Madja-as
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Madja-as | |||||||||
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| 12th or 13th century–Unknown | |||||||||
 A map of the Confederation of Madja-as according to the Maragtas by Pedro Monteclaro (1907) as well as municipal and provincial historical accounts. | |||||||||
| Capital | Malandog Aklan Irong-Irong | ||||||||
| Common languages | Proto-Visayan, Old Malay, Sanskrit | ||||||||
| Religion | Majority Folk religion Minority Hinduism[citation needed] Buddhism [citation needed] | ||||||||
| Government | Federal monarchy | ||||||||
| Datu | |||||||||
• c. 1200-? | Datu Puti | ||||||||
• ? | Datu Sumakwel | ||||||||
| History | |||||||||
• Established by 10 Datus | 12th or 13th century | ||||||||
• Disestablished | Unknown | ||||||||
| Currency | Gold, Pearls, Barter | ||||||||
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| Today part of | Philippines | ||||||||
| Part of a series on the |
| Pre-colonial history of the Philippines |
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| See also: History of the Philippines |
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Madja-as was a legendary precolonial confederacy on the island of Panay in the Philippines. It was mentioned in Pedro Monteclaro's book titled Maragtas. It was supposedly created by Datu Sumakwel to exercise his authority over all the other datus of Panay.[1] Like the Maragtas and the Code of Kalantiaw, the historical authenticity of the confederation is disputed, as no other documentation for Madja-as exists outside of Monteclaro's book.[2]
However, the notion that the Maragtas is an original work of fiction by Monteclaro is disputed by a 2019 Thesis, named "Mga Maragtas ng Panay: Comparative Analysis of Documents about the Bornean Settlement Tradition" by Talaguit Christian Jeo N. of the De La Salle University[3] who stated that, "Contrary to popular belief, the Monteclaro Maragtas is not a primary source of the legend but is rather more accurately a secondary source at best" as the story of the Maragtas also appeared in the Augustinian Friar, Rev. Fr. Tomas Santaren’s Bisayan Accounts of Early Bornean Settlements (1885) (originally a part of the appendice in the book, Igorrotes: estudio geográfico y etnográfico sobre algunos distritos del norte de Luzon Igorots: a geographic and ethnographic study of certain districts of northern Luzon by Fr. Angel Perez).[4]
Additionally, the characters and places mentioned in the Maragtas book, like Rajah Makatunao and Madja-as can be found in Song Chinese records. Seri Maharajah according to the records was the king of Brunei who sent an envoy to China in February 1082, and his descendants according to oral tradition was recorded to have been Rajah Makatunao and Sang Aji (grandfather of Sultan Muhammad Shah). Meanwhile the Code of Maragtas, a separate work from the Maragtas book, placed him at the 1200s.[5][6][Notes 1]
J. Carrol in his article: "The Word Bisaya in the Philippines and Borneo" (1960) thinks there might be indirect evidence in the possible affinity between the Visayans and Melanaos as he speculates that Makatunao is similar with the ancient leader of the Melanao in Sarawak, called "Tugau" or "Maha Tungao" (Maha or महत्, meaning 'great' in Sanskrit).[7][8] Chinese annals and maps record Madja-as as marked with the city of Yachen 啞陳 (Oton, which is a district in Panay).[9]
Origin
According to Augustinian Friar, Rev. Fr. Santaren, Datu Macatunao or Rajah Makatunao is the “sultan of the Moros,” and a relative of Datu Puti who seized the properties and riches of the ten datus. Robert Nicholls, a historian from Brunei identified Rajah Tugao, the leader of the Malano Kingdom of Sarawak, as the Rajah Makatunao referred to in the Maragtas.
