zanna Thil , . istorian re orio F. Zaide states that Rizal had his romance ith S zanne aco y, , the petite niece of his landladies. Bel ian Pros Slachm ylders, ho e er, elie ed that Rizal had a romance ith the niece, S zanna Thil, in . Rizal's Br ssels' stay as short li ed, as he mo ed to adrid, lea in the yo n S zanna a o of chocolates. S zanne replied in French: After yo r depart re, I did not take the chocolate. The o is still intact as on the day of yo r partin . ont dela y too lon ritin s eca se I ear o t the soles of my for r nnin to the mail o to see if there is a letter from yo . There ill ne er e any home in hich yo are so lo ed as in that in Br ssels, so, yo little ad oy, h rry p and come ack ct. , letter . Slachm ylders ro p in n eiled a historical marker commemoratin Rizals stay in Br sels in .[

[edit]Writin

s of Rizal

os Rizal as a ery prolific a thor from a yo n a e. Amon his earliest ritin s are El onsejo de los ioses, A la j ent d filipina , anto del iajero, anto de ara lara, e piden ersos, Por la ed caci n, nto al Pasi , etc. n his early ritin s he fre ently depicted reno ned Spanish e plorers, kin s and enerals, and pict red Ed cation the Philippines enjoyed a free p lic system of ed cation esta lished y the Spaniards as the reath o f life instillin charmin irt e . e had e en ritten of one of his Spanish teachers as ha in splendor . ro ht the li ht of the eternal

31

While in Berlin, izal published an essay in rench, Dimanche des Rameaux, mentioning the "entry [of Jesus into Jerusalem] decided the fate of the jealous priests, the Pharisees, of all those who believed themselves the only ones who had the right to speak in the name of God, of those who would not admit the truths said by others because they have not been said by them and alluded to those in authorities in colonial countries. This made the German police suspect that he was a rench spy. The content of izal's writings changed co nsiderably in his two most famous novels, Noli me angere and El ilibusterismo. These writings angered both the Spaniards colonial elite and some of the hispanized ilipinos due to their insulting symbolism. They are highly critical of Spanish friars and the atrocities committed in the name of the Church. izal's first critic was erdinand Blumentritt , a Czech professor and historian whose first reaction was of misgivi ng. Blumentritt was the grandson of the Imperial Treasurer at Vienna in the former AustroHungarian Empire and a staunch defender of the Catholic faith. This did not dissuade him however from writing the preface of El filibusterismo after he had translated Noli me angere into German. Noli was published in Berlin (1887) and ili in Ghent (1891) with funds borrowed largely from izal's friends. As Blumentritt had warned, these led to izal's prosecution as the inciter of revolution and eventually, to a military trial and execution. The intended consequence of teaching the natives where they stood brought about an adverse reaction, as the Philippine evolution of 1896 took off virulently thereafter.
4 5 5 4

Leaders of the reform movement in Spain: Left to ight: izal, del Pilar, and Ponce

As leader of the reform movement of ilipino students in Spain, he contributed essays, allegories, poems, and editorials to the Spanish newspaper La

Solidaridad in Barcelona(in this case izal used a pen name, Dimasalang). The core of his writings centers on liberal and progressive ideas of individual rights and freedom; specifically, rights for the ilipino people. He shared the same sentiments with members of the movement: that the Philippines is battling, in izal's own words, "a double-faced Goliath"--corrupt friars and bad government. His commentaries reiterate the following agenda: [24]
  

That the Philippines be a province of Spain epresentation in the Cortes ilipino priests instead of Spanish friars--Augustinians, Dominicans, and ranciscans--in parishes and remote sitios reedom of assembly and speech Equal rights before the law (for both ilipino and Spanish plaintiffs)

 

The colonial authorities in the Philippines did not favor these reforms even if they were more openly endorsed by Spanish intellectuals like Morayta, Unamuno, Pi y Margall, and others.

[edit]Other

works

The Triumph of Science over Death

izal also tried his hand at painting and sculpture. His most famous sculptural work was "The Triumph of Science over Death ", a clay sculpture of a nude young woman standing on a skull bearing a torch upheld high. The woman symboliz ed the ignorance of humankind during the Dark Ages, while the torch she bore symbolized the enlightenment science brings over the whole world. He sent the sculpture to his dear friend Blumentritt, together with another one named "The Triumph of Death over Life". The Triumph of Science over Death is a clay sculpture made by Jos izal as a gift to his friend erdinand Blumentritt.

