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| MAJESTIC MINDANAO: The Exotic. The Mysterious. The Unconquered. |
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| WILLIAM DAMPIER, Mindanao Visitor |
Curiosity was further piqued when world travellers like the British William Dampier, wrote glowing accounts of their visits to the region. In 1648, Dampier, after his Mindanao sojourn, observed that the natives there “inspired mixed feelings of wonder, fear, pity, contempt and sometimes envy….they were proud and stately..”
Not surprisingly, to this day, Mindanao conjures images of quiet wonderment: where exalted blue-bloods –--brave sultans, rajahs, datus, with their regal putris and dayang-dayangs (princesses)--- ruled kingdoms on virgin lands, which, as Dampier enthused were “fat and fruitful…with pleasant brooks and river…with mountains that yield good gold”.
LAND OF BLUE
WATERS AND BLUEBLOODS.
That may be partly true, but the world of Muslim monarchy was also contentious, full of centuries of strifes against colonial forces, with the usual power struggles, court intrigues and royal family squabbles.
Order in the Court: The Hierarchy of Royals
SHADING A SULTAN. Sultan Muhammad Jamalul
Kiram II, and his attendants with a parasol. Source: ebay postcard.
While pre-colonial nobilities like datus and rajahs existed in Luzon and the Visayas , the Muslim royal houses in Mindanao, Sulu Archipelago, Cagayan Sulu and parts of Southern Palawan were set apart by their honorifics. These areas in Mindanao had for their first rulers, Arab-Malay nobles from Malacca and Borneo who married into native royalties.
Where Royals Rule: DATUS, RAJAHS, SULTANS
To emphasize their distinctive faith, they assigned the more superior title of “Sultan”, as opposed to “Rajah/Maharajah” or “Datu”, which were already used as native titles. The Sultan symbolized the unity and integrity of the state. Over his domains, the Sultan was the absolute ruler, the highest political and legal authority, and the esteemed champion of Islam faith.
W. C.
COWIE, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF BNBC WITH THE SULTAN OF SULU. Photo: Wikimedia commons,
Public Domain.
Ancient Mindanao society were stratified using elaborate ranking procedures, unlike those of highland tribes. Below the Sultan are the nobilities led by “Datu”, and the two constitute the traditional elite, as well as the council of elders. Datus ruled over territories of varying sizes, followed by the commoner, and the serfs and slaves. Male children of a “datu”, are also addressed as “datu”, but only one can take over his father’s role as the ruling datu ( an arrangement similar to the British royalty, where male siblings are all addressed as “prince”, but just one could ascend the throne). An heir apparent was known as “rajah muda”.
SULTAN MUHAMMAD JAMALUL AZAM (1862-1881) receives a delegation of a French explorers. Source: Voyage aux Philippines et Malasie. J. Montano, 1866. Filipino Heritage.
However, with the new religious and political structure, the line of succession was decided on by the Sultan, who had to enforce the rule that the throne was only available to the direct descendants of the first Sultan. In 1840, French explorer Jules Dumont d'Urville confirmed this during the reign of Sultan Muhammad Jamalul Kiram I: “His power is hereditary in the male line, to the exclusion of the female. All decisions are arrived at by the Sultan in a high council (“Ruma Bichara”). The council of 15 datus act as counterpoise to the Sultan’s authority..”.
OF DAYANG-DAYANGS AND PUTRIS. A retinue of royal princesses. Source: Presidential Museum and Library PH , 2010, via flickr. (Photo from The Scrapbook of Clyde Tavenner)
On the distaff side, the title of “Dayang” is equivalent to the rank of a princess, but it could also apply to a lady of the court. A synonym is the now-seldom used “Putri”. “Dayang-Dayang” refers to the “princess of the first degree”, a title given only to the Sultan’s daughters. This female noble title holds importance in the rule of succession as the son of a sultan whose mother is a royal princess (dayang) takes higher priority to the throne than those born of the Sultan’s concubine”.
Without exception, Sultans maintained an elaborate court retinue that included a master of ceremonies, scribes skilled in calligraphy, translators, a weapon-bearer, a flag or standard carrier. The Sultan, his ministers and his judge (Qadi) are always in attendance when foreign dignitaries came to visit.
A Sultan’s coronation was marked with pomp and splendor. Strict protocols were imposed, including the presentation of the royal kris by a datu to the Sultan, who had to pause and bow at every step of his right foot. Then the royal headdress and regalia were brought to the Sultan, followed by prayers recited by the Qadi or imam (worship leader) for a successful reign.
