Maynila

Maynila stood at the mouth of the Pasig River on a sheltered bay of western Luzon. Opposite lay Tondo, another centre of the river's trading world. Merchants brought goods from China, Borneo and other parts of the archipelago, and Maynila's Muslim rulers maintained close ties with Brunei. The river gave access to the communities around Laguna de Bay, while the bay opened toward the South China Sea.

In 1570 a Spanish force under Martín de Goiti met the rulers Rajah Matanda and Rajah Sulayman. Fighting broke out and the settlement was burned. Miguel López de Legazpi returned the following year, made agreements with local chiefs and established a Spanish city on the site in June 1571. Manila became the centre of Spanish rule in the islands and a meeting place for trade across the Pacific and the seas of Asia. Chinese merchants and artisans settled outside the walled city, and ships carried Asian goods to Acapulco in exchange for silver from the Americas. In 1762 British forces captured Manila during the Seven Years' War; it was restored to Spain after the peace.