The stat e is composed of a naked, yo n oman ith o erflo in hair, standin on a sk ll hile earin a torch. The oman sym ol izes the i norance of h mankind d rin the dark a es of history, hile the torch she ears sym olizes the enli htenment science rin s o er the hole orld. The oman is sho n tramplin at a sk ll, a sym ol of death, to si nify the ictory the h mankind ac hie ed y con erin the ane of death thro h their scientific ad ancements. The ori inal sc lpt re is no displayed at the Rizal Shrine se m at Fort Santia o

in Intram ros, anila. A lar e replica, made of concrete, stands in front of Fernando alder n all of the ni ersity of the Philippines olle e of edicine alon Pedro il St. in Ermita, anila.

[edit]Persec

tions

pon his ret rn to anila in , he formed a ci ic mo ement called La Liga Filipina. The lea e ad ocated these moderate social reforms thro h le al means, t as dis anded y the o ernor. At that time, he had already een declared an enemy of the state y the Spanish a thorities eca se of the p lication of his no el. Wenceslao Retana, a political commentator in Spain, had sli hted Rizal y ritin an ins ltin article in a Epoca , a ne spaper in adrid, in hich he insin ated that the family and friends of Rizal ere ejected from their lands in alam a for not ha in paid their d e rents. pon readin the article, Rizal sent immediately a representati e to challen e Retana to a d el. Retana p lished a p lic apolo y and later ecame one of Rizal's i est admirers, ritin Rizal's most important io raphy. [ ] The painf l memories of his mother's treatment hen he as ten at the hands of the ci il a thorities e plain his reaction to Retana. The incident stemmed from an acc sation that Rizal's mother, Teodora, tried to poison the ife of a co sin hen she claimed she only inter ened to help. With the appro al of the h rch prelates, and itho t a hearin , she as ordered to prison in Santa r z in . She as made to alk the ten miles km from alam a. She as released after t o and a half years of appeals to the hi hest co rt. [ ] In Rizal rote a petition on ehalf of the tenants of alam a, and later that
9 87

year led them to speak o t a ainst the friars' attempts to raise rent. They initiated a liti ation hich res lted in the omin icans e ictin them from their homes, incl din the Rizal family. eneral Valeriano Weyler had the ildin s on the farm torn do n.

[edit]E

ile in

apitan
ly , as

Rizal as implicated in the acti ities of the nascent re ellion and in deported to apitan in the pro ince of Zam oan a, a penins la

of ta

indanao.[ ] There he ilt a school, a hospital and a ater s pply system, and ht and en a ed in farmin and hortic lt re.[citation needed] Abaca, then the ital ra

material for corda e and hich Rizal and his st dents planted in the tho sands, as a memorial. [citation needed] The oys' school, in hich they learned En lish, considered a prescient if n s al option then, as concei ed y Rizal and antedated ordonsto n ith its aims of inc lcatin reso rcef lness and self s fficiency in yo n men. [citation needed] They o ld later enjoy s ccessf l li es as farmers and honest o ernment officials. [citation needed] ne, a slim, ecame a dat , and another, os Aseniero, ho as ith Rizal thro ho t the life of the school, ecame o ernor of Zam oan a.[citation needed]

In apitan, the es its mo nted a reat effort to sec re his ret rn to the fold led y Fray Snchez, his former professor, ho failed in his mission. The task as res med y Fray Pastells, a prominent mem er of the rd er. In a letter to Pastells, Rizal sails close to the ec menism familiar to s today. [ ]
C B@

"We are entirely in accord in admitting the existence of

D

when I am con inced of mine. Who so recognizes the effect recognizes the cause. To doubt od is to doubt one's own conscience, and in consequence, it would be to doubt e erything; and then what is life for? Now then, my faith in od, if the result of a ratiocination may be called faith, is blind, blind in the sense of knowing nothing. I neither belie e nor disbelie e the qualities which many attribute to him; befor e theologians' and philosophers' definitions and lucubrations of this ineffable and inscrutable being I find myself smiling. Faced with the con iction of seeing myself confronting the supreme Problem, which confused oices seek to explain to me, I cannot but reply: 'It could be; but the od that I foreknow is far more grand, far more good: Pl s S pra!...I belie e in (re elation); but not in re elation or re elations which each religion or religions claim to possess. Examining them impartially, comparing them and scrutinizing them, one cannot a oid discerning the human 'fingernail' and the stamp of the time in which they were written... No, let us not make od in our image, poor inhabitants that we are of a distant planet lost in infinite space. Howe er, brilliant and sublime our intelligence may be, it is scarcely more than a small spark which shines and in an instant is extinguished, and it alone can gi e us no idea of that blaze, that conflagration, that ocean of light. I belie e in re elation, but in that li ing re elation which surrounds us on e ery side, in that oice, mighty, eternal, unceasing, incorruptible, clear, distinct, uni ersal as is the being from whom it proceeds, in that re elation which speaks to us and penetrates us from the moment
C D D D D D D D D D C D D D C D D D D D D C D C

