Rajah Sulayman's Fall: The Birth of Catholic Philippines Before Manila became a Catholic capital, it was a powerful Muslim kingdom ruled by Rajah Sulayman, young, proud, and unafraid of Spain. In 1570 he faced the conquistadors with fire and steel, but Spanish cannons burned Maynila to the ground. When Legazpi returned the next year, the city fell again, clearing the path for the birth of Intramuros. As Spanish rule tightened and native power faded, Sulayman and the Tagalog nobility were drawn i