History of the Philippines (900–1521)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The history of the Philippines (as opposed to its prehistory) is marked by the creation of
the Laguna Copperplate Inscription (LCI), the first written document found in a Philippine language.
The inscription itself identifies the date of its creation as the year 900. Prior to its discovery in 1989,
the earliest record of the Philippine Islands corresponded with the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in
1521. The discovery of the LCI thus extended the record of Philippine history back by 600 years. [1]
[2]
After 900, the early history of territories and nation-states prior to being present-day Philippines is
known through archeological[3] findings and records of contacts with other civilizations such as Song
Dynasty China and theBruneian Empire.
This article covers the history of the Philippines from the creation of the Laguna Copperplate
Inscription in 900 AD to the arrival of European explorer Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, which marks
the beginning of the Philippine Colonial period (1565-1946).
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription and its context (c. 900AD)
[edit]
Laguna Copperplate Inscription (circa 900 AD)
Main article: Laguna Copperplate Inscription
In 1989, Antoon Postma deciphered the text of the Laguna Copperplate Inscription at the National
Museum of the Philippines and discovered that it identified the date of its creation as the "Year of
Syaka 822, month of Vaisakha." According to Jyotisha (Hindu astronomy), this corresponded with
the year 900 A.D. Prior to the deciphering of the LCI, Philippine history was traditionally considered
to begin at 1521, with the arrival of Magellan and his chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta. History could not
be derived from pre-colonial records because such records typically did not survive: most of the
writing was done on perishable bamboo or leaves. Because the deciphering of the LCI made it out to
be the earliest written record of the islands that would later become the Philippines, the LCI reset the
traditional boundaries between Philippine history and prehistory, placing the demarcation line 600
years earlier.[1]
The inscription forgives the descendants of Namwaran from a debt of 926.4 grams of gold, and is
granted by the chief of Tondo (an area in Manila) and the authorities
of Paila, Binwangan and Pulilan, which are all locations in Luzon. The words are a mixture
of Sanskrit, Old Malay, Old Javanese and Old Tagalog. The subject matter proves that a developed
society existed in the Philippines prior to the Spanish colonization, [not in citation given] as well as refuting
earlier claims of the Philippines being a cultural isolate in Asia; [not in citation given] the references to the Chief
of Medang Kingdom in Indonesia imply that there were cultural and trade links with empires and
territories in other parts of Maritime Southeast Asia, particularly Srivijaya. Thus, aside from clearly
indicating the presence of writing and of written records at the time, the LCI effectively links the
cultural developments in the Philippines at the time with the growth of a thalassocratic civilization in
Southeast Asia.[not in citation given][1]
Barangay city-states and Thalassocracy[edit]
Further information: Barangay (pre-colonial)
Since at least the 3rd century, the indigenous peoples were in contact with other Southeast Asian
and East Asian nations.
A Tagalog couple of theMaginoo nobility caste depicted in the Boxer Codex of the 16th Century.
Fragmented ethnic groups established numerous city-states formed by the assimilation of several
small political units known as barangay each headed by a Datu, who was then answerable to
a Rajah, who headed the city state. Each barangay consisted of about 100 families. Some
barangays were big, such as Zubu (Cebu), Butuan, Maktan (Mactan), Irong-
Irong (Iloilo), Bigan (Vigan), and Selurong (Manila). Each of these big barangays had a population of
more than 2,000.
Even scattered barangays, through the development of inter-island and international trade, became
more culturally homogeneous by the 4th century.Hindu-Buddhist culture and religion flourished
among the noblemen in this era.
Large Buddhist temples and images within Tabon Caves on Palawan provide supporting evidence.
By the 9th century, a highly developed society had already established several hierarchies with set
professions: The Datu or ruling class, the Maharlika or noblemen, the Timawa or freemen, and the
dependent class which is divided into two, the Aliping Namamahay (Serfs) and Aliping
Saguiguilid (Slaves).
Many of the barangay were, to varying extents, under the de jure jurisprudence of one of several
neighboring empires, among them the Malay Sri
Vijaya,Javanese Majapahit, Brunei and Malacca empires, although de facto had established their
own independent system of rule. Trading links
with Sumatra,Borneo, Thailand, Java, China, India, Arabia, Japan and the Ryukyu
Kingdom flourished during this era.[4][5][6] A thalassocracy had thus emerged based on international
trade.
In the earliest times, the items which were prized by the people included jars, which were a symbol
of wealth throughout South Asia, and later metal, salt and tobacco. In exchange, the people would
trade feathers, rhino horn, hornbill beaks, beeswax, birds nests, resin and rattan.
