"The Spaniards also recorded other major players in the area at the time of their arrival: In the island of Mindoro, was the Kingdom of Ma-I, which had trade links with China as early as 972 CE..."
Maidikit ko lang sa ganitong usapan na may naisulat ako:
"Sa mga Chinese records, ang kinikilalang pinaka-unang naitalang pakikipag-ugnayan ng China sa Pilipinas ay noong Song dynasty (971 o 972). At ito ay ang pakikipag-ugnayan nila sa Ma-i (Mindoro), na kung saan pagdating ng 982 ay dala ng mga mangangalakal mula sa Ma-i ang kanilang mga produkto papuntang Guangzhou (Canton).
"Pagdating ng 1206 nakipagkalakalan na ang China sa Mindoro, Palawan at Basilan at lumawak na ito kasama ang Babuyanes, Lingayen, Luzon, Manila at Lubang Island.
"Kapagdaka, ang mga emperador ng Ming at Ching dynasties ay nag-imbita na makipagkalakalan na rin sa kanila ang iba pang mga isla.
"MAO-LI-WU ang MARINDUQUE. Doon na umentrada ang munting isla ng MARINDUQUE. Kilala ang Marinduque sa Tsina sa tawag nilang MAO-LI-WU" (Eli Obligacion/Marinduque Rising)
The Philippine archipelago was a collection of diverse
political entities before the arrival of the Spanish.
By JUSTIN UMALI /ESQUIRE |
IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS
There is a common misconception that the Spanish “discovered”
the Philippines. That, prior to Spanish conquest, the Philippines had nothing
but savage indios who needed the civilization of the West to enlighten it.
Of course, we now know just how far that notion is from the
truth. We now understand that Filipino culture and society existed way before
colonization, and slivers of it sometimes appear in popular culture: A TV show
is set during the era or a discussion on pre-colonial heritage pops up now and
then.
The fact is, the Philippine archipelago was a collection of
diverse political entities before the arrival of the Spanish. One could
probably draw comparisons to Ancient Greece with its various city-states,
though the truth is a bit more complicated than that. A single article would
hardly do justice to describing the full extent of pre-colonial politics, but
let’s try to at least get an overview:
IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
The Seafaring Datus of the Visayas
A lot of what we know of pre-colonial culture and politics
comes from the Visayas, mainly thanks to early Spanish sources like Fr. Chirino
and Miguel de Loarca. Because the Spanish first landed in the Visayas before
settling in Manila, a lot of effort was made to understand the rules of the
strange land and its people.
The most prominent of these was by far the Rajahnate of
Cebu. Ruling from the central seat of power in Cebu, the Rajahnate was an
important trading hub between the Sultanates of Mindanao and the Kingdom of
Borneo to the south, the Rajahnates of Luzon to the north, and the Chinese
Empire to the west.
The Kingdom of Cebu also had ties with the outside world.
Founded by a minor prince of Sumatra, Sri Lumay, Cebu grew to become a major
player in the archipelago’s local politics, By the time of Magellan in 1521,
Rajah Humabon was the undisputed ruler of Cebu. Some 40 years later, Humabon’s
cousin Rajah Tupas met the conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, and was the
last Rajah of Cebu.
Although Cebu was a central polity in the Visayas, it was by
no means the only one. Humabon famously had a rival in Lapu-Lapu, who ruled in
the island of Mactan. Some sources assert that Lapu-Lapu was even stronger than
his rival, on account of controlling a key position in the Visayan trade route.
This would be a common theme, with each island in the
Visayas ruled by its own Datu. Chronicles from the time of Spanish arrival
talked of dealings with people like Datu Urrao of Samar, Datu Bankaw of
Limasawa, and Sikatuna in Bohol. Legazpi famously had a blood compact with
Sikatuna to signify their alliance. This was the Spanish way: Ally with local
Datus when they could and crush them when they could not.
The Spaniards also recorded other major players in the area
at the time of their arrival: In the island of Mindoro, was the Kingdom of
Ma-I, which had trade links with China as early as 972 CE, while the island of
Panay was home to the Confederation of Madja-as, unique in its description as
an alliance of local barangays in the area. The (now-famous) Datu Puti was the
first known ruler of Madja-as.
The Rich Sultans of Mindanao
South of the Visayan islands lies the region of Mindanao,
home to the Lumads, the Moros, and the seat of four major powers: the Rajahnate
of Butuan, the Sultanate of Lanao, the Sultanate of Maguindanao, and the Sultanate
of Sulu.
Butuan was one of the first polities that the Spaniards came
into contact with. Chroniclers described the place as so abundant with gold
that the houses were decorated with gold. One chronicler even claimed that
Rajah Siagu’s alipin had gold jewelry, something unheard of in Europe. Butuan
was regarded to be one of the richest states not just in the Philippine
archipelago, but in Southeast Asia.