After his royal proclamation, an entourage of panglimas (territorial governors), orang kaya (people of wealth), and minor officials would then approach the Sultan to pledge their loyalty. The emphasis on the rituals of the Sultan’s crowning added an aura of mystery and awe to the mystique of the Muslim monarchy.
Sultanates Rising
The Sultanate system was the first centralized political bureaucracy in the Philippines. It provides an organized way of state governance, combining civil and religious authority. Most Muslim sultanates (states) are small, representing tribe subdivisions headed either by a Sultan or a datu. But sultanates could grow by mergers, driven by tribal relations or commonality of language. It was in this manner that the Sultanate of Maguindanao expanded from a small, Cotabato sultanate into a realm of far-reaching power and impact in the region.
SHARIFF
KABUNGSUAN, the founder of the Sultanate of Maguindanao in the 16th
c,. The Arab-Malay
married many royal daughters of ruling families. Creative representation.
An origin story of the sultanate begins with the arrival of missionary Shariff Kabungsuwan of Johor ca. 1490, who introduced Islam to two brothers living in the Cotabato valley--Mamalu and Tabunaway. Only Tabunaway chose to convert, so Mamalu parted ways amicably with his brother and moved to the highlands, with their kinship intact. This, then, became the basis of peace pacts between Muslims and indigenous mountain people.
Sharif Kabungsuwan installed himself as the Sultan of the Cotabato Sultanate and married many daughters of the ruling families of Maguindanao. He would grow his grand Sultanate of Maguindanao to cover the whole of Mindanao and its small islands. Its sphere of influence stretched from the Zamboanga peninsula to the Saranggani Bay.
Another leading light of the Sultanate of Maguindanao was Sultan Kudarat (Corralat to Spaniards) who ruled from 1619 to 1671. His father was Buisan who was instrumental in maintaining friendly relations with the Dutch and the British. He was known for his prolonged resistance against the invasions of Spaniards beginning with the 1637 attack of Gen. Sebastian de Corcuera.
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| SULTAN KUDARAT |
The Unconquered, known for resisting Spanish conquest of Mimdanao. Creative representation.
Sultan Kudarat formed an alliance with the Dutch, under Gov. of Ternate, Jan van Broeckom to help ward off the Spaniards, and even went to the extent of rallying other sultans to mount a jihad (holy war) against them. As if these problems were not enough, he also had to contend with the Sultanate of Buayan which resulted in a dynastic war. At the zenith of his rule, his powers extended up to the regions of Maranao regions, Cagayan de Oro and Saranggani. Sultan Kudarat never surrendered to the Spaniards, and remained unconquered till his death in 1671.
After his death, the Maguindanao Sultanate began to decline, while the Sultanate of Sulu, which goes back to the middle of the 15th century, gained more prominence. Sharif Abu Bakr was an Arab who married the daughter of Rajah Baguinda, a Sumatran royal who had a principality in Sulu. Abu Bakr managed to convert Sulu to Islam, framing rules based on the Koran. Succeeding his father-in-law and assuming full political and religious control, Abu Bakr proclaimed himself Sultan Sharif ul-Hasim of the great Sultanate of Sulu.
This sultanate would spawn a succession of mighty monarchs that included the likes of Sultan Muhammad Shahab ud-Din, who under his term (1685–1710), expanded the Sulu territory to its widest, with the acquisition of South Palawan, Basilan and other islands and Sabah or North Borneo, part of the great Muslim world known as Dar-ul-islam. This period was marked with relative peace with Spaniards and the Dutch, and productive economic ties with China.
BADAR UD-DIN,
Father of the great and much admired rulers, Azim ud-Din I, or Alimuddin. Source:
Filipino Heritage.
His nephew would prove to be one of Sulu’ s most admired and beloved ruler: Sultan Azim ud-Din I (also known as Muhammad Alimuddin), son of Badar ud-Din who reigned twice (1735–1748 and1764–1773). Educated as a boy in Batavia, East Indies (now Jakarta), he mastered the Koran and earned a reputation as “an authority almost supreme”.
AZIM UD-DIN’S BAPTISM. Mindanao’s chief monarch converted to Christianity and assumed the name Don Fernando de Alimuddin I. Illustration from Filipino Heritage, Felta Press.
His chief accomplishments were the minting of money, establishment of a Muslim navy and army, revision of the sultanate’s justice system, and the translation of the Koran into the local language. Azim ud-Din also converted to Christianity and took the name “Fernando de Alimuddin I”.