we are born until we die. What books can better re eal to us the goodness of
D

A@

od. How can I doubt his

od,

glory of God, and the firmament showeth his handiwork'."

[21]

Bust in clay, by izal

As a gift to his mother on her birth anniversary he wrote the other of his poems of maturity, "Mi etiro," with a description of a calm night overlaid with a million stars.[citation needed] The poem, with its concept of a spontaneous creation and speaking of God as Plus Supra, is considered his accommodation of evolution. [citation needed] ...the breeze idly cools, the firmament glows, the waves tell in sighs to the docile wind timeless stories beneath the shroud of night. Say that they tell of the world, the first dawn of the sun, the first kiss that his bosom inflamed, when thousands of beings surged out of nothing, and peopled the depths, and to the heights mounted, to wherever his fecund kiss was implanted. [28]

izal's pencil sketch of Blumentritt

His best friend, professor erdinand Blumentritt, kept him in touch with European friends and fellow-scientists who wrote a stream of letters which arrived in Dutch, rench, German and English and which baffled the censors, delaying their transmittal. Those four years of his exile coincided with the development of the Philippine evolution from inception and to its final breakout, which, from the

FE

his love, his providence, his eternity, his glory, his wisdom?

he heavens declare the

vie point of the co rt hich as to try him, s ested his complicity in it. [ ] e condemned the prisin , altho h all the mem ers of the Katip nan had made him their honorary president and had sed his name as a cry for ar, nity, and li erty. [ ear the end of his e ile he met and co rted the stepd a hter of a patient, an Irish oman named osephine Bracken. e as na le to o tain an ecclesiastical marria e eca se he o ld not ret rn to atholicism and as not kno n to e clearly a ainst revol tion. [citation needed] e nonetheless considered osephine to e his ife and the only person mentioned in the poem, Farewell, sweet stranger, my friend, my joy... [ ]
RQ PH I
]

[edit]
S

ast days
, the re ellion fomented y the Katip nan, a militant secret society, had
T

ain article: Philippine Re olution

By

ecome a f ll lo n revol tion, provin to e a nation ide prisin hich event ally ration the earliest constit tional led to the eclaration of Independence and the ina rep lic in Asia. To dissociate himself from the re ellion, Rizal vol nteered his services as a doctor in a and as iven leave y the overnor eneral, Ram n Blanco, to serve in a to minister to victims of yello fever. Blanco later as to present his sash and s ord to the Rizal family as an apolo y. R izal had predicted that the SA as oin to e a tro lesome rival if his prophecy that the reat American Rep lic, hose interests lie in the Pacific, ill someday dream of possessin the Philippines ill ever come tr e. rin his only visit to the nited States in , Rizal descri ed the SA: I visited the lar est cities of America ith ildin s, electric li hts, and ma nificent conceptions. ndo tedly America their i is a reat co ntry, t it still has many defects. There is no real civil li erty. e as arantined in San Francisco's pier as a res lt of the hinese E cl sion Act and itnessed the ine ality e perienced y African Americans and peop le of color.[ ] Rizal kne , that if ever the Philippines came nder American r le racism ill e a major concern. It as like ise important that for the revol tion to s cceed the re m st e a forei n ally that ill provide the revol tion hich he considered as a last resort arms, food, amm nition and diplomacy. It is idely accepted y scholars that even prior to Rizal's anishment to apitan, he as already re arded y Filipinos as a national hero. os Rizal as elected honorary president y the Katip nan itho t his kno led e and his name o ld e sed y the revol tionaries in their attlecry. A o t t o eeks efore he left apitan, Rizal met r. Pio Valenz ela an emissary from the Katip nan, to hom Rizal e pressed his do ts of an ins fficiently armed revol tion, as ell as estiona le leadership . Rizal ar ed that the revol tion
I Q