On the other side of Mindanao were the Muslim sultanates.
Islam was first established in the Philippines in 1380 when Muslim traders set
foot in the shores of Sulu and Jolo. The Sultanate of Sulu was founded on
November 17, 1405, by Sharif ul-Kisham and quickly rose to become a maritime
power, with close ties to the greater Muslim community in Mindanao and the
Kingdom of Borneo. Sulu was rightfully feared by the Spanish for her pirate
fleets that controlled the Celebes Sea.
The spread of Islam continued with the rise of the Sultanate
of Maguindanao under Shariff Mohammed Kabungsuwan. Maguindanao was a proud
state that was able to resist Spanish colonization, most famously under Sulat
Kudarat from 1619 to his death in 1671.
Up north, near Lake Lanao, was a confederation of Maranao
states. The history of the “men of the Lake” was deeply intertwined with
Maguindanao: Sharrif Kabungsuwan was the one who influenced them to turn to
Islam. The Maranao states eventually formed a sultanate with Balindong Bsar of
House Masiu as its first Sultan.
Lanao and Maguindanao crossed paths again thanks to the
Spanish. Spanish incursions into Mindanao threatened the Maranao way of life.
It was Sultan Kudarat who rallied the men of the Lake into defending against
the foreign incursion. The Spanish retreated within months.
IMAGE BY WIKIMEDIA COMMONS.
The Old Rajahs of Luzon
Apart from the Datus of the Visayas, the kingdoms of Luzon
had the most contact with the Spanish, though much less is written about them.
Political power in Luzon was concentrated near the banks of the Pasig River,
where trade from China made its way across the archipelago.
The major players near the Pasig River were the Kingdom of
Tondo and the Rajahnate of Maynila. The two states shared a complex
relationship, ranging from friendly to at war.
An old state that existed as early as 900 CE, Tondo engaged
in trade and exerted its influence to as far as modern-day Laguna, Bulacan, and
Pampanga through trade and war. The relationship between Tondo and the other
polities was less that of a feudal lord and its vassals, and more of an
alliance between a senior and lesser partner.
Tondo was ruled by a Lakan who, by the time of Spanish
arrival, shared power with the Muslim Rajahnate of Maynila. One of the last
Lakans of Tondo was the famous Lakandula, who lost to the Spanish in the
fateful Battle of Bangkusay.
Maynila ultimately shared a similar fate against the
Spanish, though its Rajahs hoped that their blood relations with the Sultanate
of Brunei would save them. In one incident, the “Young Prince” Ache fought with
his cousin, the Lakan of Tondo, who was encroaching on territory belonging to
Maynila. Ache, exhorted by his mother to keep the peace, went to ask his
grandfather, the Sultan of Brunei for assistance. The Sultan gave Ache command
of a naval force.
Ache was on his way back to Maynila to exact revenge on his
cousin when he came upon the remnants of the Magellan expedition, which he
attacked in hopes of expanding his fleet. Ache was captured but was released
after paying a high ransom, whereupon he returned to his Kingdom. Not much is
known after that incident.
Ache had another brush with the Spanish in the 1570s. Now
known as Rajah Matanda, Ache and his counterpart in Tondo, Lakandula, tried to
defend their kingdoms against Spanish invasion. Maynila was burned to the
ground and the Spanish built Intramuros in its place.
Outside of the Tagalog regions states and polities were just
as abundant. The state of Ibalon ruled in the Bicol peninsula and is known as
the first Spanish settlement in Luzon. The Epic of Ibalon is still widely known
in the Bicol region as a celebration of oral history and a creative blend of
fact and fiction.
Going north, Rajahs had a complex relationship with native
highland tribes. The Igorot of Benguet frequently exchanged gold with Chinese
wares from Pangasinan while fighting Ilocanos in Samtoy. Pangasinan,
particularly, is home to the legendary warrior-princess Urduja, who was said to
have ruled in the 13th century.
There are more states now lost to history before Spanish
arrival and thousands more stories from the people who lived and ruled during
this period. But what’s important to remember is that we must always look at
our past critically if we are to have an appreciation of our Filipino culture
and heritage today.
Sources:
Scott, W. Barangay: Sixteenth-Century Philippine Culture and
Society. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Blair & Roberston. The Philippine Islands 1493-1898.
University of the Philippines.
Agoncillo, T. History of the Filipino People, 8th ed.
Garotech Publishing.
Newson, L. Conquest & Pestilence in the Early Spanish
Philippines. Ateneo de Manila University Press.
Also read:
"If you want to get rich, you must go to Mao-Li-Wu (Marinduque)" - Old Chinese saying
