When the Seven Years' War broke out in Europe, opportunities arose for the colonies occupied by the European powers in the east. Colonial governments in Asia mustered their forces to attack belligerent colonies for the purpose of acquiring new resources and reshaping the geopolitical landscape of the East Indies, particularly the Philippines. But before de Anda y Salazar could gather his forces, a man named Diego Silang led an uprising in the northern regions of the Philippines which delayed his preparations for eight months by sending the colonial army to deal with the rebels.