cannot s cceed ntil a leader kno s the ri ht time hen to strike, s fficient arms can e ass red, the pivotal s pport of middle class Filipi nos had een on over, and a forei n ally is sec red. [ ] os Rizal as alarmed that a revol tion as already imminent devoid of any ass rances of victory, and that the leader as Andres Bonifacio hom he personally met as a mem er of a i a Filipina . Rizal is a ood reader of character, and had sensed that Bonifacio as not the ri ht man to lead the revol tion. espite this dra ack, Rizal ave his advi ce on ho to improve their chances in innin the impendin ar; evidence that Rizal as s pportive of a revol tion, t not this partic lar one. os Rizal as ri ht, for altho h Bonifacio as an effective or anizer of the Katip nan he never e eathed a sin le military victory to the Philippine Revol tion .The Katip nan had to evolve into another more str ct red and or anized li eration army. ad Rizal lived lon e no h, he o ld have seen the emer ence of m ch more effective Filipino military leaders that co ld defeat the est Spanish enerals foremost of hom as Emilio A inaldo, hom years old in . The eneral controversy Rizal never met; and as only only a o t this incident is the misinterpretation that Rizal's ref sal to ive his s pport to Andres Bonifacio is a ref sal to s pport the Philippine Revol tion. El Fili sterismo as ritten to prepare Filipinos for the ar that he foresa as to
U

come and his final poem as a lessin to ards its tri mphant manifestation. a, imprisoned in Barcelona, and sent ack to Rizal as arrested en ro te to anila to stand trial. e as implicated in the revol tion thro h his association ith mem ers of the Katip nan. rin the entire passa e, he as nchained, no Spaniard laid a hand on him, and had many opport nities to escape t ref sed to do so. While imprisoned in Fort Santia o, he iss ed a manifesto disavo in the c rrent revol tion in its present state and declarin that the ed cat ion of Filipinos and their achievement of a national identity ere prere isites to freedom; he as to e tried efore a co rt martial for re ellion, sedition, and conspiracy. Rizal as convicted on all three char es and sentenced to death. Blanco, ho as sympathetic to Rizal, had een forced o t of office, and the friars, led y then Arch ishop of anila Bernardino ozaleda, had 'intercalated' amilo de Pol avieja in his stead, as the ne Spanish overnor eneral of the Philippines after press rin een Re ent aria ristina of Spain, th s sealin Rizal's fate.

is poem, ndated and elieved to e ritten on the day efore his e ec tion, as hidden in an alcohol stove and later handed to his family ith his fe remainin possessions, incl din the final letters and his last e ests. Within hearin of the Spanish ards he reminded his sisters in En lish, There is somethin inside it, referrin to the alcohol stove iven y the Pardo de Taveras hich as to e ret rned after his e ec tion, there y emphasizin the importance of the poem. This

instruction was followed by another, "Look i n my shoes," in which another item was secreted. Exhumation of his remains in August 1898, under American rule, revealed he had been uncoffined, his burial not on sanctified ground granted the 'confessed' faithful, and whatever was in his shoes had disinte grated. [3] In his letter to his family he wrote: "Treat our aged parents as you would wish to be treated...Love them greatly in memory of me...December 30, 1896." [21] In his final letter, to Blumentritt Tomorrow at 7, I shall be shot; but I am innocent of the crime of rebellion. I am going to die with a tranquil conscience. [21] Indeed, izal is perhaps the first revolutionary whose death is attributed entirely to his work as a writer; and through dissent and civil disobedience enabled him to successfully destroy Spain's moral ascendancy to rule. He also bequeathed a book personally bound by him in Dapitan to his 'best and dearest friend.' When Blumentritt received it in his hometownLitom ice (Leitmeritz) he broke down and wept.

[edit]Execution

Moments before his execution by a squad of ilipino soldiers of the Spanish Army, a backup force of regular Spanish Army troops stood ready to shoot the executioners should they run awry. The Spanish Army Surgeon General requested to take his pulse: it was normal. Aware of this the Sergeant commanding the backup force hushed his men to silence when they began raising "vivas" with the highly partisan crowd of Peninsular and Mestizo Spaniards. His last words were those of Jesus Christ: "consummatum est",--it is finished. [4][32][33] He was secretly buried in Pac Cemetery in Manila with no identification on his grave. His sister Narcisa toured all possible gravesites and found freshly turned earth at the cemetery with guards posted at the gate. Assuming this could be the most likely spot, there never having any ground burials, she made a gift to the caretaker to mark the site " PJ", izal's initials in reverse.