Datu Puti led some dissident datus from Borneo (including present day Brunei which then was the location of the Vijayapura state which was a local colony of the Hindu-Buddhist Srivijaya empire[10] and Vijayapura itself upon earlier in its history, was a rump state of the fallen multi-ethnic: Austronesian, Austroasiatic and Indian, Funan Civilization, previously located in what is now Cambodia),[11]: 36 they and Sumatra were united in a rebellion against Rajah Makatunao who was a Chola appointed local Rajah. This oral legend of ancient Hiligaynons rebelling against Rajah Makatunao have corroboration in Chinese records during the Song Dynasty when Chinese scholars recorded that the ruler during a February 1082 AD diplomatic meeting, was Seri Maharaja, and his descendant was Rajah Makatunao and was together with Sang Aji (grandfather to Sultan Muhammad Shah).[6]
According to the Maragtas the dissidents against new Rajah's rule and their retinue, tried to revive Srivijaya in a new country called Madja-as in the Visayas islands (an archipelago named after Srivijaya) in the Philippines. Historian Robert Nicholl implied that the Srivijayans of Sumatra, Vijayans of Vijayapura at Brunei and the Visayans in the Philippines were all related and connected to each other since they form one contiguous area.[5] On a similar note, according to an early Spanish missionary and historian P. Francisco Colin, S.J. (1663) in the Philippines, the inhabitants of Panay Island were originally from north Sumatra.[12]
Landing on Panay
Contact with Marikudo and the Atis
Soon after the expedition had landed, the Malay migrants from Borneo came in contact with the native people of the Island, who were called Atis or Agtas. Some writers have interpreted these Atis as Negritos. Other sources present evidence that they were not at all the original people of Negrito type, but were rather tall, dark-skinned austronesian type. These native Atis lived in villages of fairly well-constructed houses. They possessed drums and other musical instruments, as well as a variety of weapons and personal adornments, which were much superior to those known among the Negritos.[13]
Purchase of Panay by the Ten Datus
Negotiations were conducted between the newcomers and the native Atis for the possession of a wide area of land along the coast, centering on the place called Andona, at a considerable distance from the original landing place. Some of the gifts of the Visayans in exchange of those lands are spoken of as being, first, a string of gold beads so long that it touched the ground when worn and, second, a salakot, or native hat covered with gold.[14] The term for that necklace which survive in the present Kinaray-a language is Manangyad, from the Kiniray-a term sangyad, which means "touching the ground when worn". There were also a variety of many beads, combs, as well as pieces of cloth for the women and fancifully decorated weapons (Treaty-Blades) for the men. The sale was celebrated by a feast of friendship between the newcomers and the natives, following which the latter formally turned over possession of the settlement.[14] Afterwards a great religious ceremony and sacrifice was performed in honor of the settlers' ancient gods, by the priest whom they had brought with them from Borneo.[14]
The Atis were the ones who referred to the Borneans as mga Bisaya, which some historians would interpret as the Atis' way of distinguishing themselves from the white settlers.[15]
Following the religious ceremony, the priest indicated that it was the will of the gods that they should settle not at Andona, but rather at a place some distance to the east called Malandog (now a Barangay in Hamtik, Province of Antique, where there was both much fertile agricultural land and an abundant supply of fish in the sea. After nine days, the entire group of newcomers was transferred to Malandog. At this point, Datu Puti announced that he must now return to Borneo. He appointed Datu Sumakwel, the oldest, wisest and most educated of the datus, as chief of the Panayan settlement.[14]
Emigration of other datus
Not all the datus, however, remained in Panay. Two of them, with their families and followers, set out with Datu Puti and voyaged northward. After a number of adventures, they arrived at the bay of Taal, which was also called Lake Bombon on Luzon. Datu Puti returned to Borneo by way of Mindoro and Palawan, while the rest settled in Lake Taal.[16]
The descendants of the datus who settled by Lake Taal spread out in two general directions: one group settling later around Laguna de Bay, and another group pushing southward into the Bicol Peninsula. A discovery of an ancient tomb preserved among the Bicolanos refers to some of the same gods and personages mentioned in a Panay manuscript examined by anthropologists during the 1920s.[17] Other datus settled in Negros Island and other Visayan islands.