The Sultanate of Lanao, came into existence through the influence of the aforementioned Sharif Kabungsuan, the first Sultan of Maguindanao in 1520. The first Maranao chieftain to be given the title of sultan was Balindong Besar (official name Sultan Diagaborolah) of the House of Masiu, in 1640.
Tasked to spread the teachings of Islam and to put a sense of order in Lanao, the Sultan, along with 7 Maranao datu advisers, decided to create 4 Lanao states: Bayabao, Masiu, Unayan and Baloi. The four constituted an informal confederation without a centralized rule (unlike Maguindanao and Sulu), and within these states were a cluster of some 15 higher sultanates and 48 minor ones.
SULTAN OMAR KIRAM II was adopted by Christian
family who named him Vicente Austria. He became an engineer, and educator, and
a military man like his adoptive father.
One Lanao royal from contemporary times with a story worth retelling is Sultan Omar Kiram Jr. (b.1914-d.1986), Uyaan Sultan of the Onayan Sultanate of Lanao. The boy was orphaned when his parents, former Sultan Omar Kiram I and Bai Ampaso Saomay Mindalanao, perished in World War II.
At this point, stories surfaced as to how Omar survived—the more plausible version had his nanny Ishraida, spiriting him away to Dansalan for safety. Along the way, the two got separated after their capture by collaborators. A U.S. scout, Sergeant Gil Austria, bought his freedom for 22 pesos, adopted him with his wife and raised him as a Christian. Renamed as Vicente Austria, he became a chemical engineer, taught in Silliman and then pursued a checkered military career after his marriage to Nellie Lee Kelly, a Spanish-American mestiza.
EMRAIDA
KIRAM, daughter of Sultan Omar Kiram II, and the first Miss Phililppines-World
1967.
Omar discovered his noble ancestry after he joined the post-war government. During a Lanao disaster mission in 1955, he found himself back in Uyaan where he serendipitously got reunited with Ishraida. His nanny positively identified him through his hidden birthmarks. He would learn that both Princess Tarhata Kiram and Sultan Esmail Kiram, successor to the Sultanate Throne of Sulu, were both his cousins. Among Omar’s children was Princess Emraida Kiram, or Vivienne Lee Austria, Miss Philippines-World of 1967. Upon his death in 1986, Sultan Omar was buried in Muslim rites.
Intrigues in the Game of Thrones
As one can expect, the many sultanates in Mindanao was the perfect breeding ground for internal intrigues, rivalry for power and secret collusions. To establish political coalitions and dynasties, royals resorted to marriage alliances--some even considered incestuous-- contracted between the families of husbands and wives. This way, powers were consolidated and networks of influence expanded.
A ROYAL
COURT, Alliances were contracted between families of husbands and wives to
preserve power and build dynasties.
For instance, Shariff Kabungsuwan, who had succeeded in converting Tabunaway, married his sister, Putri Tunina. Two of their daughters were wed to two brothers who were ruling datus of Buayan. Kabungsuan also took on another wife, Agintabu, a member of the Iranuns, a very important political group. Their son, Sharif Maka-alang went on to marry Bulim, a Bi-laan woman. This strategic alliance would start the lineage of the mighty Sultan Kudarat.
SHARIF
UL-HASHIM aka “Abu Bakar”/ “Paduka Mahasari Maulana al Sultan Sharif
ul-Hashim.” Is the first ruler of the Sulatanate of Sulu.
The principles that guided the high council in electing a new Sultan, as in the case of the Sulu sultanate, was also subjected to varying interpretations. It was stipulated that no datu could become one unless he was a royal datu, descended from the first Sultan of Sulu, Abu Bakar Paduka Mahasari Maulana. This was taken to mean that the legitimate children of the Sultan were not necessarily the first priority for the title. In fact, it was argued by datus that any descendant of the first Sultan could be, in principle, a candidate, and thus, a qualified contender for the throne. To thwart possible usurpers, royal datus kept their genealogy records or “tarsila”, as proof of their noble lineage.
ALIMUD-DIN
WITH BRITISH TROOPS. The sultan was suspected of treachery by Spain, so he turned
to the British for protection in exchange for political favors.
The reign of the celebrated Sultan Alimud-din I was not without issues. His own datus thought that he became over-dependent on the Spaniards in his quest to quell the Tirun rebellion in Borneo. His welcoming attitude towards Jesuits and his plan to shift to a centralized form of government used by other Arab countries, alarmed traditional datus, such that that they rallied around Alimud-din’s power-tripping brother, Datu Bantilan, an opposition figure.
As Alimud-din was preparing to sail to Manila, a mercenary hired by his brother wounded him. Datu Bantilan took advantage of his absence and grabbed his throne. In Manila, Alimud-din fell victim to suspicions—Spaniards accused him of treachery and of being a false Christian, and for this, he was jailed, then exonerated.
