The Reign of Greed

The Reign of Greed (1891) is a novel by José Rizal. Published in Belgium, the novel was a sequel to Touch Me Not (1887), both of which were written in Spanish. Blending aspects of his own life story with his critique of Spanish imperialism in the Philippines, Rizal continues the journey of Crisóstomo Ibarra from centrist reformer to revolutionary leader. Banned by Spanish authorities, the novel was smuggled into his home country, where it quickly galvanized Rizal’s fellow nationalists in opposition to the Spanish Empire. Despite his attempts to reform the local government of his native San Diego, Ibarra is placed in prison on false charges of rebellion. Forced to escape or face execution, he chooses the former. When a firefight with authorities leaves his comrade Elias dead, he manages to make his way out of the country. Thirteen years later, by now presumed dead by friends and foes alike, he returns to the Philippines as Simoun, a shadowy jeweler. Moving in secret, he begins spreading his anti-imperial message among the local people while gathering the weapons and supplies he will need to overthrow the government. Before he can carry out his plan, however, he must rescue his love Maria Clara from confinement.

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José Rizal (1861-1896) was a Filipino poet, novelist, sculptor, painter, and national hero. Born in Calamba, Rizal was raised in a mestizo family of eleven children who lived and worked on a farm owned by Dominican friars. As a boy, he excelled in school and won several poetry contests. At the University of Santo Tomas, he studied philosophy and law before devoting himself to ophthalmology upon hearing of his mother’s blindness. In 1882, he traveled to Madrid to study medicine before moving to Germany, where he gave lectures on Tagalog. In Heidelberg, while working with pioneering ophthalmologist Otto Becker, Rizal finished writing his novel Touch Me Not (1887). Now considered a national epic alongside its sequel The Reign of Greed (1891), Touch Me Not is a semi-autobiographical novel that critiques the actions of the Catholic Church and Spanish Empire in his native Philippines. In 1892, he returned to Manila and founded La Liga Filipina, a secret organization dedicated to social reform. Later that year, he was deported to Zamboanga province, where he built a school, hospital, and water supply system. During this time, the Katipunan, a movement for liberation from Spanish rule, began to take shape in Manila, eventually resulting in the Philippine Revolution in 1896. For his writing against colonialism and association with active members of Katipunan, Rizal was arrested while traveling to Cuba via Spain. On December 30, 1896, he was executed by firing squad on the outskirts of Manila and buried in an unmarked grave.