The original Panay settlements continued to grow and later split up into three groups: one of which remained in the original district (Irong-irong), while another settled at the mouth of Aklan River in northern Panay. The third group moved to the district called Hantik. These settlements continued to exist down to the time of the Spanish regime and formed centers, around which the later population of the three provinces of Iloilo, Capiz, and Antique grew up.[17]
Reconquest and sacking of the original invaded homeland
The Bornean warriors Labaodungon and Paybare, after learning of this injustice from their father-in-law Paiburong, sailed to Odtojan in Borneo where Makatunaw ruled. Using local soldiers recruited from the Philippines as well as fellow pioneers, the warriors sacked the city, killed Makatunaw and his family, retrieved the stolen properties of the 10 datus, enslaved the remaining population of Odtojan, and sailed back to Panay. Labaw Donggon and his wife, Ojaytanayon, later settled in a place called Moroboro. Afterwards there are descriptions of various towns founded by the datus in Panay and southern Luzon.[3]
Social structure
The datu class was at the top of a divinely sanctioned and stable social order in a Sakop or Kinadatuan (Kadatuan in ancient Malay; Kedaton in Javanese; and Kedatuan in many parts of modern Southeast Asia), which is elsewhere commonly referred to also as barangay.[18] This social order was divided into three classes. The Kadatuan (members of the Visayan datu class) were compared by the Boxer Codex to the titled Lords (Señores de titulo) in Spain.[19] As Agalon or Amo (Lords),[20] the datus enjoyed an ascribed right to respect, obedience, and support from their Ulipon (Commoner) or followers belonging to the Third Order. These datus had acquired rights to the same advantages from their legal "Timawa" or vassals (Second Order), who bind themselves to the datu as his seafaring warriors. Timawas paid no tribute and rendered no agricultural labor. They had a portion of the datu's blood in their veins. The Boxer Codex calls these Timawas: Knights and Hidalgos. The Spanish conquistador, Miguel de Loarca, described them as "free men, neither chiefs nor slaves". In the late 17th century, the Spanish Jesuit priest Fr. Francisco Ignatio Alcina, classified them as the third rank of nobility (nobleza).[21]
To maintain purity of bloodline, datus marry only among their kind, often seeking high-ranking brides in other Barangays, abducting them, or contracting brideprices in gold, slaves and jewelry. Meanwhile, the datus keep their marriageable daughters secluded for protection and prestige.[22] These well-guarded and protected highborn women were called Binukot,[23] the datus of pure descent (four generations) were called "Potli nga Datu" or "Lubus nga Datu",[24] while a woman of noble lineage (especially the elderly) are addressed by the inhabitants of Panay as "Uray" (meaning: pure as gold), e.g., Uray Hilway.[25]
Lifestyle
The early Bornean settlers in Panay were not only seafaring. They were also a river-based people. They were very keen in exploring their rivers. In fact, this was one of the few sports they loved so much.[26] The Island's oldest and longest epic Hinilawod recounts legends of its heroes' adventures and travels along the Halaud River.
The Book of Maragtas
An old manuscript 'Margitas' of uncertain date (discovered by the anthropologist H. Otley Beyer)[27] was said to have given interesting details about the laws, government, social customs, and religious beliefs of the early Visayans. However, F. Landa Jocano made it clear that the book in question was the Maragtas, not the Margitas.[17][28] According to local oral legends and this book[29], ten datus of Borneo (Sumakwel, Bangkaya, Paiburong, Paduhinog, Dumangsol, Dumangsil, Dumaluglog, Balkasusa, and Lubay, who were led by Datu Puti) and their followers fled to the sea on their barangays and sailed north to flee from the oppressive reign of their paramount ruler Rajah Makatunaw, at the time of the destruction of the Srivijayan Empire. They eventually reached Panay island and immediately settled in Antique, creating a trade treaty with the Ati hero named Marikudo, and his wife Maniwantiwan, from whom they wanted to purchase the land. A golden salakot and long pearl necklace (called Manangyad) was given in exchange for the plains of Panay. The Atis relocated to the mountains, while the newcomers occupied the coasts. Datu Bangkaya then established a settlement at Madyanos, while Datu Paiburog established his village at Irong-irong (Which is now the city of Iloilo) while Datu Sumakwel and his people crossed over the Madja-as mountain range into Hamtik and established their village at Malandong. Datu Puti left the others for explorations northwards after ensuring his people's safety. He designated Datu Sumakwel, being the eldest, as the commander-in-chief of Panay before he left.