In the period between the 7th century to the beginning of the 15th century, numerous prosperous
centers of trade had emerged, including the Kingdom of Namayan which flourished alongside Manila
Bay,[7][8] Cebu, Iloilo,[9] Butuan, the Kingdom of Sanfotsi situated in Pangasinan, the Kingdoms of
Zabag and Wak-Wak situated inPampanga[10] and Aparri (which specialized in trade with Japan and
the Kingdom of Ryukyu in Okinawa).
Emergence of Baybayin and related scripts (1200 onwards) [edit]
Main article: Baybayin
The "Butuan Ivory Seal" - TheKawi script lettering says "But-wan" and the smaller lettering (similar to Baybayin)
says "Bu-wa" (Diacritics for the "Wan/Ban" in Kawi and "Bu/Ba" in the smaller letters have worn off)
The Baybayin
The script used in writing down the LCI is Kawi, which originated in Java, and was used across
much ofMaritime Southeast Asia. But by at least the 13th century or 14th century, its descendant
known in Tagalogas Baybayin was in regular use. The term baybayin literally means syllables, and
the writing system itself is a member of the Brahmic family.[11] One example of the use of Baybayin
from that time period was found on an earthenware burial jar found in Batangas. Though a common
perception is that Baybayin replaced Kawi, many historians believe that they were used alongside
each other. Baybayin was noted by the Spanish to be known by everyone, and was generally used
for personal and trivial writings. Kawi most likely continued to be used for official documents and
writings by the ruling class.[12] Baybayin was simpler and easier to learn, but Kawi was more
advanced and better suited for concise writing.
Although Kawi came to be replaced by the Latin script, Baybayin continued to be used during the
Spanish colonization of the Philippines up until the late 19th Century. Closely related scripts still in
use among indigenous peoples today include Hanunóo, Buhid, and Tagbanwa.[citation needed]
Chinese trade (982 AD onwards)[edit]
The earliest date suggested for direct Chinese contact with the Philippines was 982 AD. At the time,
merchants from "Ma-i" (now in Mindoro) brought their wares to Guangzhou. This was noted by
the Sung Shih (History of the Sung) by Ma Tuan-lin who compiled it with other historical records in
the Wen-hsien T’ung-K’ao at the time around the transition between the Sung and Yuan dynasties. [13]
However, actual trade between China and the proto-Philippine states probably started much earlier.
[14]
The growth of Islamic Sultanates (1380 onwards)[edit]
In 1380, Makhdum Karim, the first Islamic missionary to the Philippines brought Islam to the
Archipelago. Subsequent visits of Arab, Malay and Javanese missionaries helped strengthen the
Islamic faith of the Filipinos, most of whom (except for those in the north) would later become
Christian under the Spanish colonization. The Sultanate of Sulu, the largest Islamic kingdom in the
islands, encompassed parts of Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines. The royal house of the
Sultanate claim descent from Muhammad.
Around 1405, the year that the war over succession ended in the Majapahit Empire, Sufi traders
introduced Islam into the Hindu-Malayan empires and for about the next century the southern half of
Luzon and the islands south of it were subject to the various Muslim sultanates of Borneo. During
this period, the Japanese established a trading post at Aparri and maintained a loose sway over
northern Luzon.
Attack by the Bruneian Empire (1500 A.D.)[edit]
Around the year 1500 AD, the Kingdom of Brunei under Sultan Bolkiah attacked the kingdom of
Tondo and established a city with the Malay name of Selurong (later to become the city ofMaynila)[15]
[16]
on the opposite bank of Pasig River. The traditional Rajahs of Tondo, the Lakandula, retained
their titles and property but the real political power came to reside in the House of Soliman, the
Rajahs of Manila.[17]
Expansion of trade (1st century–14th century AD)[edit]
Jocano refers to the time between the 1st and 14th Century AD as the Philippines' emergent phase.
[18]
It was characterized by intensive trading, and saw the rise of definable social organization, and,
among the more progressive communities, the rise of certain dominant cultural patterns. The
advancements that brought this period were made possible by the increased use of iron tools, which
allowed such stable patterns to form. This era also saw the development of writing. The first
surviving written artifact from the Philippines, now known as the Laguna Copperplate Inscription,
was written in 900 AD, marking the end of what is considered Philippine prehistory and heralding
the earliest phase of Philippine history - that of the time between the first written artifact in 900 AD
and the arrival of colonial powers in 1521.
Attack of the Spanish Conquista (1521–1565)[edit]
Main article: History of the Philippines (1521–1898)
Filipino historians note an overlap in the history of pre-colonial Philippines and the Spanish colonial
period, noting that while Magellan's arrival in 1521 marked the first arrival of European colonizers to
this country, it was not until the arrival of Miguel López de Legazpi in 1565 that the Europeans had
any marked impact on the lifestyle of the residents of the Philippine Archipelago.