A plan by Gov. Manuel Rojo to ship him back to Sulu was aborted with the British invasion of Manila. Injured in a skirmish,, he asked to be returned to Sulu, a request that was denied. So, Alimud-Din turned to the British, who put him under the protection of the British flag in exchange for political favors, that disturbed the flip-flopping Spaniards. Alimud-Din regained his throne in 1764, a tired old man, for his second term.
HARUN AR
RASHID, was a
descendant of Alim ud-Din I, through Datu Putong. Governor Arolas recommended his appointment as sultan.
Governor-General Terrero after obtaining approval on September 11, 1886, announced
him as Sultan of Sulu, until 1894. Source: Filipino Heritage, Felta Press.
The history of Muslim sultanates is replete with similar tales—of sultans being proclaimed due to Spanish intrigues (like in the case of Sultan Harun Ar-rashid in 1894), bastard children rising to power (Badar ud-Din ca. 1718–32 who became the 17th Sultan of Sulu despite being the illegitimate son of Sultan Salah ud-Din Bakhtiar), banished nobles (like Datu Salikula deemed as restless and rebellious) , heir-less sultans (Jamalul-Kiram II, died in 1936, he had 7 daughters, but no male heir which Islamic law requires), forced abdications, and appearances of pretenders to the throne.
JAMALUL
KIRAM II. Sultan of Sulu from 1894 to 1915. During his long reign, he signed
treaties with several nations. He served under both Spain and America. He had 7
daughters but no male heirs,
Princesses Charming and other Female Royals
Clearly, the male nobilities were at the top tier of royal Muslim hierarchy and society because of their primal roles as rulers of states and communities. Their female counterparts, on the other hand, had limited freedom and little involvement in state affairs, their activities confined to their domestic and ceremonial duties as wives and princesses.
TUAMBALOCA,
regarded as queen of Jolo, helped repel Gov. Gen. Sebastian Corcuera’s invading
forces in 1638.
There are a few accounts of Muslim royal women who stepped out of their comfort zone like the legendary Sima (ca. 637) who ruled a kingdom in Cotabato. Famed for her firm application of the law, she had her son’s foot cut off because he came across a sack of gold that was not his, and felt it with his foot. Another was Tuambaloca of Jolo, who helped her husband Rajah Bongso repel the invading forces of Gov. Gen. Sebastian de Corcuera in 1638. In like manner, Purmassuri, a princess, connived with native leaders by distracting the Spanish forces in their cuartel, so that the Muslim army could attack in stealth.
Surprisingly, there is a provision in the guidelines that allow the daughter of a Sultan to become a Sultana as a “Pangyan” , so long as her husband was a royal datu. If she married a royal datu within 7 days after the Sultan’s demise, the husband could be a Sultan. Such was the case with Nur ul-Azam (known as Pangyan Ampay) , daughter of Sultan Nasirud-Din II, who ruled from 1680-85. The Tausugs, however, rejected her reign as the idea of a female leader was unacceptable.
Hadji Dayang Dayang Piandao (b.1884/d.?) was the highest-ranked female royal in Sulu from the late 1890s-early 1900s. Her parents were Sultan Baharud Din and Hadji Amina. An uncle took care of rearing her after her father’s death. An exceptional child, she mastered the Koran at age 8; at 12, she was an experienced traveler, going on pilgrimages to Mecca, Sandakan, and Singapore. Sulans sought her services as an an astute adviser. Dayang Dayang married Datu Ombra Amilbangsa, who, in 1937, became the Sultan of Sulu. With that, she was elevated as a Pangyan, a Sultana of Jolo.
P. TARHATA KIRAM
TARHATA KIRAM. The American-educated princess was a niece and adopted daughter of Jaramul Kiram II, Sultan of Sulu. Photo: Graphic Magazine, 1929.
Another Muslim princess who made history for Muslim women in her time was Princess Tarhata Kiram (b.1906/d. 1979). In 1924, she became a U.S. government scholar (pensionado) at the University of Illinois. There, she became a campus figure, and took to Western ways—including wearing Flapper dresses which made news back home.
She returned without a degree only to marry Datu Tahil, a Jolo prince who led a Moro revolt in 1927, much to the chagrin of American officials. The princess kicked out three other rivals from her husband’s home, in defiance of Muslim laws that permitted polygamy. She denounced the Bacon Bill which called for the separation of Sulu from Mindanao. To preserve regional peace in the region, Princess Tarhata gave up her claim on Sabah which her ancestors had leased to the British.