After the establishment of the settlement in Sinugbohan, Datu Sumakwel invoked a council of datus to plan for common defense and a system of government. Six articles were adopted and promulgated, which came to be known as Articles of Confederation of Madja-as.
The confederation created the three sakups (Sovereign territories) as the main political divisions, and they defined the system of government, plus establishing rights of individuals while providing for a justice system.
As a result of the council, Datu Paiburong was formally installed as commander-in-chief of Irong-irong at Kamunsil, Sumakwel of Hamtik at Malandog, and Bangkaya of Aklan at Madyanos.
Bangkaya ruled his sakup from Madyanos according to local customs and the Confederation of Madja-as' articles. The first capital of Aklan was Madyanos. Commander-in-chief, Datu Bangkaya then sent expeditions throughout his sakup and established settlements in strategic locales while giving justice to this people.[30]
After his election as commander-in-chief of Aklan, Bangkaya transferred his capital to Madyanos, for strategic and economic reasons and renamed it to Laguinbanwa.
Bangkaya commissioned his two sons as officers in the government of his sakup (district). He appointed Balengkaka in charge of Aklan, and Balangiga for Ilayan. Balangiga had twin sons, Buean and Adlaw, from which Capiz (Kapid) was originally named, before the Spaniards came.
The center of government of the Confederation was Aklan, when Sumakwel expired and Bangkaya succeeded him as leader of Panay. Bangkaya was then replaced by Paiburong. Aklan returned to become the center of Confederation again, when Paiburong expired and was replaced by Balengkaka.
Research by historian Robert Nicholl, extrapolating from Chinese texts and the writings of the Muslim historian Ibn Said, show that the characters and place-names in the oral legends compiled in the Maragtas, correspond with actual historical personages and places recorded in Ming annals and Arabic manuscripts.[5][6]
The Datus of Madja-as according to oral tradition
| The Datus | Capital | Dayang (Consort) | Children |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datu Puti | Sinugbohan | Pinangpangan | |
| Datu Sumakwel | Malandog | Kapinangan/Alayon | 1.Omodam
2.Baslan 3.Owada 4.Tegunuko |
| Datu Bangkaya | Aklan | Katorong | Balinganga |
| Datu Paiburong | Irong-Irong (Iloilo) | Pabulangan | 1.Ilohay Tananyon
2. Ilehay Solangaon
|
| Datu Lubay | Malandog | None | |
| Datu Padohinog | Malandog | Ribongsapay | |
| Datu Dumangsil | Katalan River Taal |
None | |
| Datu Dumangsol | Malandog | None | |
| Datu Balensucla | Katalan River | None |
See also
Notes
- ^ The original Maragtas by Pedro Monteclaro did not include any specific dates for the establishment of Madja-as. The Code of Maragtas stated was a separate work by Guillermo Santiago-Cuino, which placed the date of Madja-as' creation as 1212. The Code of Maragtas has been doubted by historians such as Paul Morrow (see 'The Maragtas Legend') and William Henry Scott.
References
- ^ Abeto, Isidro Escare (1989). "Chapter X - Confederation of Madyaas". Philippine history: reassessed / Isidro Escare Abeto. Metro Manila :: Integrated Publishing House Ann Arbor, Michigan: University of Michigan Library. p. 54. OCLC 701327689.
Already conceived while he was in Binanua-an, and as the titular head of all the datus left behind by Datu Puti, Datu Sumakwel thought of some kind of system as to how he could exercise his powers given him by Datu Puti over all the other datus under his authority.
- ^ Morrow, Paul. "The Maragtas Legend". paulmorrow.ca. Archived from the original on 2 July 2019.
In Maragtas, Monteclaro also told the story of the creation of the Confederation of Madya-as in Panay under the rule of Datu Sumakwel and he gave the details of its constitution. In spite of the importance that should be placed on such an early constitution and his detailed description of it, Monteclaro gave no source for his information. Also, it appears that the Confederation of Madya-as is unique to Monteclaro's book. It has never been documented anywhere else nor is it among the legends of the unhispanized tribes of Panay.
