At dawn on February 17, 1872, three secular priests are publicly executed at Manila's Bagumbayan Plaza. One of the martyrs is Father José Burgos, the beloved friend and mentor of a tall, serious young man standing among the crowd of thousands of Indios. A seminarian and scion of a wealthy family, Placido Mendoza watches in disbelief.

This is a pivotal moment in the history of the Philippines, and in the life of Placido. It shocks the native Filipinos, called "Indios" by the Spaniards, into putting their cultural differences aside and coming together to free themselves from their greedy and corrupt colonial masters.

From this turning point, The Indios traces the history of the Philippine Revolution through the life of Placido, whose faith in the church is eroded by events that affect him and the people he loves.

Two groups of patriots emerge: the wealthy and educated Indios, known as ilustrados, who want reforms to curb the abuses of the friars and administrators and to become a province of Spain, and the lower-class Indios, who want independence by any means.

Although an ilustrado, Placido joins the revolution to save the one person closest to his heart from abuse by a friar.