NORA MAULANA, Miss Mindanao 1927
NORA MAULANA. Chosen as Miss Mindanao 1927. She became an educator and wrote scholarly books about Mindanao.
By 1926, Muslim women with noble blood were being sent to compete for the Miss Philippines title at the Manila Carnival. The representation of minorities in a national contest was obviously a token gesture of inclusion and unity with the deep South. Sulu was represented by Scott Rasul, and Lanao by Bala Amai Miring who won Miss Mindanao. The next year, it was Sulu’s turn to win with Silliman-educated Nora Maulana, who is of royal descent. She is the niece of the Sultan of Jolo and a descendant of the founder of the Sultanate of Sulu, Paduka Mahsari Maulana al-Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim. It was also the last time that Muslim women participated in the national fair.
Crafting a New State: The Bangsamoro
No other place in the Philippines has done more statecrafting—the effective management of state affairs-- than Mindanao. Throughout its history, the vast southern land has undergone long periods and processes of building political communities out of its many ethnic tribes.
The founding of confederate districts, like the Sultanate of Mindanao, with its hierarchy of monarchs and nobilities was the first such try at state-building. Spain tried to take control through sword and the cross, but to no avail. So did the U.S., which could not make an American territory out of the “Moro province” it formed in 1903. The secession and separatist movements could also be considered experimental attempts in statecrafting.
SULTAN TAMBILALWAN
II OF BUAYAN. His Majesty Mohamad Kuso Kanebpal Mangudadatu. Source: Bombo
Radyo Koronadal FB Page, 13 July 2017.
In 1915, the political sovereignty of the Sultanate was scrapped. However, non-sovereign powers like the right to confer titles remained, along with religious and cultural rights. Which is why, to this day, royal titles are still being accorded, and descendants of royal families recognized, as a way of sustaining, preserving snd respecting Islamic traditions and principles. As recent as July 2017, Mohamad Kuso Kanebpal Mangudadatu, a descendant of Shariff Kabungsuan. was installed as Sultan Tambilawan II of Buayan.
Three major royal families are recognized in Maguindanao as of May 2018, each headed by a Sultan under the Sultanate of Maguindanao, Kingdom of Rajah Buayan, and Domain of Allah Valley.
SULTAN OF
MAGUINDANAO. His Majesty Sultan Macapado M. Benito, Sr., Al-Haj., Photo Source: Mindanao.Politiko.PH
Time will tell if the newly-passed Bangsamoro Organic Law, which provides for the establishment of an autonomous political entity known as the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region (replacing the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao) with its own defined identity, territory, government, justice system, economic and financial framework-- will have an impact on the royal traditions of Mindanao, that has remained virtually intact for centuries.
SOURCES:
BOOKS:
Canoy, Reuben
R., Mindanao, The Quest for Indpendence. Mindanao Post Publishing Co. 3rd printing, 1991.
Casiño, Eric S., Mindanao, Statecraft and Ecology. Moros, Lumads and Settlers Across the Lowland-Highland Continuum. De La Salle University Press. Notre Dame University, Cotabato City. 2009.
Filipino Heritage, The Making of a Nation. Vol. 4, The Moro Wars, (p. 1080-86) Felta Book Sales, Inc.
Filipino Heritage, The Making of a Nation. Vol. 5, Statecraft (p. 1261-64), Summitry in the South (p.1293-97), Sulu Power Game (p.1332-36), Felta Book Sales, Inc.
Forbes, W. Cameron. The Philippines Islands. Harvard University Press, 1945. P. 273-277.
Ibrahim, Omar S., Diary of a Colonized Native: (Years of Hidden Colonial Slavery), Partridge Publishing, Singapore.
Sultan Kudarat: Ang Bayaning Hindi Sumuko sa mga Espanyol. Aklat Adarna. Children’s Communication Center, Quezon City. 1983.
ONLINE SOURCES:
http://maguindanaosultans.blogspot.com/
Castro, Alex R.
“8 Filipina Queens and Princesses Too Awesome for Disney Movies https://filipiknow.net/filipina-muslims-philippine-history/
List of Sultans
of Sulu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_sultans_of_Sulu
Sultanate of
Maguindanao: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultanate_of_Maguindanao
Sultanate of
Sulu: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultanate_of_Sulu
Sultan Omar
Kiram : A Profile, http://archive.su.edu.ph/page/47-sultan-omar-kiram: Bangsamoro Organic Law.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bangsamoro_Organic_Law
Very interesting and very comprehensive! Thank you.
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