- ^ a b Mga Maragtas ng Panay[dead link]: Comparative Analysis of Documents about the Bornean Settlement Tradition By Talaguit Christian Jeo N.
- ^ Tomas Santaren, Bisayan Accounts of Early Bornean Settlements in the Philippines, trans by Enriqueta Fox, (Chicago: University of Chicago, Philippine Studies Program, 1954), ii.
- ^ a b c Brunei Rediscovered: A Survey of Early Times By Robert Nicholl Page 37 (Sub-citation taken from Ferrand, Relations p. 333)
- ^ a b c The Pre-Islamic Kings of Brunei By Rozan Yunos taken from the Magazine "Pusaka" published on year 2009.
- ^ THE BISAYA OF BORNEO AND THE PHILIPPINES: A NEW LOOK AT THE MARAGTAS By Joseph Baumgartner
- ^ Sonza, Demy P. (1974). "The Bisayas of Borneo and the Philippines: A New Look at the Maragtas" (PDF). Bahandian.
- ^ Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the Philippine By Wang Zhenping. Page 256.
- ^ Bilcher Bala (2005). Thalassocracy: a history of the medieval Sultanate of Brunei Darussalam. School of Social Sciences, Universiti Malaysia Sabah. pp. 30–. ISBN 978-983-2643-74-6.
- ^ Brunei Rediscovered: A Survey of Early Times By Robert Nicholl p. 35 citing Ferrand. Relations, page 564-65. Tibbets, Arabic Texts, pg 47.
- ^ Reyes y Florentino, Isabelo de los (1889). Las islas Visayas en la epoca de la conquista. Boston Public Library. Manila : Tipo-litografia de Chofre y ca.
- ^ G. Nye Steiger, H. Otley Beyer, Conrado Benitez, A History of the Orient, Oxford: 1929, Ginn and Company, pp. 120–121.
- ^ a b c d G. Nye Steiger, H. Otley Beyer, Conrado Benitez, A History of the Orient, Oxford: 1929, Ginn and Company, p. 121.
- ^ Cf. F. Landa Jocano, Filipino Prehistory: Rediscovering Precolonial Heritage, Manila: 2000, p. 75.
- ^ G. Nye Steiger, H. Otley Beyer, Conrado Benitez, A History of the Orient, Oxford: 1929, Ginn and Company, pp. 121-122.
- ^ a b c G. Nye Steiger, H. Otley Beyer, Conrado Benitez, A History of the Orient, Oxford: 1929, Ginn and Company, p. 122.
- ^ The word "sakop" means "jurisdiction", and "Kinadatuan" refers to the realm of the Datu - his principality.
- ^ William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, pp. 102 and 112
- ^ In Panay, even at present, the landed descendants of the Principales are still referred to as Agalon or Amo by their tenants. However, the tenants are no longer called Alipin, Uripon (in Karay-a, i.e., the Ilonggo sub-dialect) or Olipun (in Sinâ, i.e., Ilonggo spoken in the lowlands and cities). Instead, the tenants are now commonly referred to as Tinawo (subjects)
- ^ William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, pp. 112- 118.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 19 June 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2011.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Seclusion and Veiling of Women: A Historical and Cultural Approach - ^ Cf. Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1493-1898), Cleveland: The A.H. Clark Company, 1903, Vol. XXIX, pp. 290-291.
- ^ William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, p. 113.
- ^ Cf. Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson, The Philippine Islands (1493-1898), Cleveland: The A.H. Clark Company, 1903, Vol. XXIX, p. 292.
- ^ Cf. Sebastian Sta. Cruz Serag, The Remnants of the Great Ilonggo Nation, Sampaloc, Manila: Rex Book Store, 1991, p. 21.
- ^ Scott, William Henry, Pre-hispanic Source Materials for the study of Philippine History, 1984: New Day Publishers, pp. 101, 296.
- ^ Cf. F. Landa Jocano, Filipino Prehistory: Rediscovering Precolonial Heritage, Manila: 2000, pp. 68-69.
- ^ Maragtas by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro
- ^ Akeanon Online (Aklan History Part 3 - Confederation of Madjaas).
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