National Historical Institute and National Commission for Culture and the Arts chair Ambeth
Ocampo notes:
Contrary to popular belief, the so-called “Spanish period” in Philippine history does not begin
with Magellan’s arrival in Cebu and his well-deserved death in the Battle of Mactan in 1521.
Magellan may have planted a cross and left the Santo Niño with the wife of Humabon, but
that is not a real “conquista” [conquest]. The Spanish dominion over the islands to be known
as “Filipinas” began only in 1565, with the arrival of Legazpi. From Cebu, Legazpi moved to
other populated and, we presume, important native settlements like Panay and later Maynila
(some thought the name was Maynilad because of the presence of Mangrove Trees in the
area called nilad).[19]
Cultural achievements of pre-colonial
Philippines
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The cultural achievements of pre-colonial Philippines include those covered
by prehistory and early history of the Philippines archipelago and its inhabitants, which are the
indigenous forebears of today's Filipino people.
Agriculture[edit]
The Banaue Rice Terraces, they are part of the Rice Terraces of the Philippine Cordilleras, ancient sprawling
man-made structures from 2,000 to 6,000 years old, which are a UNESCOWorld Heritage Site.
Early peoples of what is now Philippines were good agriculturists. A report during the time of Miguel
López de Legazpi noted of the great abundance of rice, fowls, wine as well as great numbers of
carabaos, deer, wild boar and goats in Luzon. In addition, there were also great quantities of cotton
and colored clothes, wax, honey and date palms produced by the natives. In the Visayas, according
to another early report, rice, cotton, swine, fowls, wax and honey abound. Leyte was said to produce
two rice crops a year, and Pedro Chirino commented on the great rice and cotton harvests that were
sufficient to feed and cloth the people
Duck culture was also practiced by the natives, particularly those around Pateros and Taguig City.
This resembled the Chinese methods of artificial incubation of eggs and the knowledge of every
phase of a duck's life. This tradition is carried on until modern times. [1]
The Ifugaos of the mountainous region of the Cordilleras built irrigations, dams and hydraulic works
and the famous Banaue Rice Terraces as a way for assisting in growing crops around 1000 BC.[1]
Art of War[edit]
Further information: Filipino martial arts
High quality metal casting, artillery, and other metal works had been traditions throughout the
ancient Philippines. The metal smith, or panday piray of Pampanga was skilled at making weapons,
and many individuals with the surnames Viray and Piray are said to be descendants of people who
were once members of the guild of smiths who followed the tradition of thepanday pira.[1]
Ancient peoples used small arquebuses, or portable cannons made up of bronze. Larger cannons,
on the other hand, were made of iron and resembling culverins provided heavier firepower. The iron
cannon at Rajah Sulaiman III's house was about 17 feet long and was made from clay and wax
moulds.[1]
Guns were also locally manufactured and used by the natives. The most fearsome among these
native guns was the lantaka, or swivel gun, which allowed the gunner to quickly track a moving
target.[1] Some of the weaponry used by the natives was quite unusual. For instance, one weapon
was the prototype of the modern-day yo-yo, and it returned to is owner after being flung at an
opponent.
Swords were also part of the native weaponry. Making of swords involved elaborate rituals that were
based mainly on the auspicious conjunctions of planets. The passage of the sword from the maker
entailed a mystical ceremony that was coupled with superstitious beliefs. [1] The lowlanders
of Luzon no longer use of the bararao, while the Moros and animists of the South still continue the
tradition of making kampilan and kris.[1]
In addition to weaponry, ancient peoples made good armor for use in the battlefield and built strong
fortresses called kota or moog to protect their communities. The Moros, in particular, had armor that
covered the entire body from the top of the head to the toes. The Igorots built forts made of stone
walls that averaged several meters in width and about two to three times the width in height around
2000 BC.[1][2]
Education and writing[edit]
Laguna Copperplate Inscription (c. 900), a thin copperplate document measuring less than 8x12 inches in size,
shows heavy Hindu-Malayan cultural influences present in the Philippines during the 10th Century.
See also: Ancient Philippine scripts and Enrique of Malacca
Prehistoric people devised and used their own system of writings from 300 BC, which derived from
the Brahmic family of scripts of Ancient India. Baybayinbecame the most widespread of these
derived scripts by the 11th century.
Early chroniclers, who came during the first Spanish expeditions to the islands, noted the proficiency
of some of the natives, especially the chieftain and local kings, in Sanskrit, Old Javanese, Old
Malay,and several other languages.[3][4][5]
Maritime culture and aquaculture[edit]
Native boats and outriggers as depicted in The history and conquest of the Philippines and our other island
possessions; embracing our war with the Filipinos by Alden March, published in 1899. Caption (cropped out)
read: "Boats of the upper type were used to land the U.S. troops at Manila. One of those in which the Astor
Battery landed sank in the surf just before reaching shore. The natives carried the men ashore on their
shoulders. The lower boat is a fisherman's craft used by the Negritos, who shoot fish in the clear water with
bows and arrows."