A photographic record of

i zal's execution in what was then Bagumbayan.

A national monument Main article: Rizal Park A monument, with his remains, now stands near the place where he fell, designed by the Swiss ichard Kissling of the famedWilliam Tell sculpture.[34] The statue carries the inscription "I want to show to those who deprive people the right to love of country, that when we know how to sacrifice ourselves for our duties and convictions, death does not matter if one dies for those one loves for his country and for others dear to him." [21]

[edit]Aftermath [edit]Retraction

Several historians report that izal retracted his anti -Catholic ideas through a document of retraction which stated: "I retract with all my heart whatever in my words, writings, publications and conduct have been contrary to my character as a son of the Catholic Church."[35] However, there are doubts of its authenticity given that his burial was not on holy ground, and there is no certificate of izal's Catholic marriage to Josephine Bracken. [36] Anti-retractionists also point to "Adis": "I go where there are no slaves, no hangmen or oppressors, where faith does not kill," which they refer to the Catholic relig ion.[37] Also there is an allegation that the retraction document was a forgery. [38] After analyzing 6 major documents of izal, icardo Pascual concluded that the retraction document, said to have been

Jose

i zal's original grave at Paco Parkin Manila. Slightly renovated and date repainted in English

controversy

discovered in , as not in Rizal's hand ritin . Senator Rafael Palma, a former President of the niversity of the Philippines and a prominent ason, ar ed that a retraction is not in keepin ith Rizal's character and mat re eliefs. [ ] e called the retraction story a pio s fra d. [ ] thers ho deny the retraction are Frank a ach,[ ] a Protestant minister, A stin oates,[ anapat, director of the ational Archives. [ ]
c ` b` X bX a` `
]

a British riter, and Ricardo

n the other side of the de ate are athol ic ch rch leaders, and historians s ch as A stin rai ,[ ] re orio Zaide,[ ] Am eth campo,[ ] ick oa in,[ ] eon aria errero III,[ ] and icolas Zafra of P.[ ] They state that the retraction doc ment as deemed a thentic y Rizal e pert, Teodoro Kala a rd de ree ason and hand ritin e perts...kno n and reco nized in o r co rts of j stice,
[

tley Beyer and r. os I. el Rosario, oth of P. They also refer to the eye itnesses present hen Rizal rote his retraction, si ned a atholic prayer ook, and recited atholic prayers, and the m ltit de ho sa him kiss the cr cifi efore his e ec tion. A reat rand nephe of Rizal, Fr. arciano zman, cites that Rizal's confessions ere certified y eye itnesses, alified itnesses, ne spapers, and historians and riters incl din A lipayan ishops, asons and anti clericals.[ ] ne itness as the head of the Spanish S preme o rt at the time of his notarized declaration and as hi hly esteemed y Rizal for his inte rity. [ ] Beca se of hat he sees as the stren th these direct evidence have in the li ht of the historical method, in contrast ith merely circ mstantial evidence, P professor emerit s of history icolas Zafra called the retraction a plain nadorned fact of history. [ ] zmn attri tes the denial of retraction to the latant dis elief and st ornness of some
g` b` d` f` e`

asons.[

lory,

a ret rn to the ideals of his fathers hich rin s his stat re as a patriot to the level of reatness. [ ] n the other hand, senator ose iokno stated: S rely hether Rizal died as a atholic or an apostate adds or detracts nothin from his reatness as a Filipino... atholic or ason, Riza l is still Rizal: the hero ho co rted death 'to prove to those ho deny o r patriotism that eliefs'. [ ] e kno ho to die for o r d ty and o r
ad Y`

[edit]"Mi

l im

i "

Main article: Mi ltimo adis The poem is more aptly titled, Adi s, Patria Adorada literally Fare ell, Beloved Fatherland , y virt e of lo ic and literary tradition, the ords comin from the first line of the poem itself. It first appeared in print not in anila t in on Kon in

f`

S pporters see in it Rizal's moral co ra e...to reco nize his mistakes, [ ][ ] his reversion to the tr e faith, and th s his nfadin

X`

YX

d`

d`

e`

``

and

1897, hen a copy of the poem and an accompanyin photo raph came to . P. Bra a ho decided to p lish it in a monthly jo rnal he edited. There as a delay hen Bra a, ho reatly admired Rizal, anted a ood jo of the photo raph and sent it to e en raved in ondon, a process takin ell over t o months. It finally appeared nder ' i ltimo pensamiento,' a title he s pplied and y hich it as kno n for a fe years. Th s, hen the es itBala er's anonymo s acco nt of the retraction and the marria e to osephine as appearin in Barcelona, no ord of the poem's e istence reached him in time to revise hat he had ritten. is acco nt as too ela orate that Rizal o ld have had no time to ri te Adi s.

