About
An executed revolutionary, journalist, fiction author, and poet, he was posthumously heralded as a national Filipino hero. He is best remembered for such novels as Noli Me Tangere and El Filibusterismo.
Before Fame
His novels sought to expose the abuses of the Spanish colonial elite and deliberately questioned the Catholic Church's authority over the people. As a direct result of his writing, he was branded an enemy of the state.
Trivia
He founded the civic movement, La Liga Filipina, in 1892 after being forced to leave Spain for Manila; for these activities, he was deported to Dapitan.
Family Life
He had influential Chinese, Japanese, and Spanish ancestors. He was born into a wealthy family as the seventh of eleven children. He was married to Josephine Bracken.
Associated With
He and his contemporary, Mahatma Gandhi, were both advocates of peaceful, non-violent reform.