Ancient peoples of the Philippines, being descendants of the balangay-borne Austronesian migrants
from Maritime Southeast Asia,[6] were known for their navigational skills. Some of them used
compass similar to those used among maritime communities of Borneo and traders of China,
although most had no need for such devices. In modern times, some fishermen and traders in
the Visayas, Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan can still navigate long distances over open water without
the use of modern navigational instruments.[1] Philippine ships, such as the karakao orkorkoa were of
excellent quality and some of them were used by the Spaniards in expeditions against rebellious
tribes and Dutch and British forces. Some of the larger rowed vessels held up to a hundred rowers
on each side besides a contingent of armed troops. [4] Generally, the larger vessels held at least
one lantaka at the front of the vessel or another one placed at the stern. [1] Philippine sailing ships
called praos had double sails that seemed to rise well over a hundred feet from the surface of the
water. Despite their large size, these ships had double outriggers. Some of the larger sailing ships,
however, did not have outriggers.
Communities of ancient Philippines were active in international trade, and they used the ocean as
natural highways.[4] Ancient peoples were engaged in long-range trading with their Asian neighbors
as far as west as Maldives and as far as north as Japan.[1] Some historians even proposed that they
also had regular contacts with the people of Western Micronesia because it was the only area in
the Oceania that had rice crops, tuba (fermented coconut sap), and tradition of betel nut chewing
when the first Europeans arrived there. The uncanny resemblance of complex body tattoos among
the Visayans and those of Borneo also proved some interesting connection between Borneo and
ancient Philippines.[1] Magellan's chronicler, Antonio Pigafetta, mentioned that merchants and
ambassadors from all surrounding areas cameto pay tribute to the king of Sugbu (Cebu) for the
purpose of trade. While Magellan's crew were with the king, a representative from Siam was paying
tribute to the king.[1] Miguel López de Legazpi also wrote how merchants
from Luzon and Mindoro had come to Cebu for trade, and he also mentioned how the Chinese
merchants regularly came to Luzon for the same purpose. [1] The Visayan Islands had earlier
encounter with the Greek traders in 21 AD.[7] Its people enjoyed extensive trade contacts with other
cultures. Indians, Japanese, Arabs, Vietnamese, Cambodians, Thais, Malays and Indonesians as
traders or immigrants.[8][9]
Aside from trade relations, the natives were also involved in aquaculture and fishing. The natives
make use of the salambao, which is a type of raft that utilizes a large fishing net which is lowered
into the water via a type of lever made of two criss-crossed poles. Night fishing was accomplished
with the help of candles made from a particular type of resin similar to the copal of Mexico. Use of
safe pens for incubation and protection of the small fry from predators was also observed, and this
method astonished the Spaniards at that time. [1] During fishing, large mesh nets were also used by
the natives to protect the young and ensure future good catches.
Mining and jewelry making[edit]
Mining in the Philippines began around 1000 BC. The early Filipinos worked various mines of gold,
silver, copper and iron. Jewels, gold ingots, chains, calombigas and earrings were handed down
from antiquity and inherited from their ancestors. Gold dagger handles, gold dishes, tooth plating,
and huge gold ornamets were also used.[1] In Laszlo Legeza's "Tantric elements in pre-Hispanic
Philippines Gold Art", he mentioned that gold jewelry of Philippine origin was found in Ancient Egypt.
[1]
According to Antonio Pigafetta, the people of Mindoro possessed great skill in mixing gold with
other metals and gave it a natural and perfect appearance that could deceive even the best of
silversmiths.[1] The natives were also known for the jewelries made of other precious stones such as
carnelian, agate and pearl. Some outstanding examples of Philippine jewelry included necklaces,
belts, armlets and rings placed around the waist.
Pottery[edit]
The ancient Philippines had a very rich tradition of pottery as verified by the finds at Ayub Cave
in South Cotabato and other parts of the islands. Japanese texts mentioned trading expeditions to
the island of Rusun (Luzon) for the highly prized Rusun and Namban jars occurred. Japanese texts
were very specific about these jars being made in Luzon. The Tokiko, for example, calls the Rusun
and Namban jars, Ru-sun tsukuru or Lu-sung ch'i (in Chinese), which means simply "made in
Luzon."[1] These Rusun jars, which had rokuru (wheel mark), were said to be more precious than
gold because of its ability to act as tea canisters and enhance the fermentation process. [1]