Si years after his death, hen the Philippine r anic Act of 1902 as ein de ated in the nited States on ress, Representative enry ooper of W isconsin rendered an En lish translation of Rizal's valedictory poem capped y the peroration, nder hat clime or hat skies has tyranny claimed a no ler hich is no victim [ 1] S se ently, the S on ress passed the ill into la kno n as the Philippine r anic Act of 1902. This as a major reakthro h for a S on ress that has yet to rant e al ri hts to African Americans aranteed to them in the S onstit tion and the hinese E cl sion Act as still in effect. It created the Philippine le islat re, appointed t o Filipino dele ates to the S on ress, e tended the S Bill of Ri hts to Filipinos, and laid the fo ndation for an a tonomo s overnment. The colony as on its ay to independence. [ 2] The Americans, ho ever, o ld not si n the ill into la ntil 1916 and did not reco nize Philippine Independence ntil the Treaty of anila in 1946fifty years after Rizal's death.This same poem hich has inspired li erty lovin peoples across the re ion and eyond as recited in its Bahasa Indonesia translation y Rosihan An ar y Indonesian soldiers of independence efore oin into attle. [ ]
ih h h

[edit]Josephi

eB

ken
avite province,

osephine Bracken promptly joined the revol tionary forces in

makin her ay thro h thicket and m d, and helped operate a reloadin ji for a sercartrid es at the arsenal at Im s. The short lived arsenal nder the Revol tionary eneral Pantale n arca had een reloadin spent cartrid es a ain and a ain and the reloadin ji as in contin o s se, t Im s as nder threat of recapt re that the operation had to move, ith osephine, to ara ondon, the mo ntain redo t in avite. She itnessed the Tejeros onvention prior to ret rnin to anila and as s mmoned y the overnor eneral, t o in to her stepfather's American citizenship she co ld not e forci ly deported. She left vol ntarily, ret rnin to on Kon . She later married another Filipino, Vicente A ad, a mestizo actin as a ent for the Philippine firm of Ta acalera. She died in on

Kong in 1902, a pauper's death, buried in an unknown grave, and never knew how a line of verse had rendered her immortal. [54]

[edit]Camilo

de Polavieja

Polavieja faced condemnation by his countrymen after his return to Spain. While visiting Gerona, in Catalonia, circulars were distributed among the crowd bearing izal's last verses, his portrait, and the charge that Polavieja was responsible for the loss of the Philippines to Spain.

[edit]Criticism

A photo engraving of the execution of i lipino Insurgents at Bagumbayan (now Luneta)

Attempts to debunk legends surrounding izal, and the tug of war between free thinker and Catholic, have kept his legacy controversial. In one recorded fall from grace he succumbed to the temptation of a ' lady of the camellias.' The writer, Maximo Viola, a friend of izal's, was alluding to Dumas's 1848 novel, La dame aux camelias, about a man who fell in love with a courtesan. While the affair was on record, there was no account in Viola's letter whether it was more than one-night and if it was more a business transaction than an amorous affair. [55] Others present him as a man of contradictions. Miguel de Unamuno in " izal: the Tagalog Hamlet", said of him, "a soul that dreads the revolution although deep down desires it. He pivots between fear and hope, between faith and despair." [56] His critics assert this character flaw is translated into his two novels where he opposes violence in Noliand appears to advocate it in ili, contrasting Ibarra's idealism to Simoun's cynicism. His defenders insist this ambivalence is trounced when Simoun is struck down in the sequel's final chapters, reaffirming the author's resolute stance, Pure and spotless must the victim be if the sacrifice is to be acceptable. [57] In the same tenor, izal condemned the uprising when Bonifacio asked for his support. Bonifacio, in turn, openly denounced him as a coward for his
q

ref sal, [ 8] altho h he as o vio sly missin his mark, as Rizal had proved in n mero s occasions thro ho t his life, s ch as hen he challen ed Wenceslao Retana or Antonio na to d el, to e a very rave man.

le for independence as premat re and ill Rizal elieved that an armed str conceived, as em odied y Bonifacio's Katip nan, hich Rizal kne needed a more capa le eneral and or anized military a le to inflict severe dama e on the enemy. ere Rizal is speakin thro h Father Florentino: ...our liberty will (not) be secured at the sword's point...we must secure it by m aking oursel es worthy of it. And when a people reaches that height od will pro ide a weapon, the idols will be shattered, tyranny will crumble like a house of cards and liberty will shine out like the first dawn.[ 7] The fact that Rizal never fo
r s s t

Bonifacio's Katip nan; hich misled some to elieve as the entire Philippine Revol tion itself, points to the sometimes itter estion of his rankin as the nation's premier hero. There are those ho elieve in the eatification of Bonifacio in his stead, even if Bonifacio failed to e eath a sin le military victory to the Philippine Revol tion. It has een ar ed that it is odd that the Philippines, alon ith India, are the only t o co ntries ith a non military leader as its foremost national hero [citation needed]. Teodoro A oncillo opines that the Philippine national hero, nlike those of other co ntries, is not the leader of its li eration forces . e ives the opinion that Bonifacio not replace Rizal as national hero him.[ 9] Renato onstantino rites Rizal is a
r

as promoted as the reatest Filipino hero d rin the American colonial period of the Philippines after A inaldo lost the Philippine American War. The nited States promoted Rizal, ho represented peacef l political advocacy in fact, rep diation of violent means in eneral instead of more radical fi res hose ideas co ld inspire resistance a ainst American r le. Rizal as selected over Bonifacio ho as vie ed too radical and Apolinario a ini ho as considered nre enerate. [60] ila ros errero reveres Bonifacio for fo ndin and or anizin the Katip nan, the first anticolonial revol tion in Asia and the first Filipino national overnment. [61] In his defense, the historian, Rafael Palma, contends that the revol tion of Bonifacio is a conse ence ro ht y the ritin s of Rizal and that altho h the Bonifacio's revo lver prod ced an immediate o tcome, the pen of Rizal enerated a more lastin achievement. [62] Rizal diso ned Bonifacio's Katip nan and not the Philippine Revol tion of 1896 per se , callin it hi hly a s rd.
[63]

ht in the attlefield and that he ltimately diso ned

t that e honored alon side nited States sponsored hero

ho

Despite the lack of any official declaration explicitly proclaiming them as national heroes, izal, along with Bonifacio, remains admired and revered for his role in Philippine history. Heroes, according to historians, should not be legislated. Their appreciation should be better left to academics. Acclamation for heroes, they felt, would be recognition enough. [64] Some writers have noted that, despite his Chinese ancestry, izal's writings show an anti-Sinicism almost bordering on anti-Chinese racism.[65][66] Commenting on the scene in the El filibusterismo where a Chinese vendor is bullied by students (Chapter 14), Benedict Anderson notes that "[o]ne cannot miss the strong whiff of racism."

[edit]Legacy

i zal on the obverse side of a 1970 Philippine peso coin

of Gandhi and contemporary of Tagore and Sun Yat Sen, all four created a new climate of thought throughout Asia, leading to the attrition of colonialism and the emergence of new Asiatic nations by the end of World War II. [citation needed] izal was active when European colonial power was growing, mostly motivated by trade, some for the purpose of bringing Western forms of government and education to peoples regarded as backward. [citation needed] Coinciding with the appearance of those other leaders, izal from an early age had been enunciating in poems, tracts and plays, ideas all his own of modern nationhood as a practical possibility in Asia. In the Noli he stated that if European civilization had nothing better to offer, colonialism in Asia was doomed.[67] Such was recognized by Gandhi who regarded him as a forerunner in the cause of freedom. Jawaharlal Nehru, in his prison letters to his daughter Indira, acknowledged izal's significant contributions in the Asian freedom movement. These leaders regarded these contributions as keystones and acknowledged izal's role in the movement as foundation layer.

izal's advocacy of liberty through peaceful means rather than by violent revolution makes him Asia's first modern non-violent proponent of freedom. orerunner

Rizal, through his reading of Morga and other western historians, knew of the genial image of Spain's early relations with his people. [68] In his writings, he showed the disparity between the early colonialists and those of his day, with the latter's atrocities giving rise to Gomburzaand the Philippine Revolution of 1896. His biographer, Austin Coates, and writer, Benedict Anderson, believe that Rizal gave the Philippine revolution a genuinely national character; and that Rizal's patriotism and his standing as one of Asia's first intellectuals have inspired others of the importance of a national identity to nation -building.[32][69]

Rizal Park, Wilhelmsfeld

Although his field of action lay in politics, Rizal's real interests lay in the arts and sciences, in literature and in his profession as an ophthalmologist. Shortly after his death, the Anthropological Society of Berlin met to honor him with a reading of a German translation of his farewell poem and Dr. Rudolf Virchow delivering the eulogy.[70] The Taft Commission in June 1901 approved AcT 137 renaming the District of Morong into the Province of Rizal, and Act 346 authorizing a government subscription for the erection of a national monument in Rizal's honor. Republic Act 1425 was passed in 1956 by the Philippine legislature that would include in all high school and college curricula a course in the study of his life, works and writings. The wide acceptance of Rizal is partly evidenced by the countless towns, streets, and numerous parks in the Philippines named in his honor. Monuments in his honor were erected in Madrid[71] Wilhelmsfeld, Germany, Jinjiang, ujian, China,[72] Chicago,[73]Cherry Hill Township, New Jersey, Honolulu,[74] San Diego,[75] Seattle, U.S.A.,[76] Mexico City, Mexico,[77] Lima, Peru,[78] andLitomerice,

Czech Republic, and Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Several titles were bestowed on him: "the irst ilipino", "Greatest Man of the Brown Race," among others. The Order of the Knights of Rizal, a civic and patriotic organization, boasts of dozens of chapters all over the globe [6] [7]. There are some remote-area religious sects who claim him as a sublimation of Christ.

Tribute to Rizal, Cavenagh Bridge,Singapore

A two-sided marker bearing a painting of Rizal by

abian de la Rosa on one side and

a bronze bust relief of him by Philippine artist Guillermo Tolentino stands at the Asian Civilisations Museum Green. This marks his visits to Singapore (1882, 1887, 1891,1896). [79] A Rizal bronze bust was erected at La Molina district, Lima, Peru, designed by Czech sculptor Hanstroff, mounted atop a pedestal base with 4 inaugural plaque markers with the following inscription on one: Dr. Jos P. Rizal, Hroe Nacional de ilipinas, Nacionalista, Reformador Political, Escritor, Lingistica y Poeta, 1861 1896.[80][81][82] Likewise, a monument in honor of Rizal is being planned in Rome.[83] In the City of Philadelphia, the world-acclaimed 'City of Murals'the 1st ilipino mural in the US east coast honoring Jos Rizal will be unveiled to the public in time for Rizal's Sesquicentennial year-long celebration. [84]

[edit]Rizal

in popular culture

The cinematic depiction of Rizal's literary works won two film industry awards more than a century after his birth. In the 10th AMAS Awards, he was honored in the Best Story category for Gerardo de Len's adaptation of his book Noli me Tangere.

The reco nition as repeated the follo in year ith his movie ver sion of El Filibusterismo, makin him the only person to in ack to ack FA AS A ards posth mo sly.[citation needed] Both novels ere translated into opera y the composer li rettist Felipe Padilla de e n: Noli me tangere in 1957 and El filibusterismo in 1970; and his 1939 overt re, Mariang Makiling, as inspired y Rizal's tale of the same name. [85] Several films ere prod ced narratin Rizal's life. The most s ccessf l as Jose Rizal, prod ced y A Films and released in 1998. esar ontano played the title role. [citation needed]. A year efore it as sho n another movie as made portrayin his life hile in e ile in the island of apitan. Titled Rizal sa apitan prod ced y Viva Films it stars Al ert artnez as Rizal and Amanda Pa e as osephine Bracken. The film as the top rosser of the 1997 anila Film Festival and on the est actor and actress trophies. [citation needed]. Another film that tackled partic larly on the heroism of Rizal as the 2000 film Bayaning 3rd World, directed y ike de eon and starrin oel Torre as os Rizal.

Rizal also appeared in the 1999 Medal of Honor as a secret character in m ltiplayer, alon side other historical fi res s ch as William Shakespeare and Winston h rchill. e can e nlocked y completin the sin le player mode, or thro h cheat codes.[86][87]