EARLY CONTACTS WITH NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES (900 - 1400 A.D.) Though less studied due to scarce written sources, the topic on the Philippines’ early contacts with its neighbors can now be better appreciated with the recent discovery of material evidences as well as new documentary sources. Oral and cultural evidence show that early on, the Philippines already had trade, and cultural exchanges with its Asian and Southeast Asian neighbors. The seemingly scattered island- group of people actively engaged in trade and commerce with their neighbors; an exposure that further enriched the economic life and culture of the early Filipinos, long before the coming of the West. Earty TRADE ROUTES AND CONTACTS Ancient Filipinos, just like their Southeast Asian neighbors, were expert seafarers and boat builders, They made all sizes and types of boats —big or small, single-hulled or outrigged. Because they had mastered the wind and sea currents, they could travel far and wide to trade with nearby Southeast and East Asian neighbors. Some scholarssuggested they reached even as far as Champa (present-day Vietnam) and India. Thus, long before the coming of the Portuguese and Spaniards in the region, the Philippines had outside trade contacts, and along with these, varied cultural exchanges took place, Scholars have yet to agree as to when and with whom these contacts began. O.W. Wolters said such a trade may have been there as early as the third century, based on the pearls and gold excavated in Funan. Sulu was rich in pearls and gold was abundant in the country. Filipino historians and archeologists believe the Filipino—Chinese trade contacts began around the ninth century during the Tang dynasty (618-906 A.D.). They cite as evidence Tang stonewares that were found in the Babuyan Islands, along the coasts of Ilocos, Pangasinan, Mindoro (Puerto Galera), Batangas (Calatagan), Manila (Santa Ana), Bohol, Cebu, Jolo, and Cagayan de Oro. If the Chinese did not bring these items directly to the Philippines, Chinese goods probably found their way to the islands by way of Borneo through Arab traders who had earlier direct trade contacts with the Chinese. Arab Trade Routes in Southeast Asia Between 900 and 1200 A.D., a group of people called Orang Dampuan from Southern Annam (Vietnam today), established trading posts in Sulu. A flourishing trade developed between Champa (Annamese Kingdom) and the people of Sulu who were called Buranun. This trade proved favorable to the Orang Dampuans whose prosperity drew the ire of the Buranuns. In a fit of jealousy, the Buranuns massacred some Orang Dampuans causing the others to flee and return to Champa. It was not until the 13th century that they would return to Sulu to tradepeacefully once more. The famous pearl trade of Sulu also attracted another group of people known as the Banjar of nearby Borneo, Regular trade relations ensued between Sulu and Banjarmassin. The Buranuns, who had not yet forgotten their tragic experience with the Orang Dampuans, were also suspicious of the Banjars. But the traders of Banjarmassin, aware of the fate of the Orang Dampuans, were more diplomatic. Instead of antagonizing the Buranuns, they brought their beautiful princess to Sulu and offered her as a bride to the Buranun prince, who eventually married her. Sulu thus became a tribute-state of the empire of Sri-Vijaya, along with Banjarmassin and Brunei. Sulu developed into an emporium to which trading ships of Java, Sumatra, Cambodia, Siam, and China would anchor to savor Sulu’s prosperous trade and splendor. Arab traders, who up to this point dominated this Southeast Asian trading, were later barred from the central Chinese coast. They relocated to the Malay Peninsula where they sought an alternative route starting from Malacca and passing through Borneo and the Philippines to reach Taiwan. They continued to carry Southeast Asian goods to the Western world using this southern route. They also carried Philippine goods on board Arab ships to the Chinese mainland through Canton. So keen was the competition that the Arab ships carried non-Chinese goods amounting to 20-40% of the total cargo. This lasted up to the Javanese or Madjapahit period (1377-1478). The Chinese trade in the Philippines greatly improved during the Ming dynasty (1368-1650). During this time Emperor Yung-lo sent a fleet of vessels to the Philippines, under the command of Admiral Cheng Ho, to visit Lingayen, Manila Bay, Mindoro, and Sulu in 1405-1406, 1408-1410, and 1417. The Chinese Emperor even tried to impose its suzerainty over Luzon by sending Ko Ch’a-lao as governor. Emperor Yung-lo’s death, however, put an end to this ambitious plan. ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL EXCHANGES Using the compass on sea voyages, Chinese traders competed with the Arabs from the eleventh to the twelfth century. Sung porcelain unearthed in Sta. Ana, Manila and around the Laguna de Bai, attested to the success of this trade. By the thirteenth century, the Chinese had overtaken the Arabs in the region. Description of the lucrative trade between China and the Philippine archipelago can be found in Chao Ju- kua’s Chu fan-chi (1225) where the Chinese mentioned the following, places: Ma-i (Mindoro or Baé in Laguna), Min-to-lang (Mindanao), Ma- Ji-lu (Manila), Su-lu (Sulu), and Pi-sho-ye (Visayas). The Philippine trade goods included bulak (raw cotton), abaca, cloth of various patterns, { emporium — {center of { commerce; | Gmorket { splendor — (brilliance, ‘ { magnificent | { display of | { appearance | ( ' ‘ ' ‘ ' ‘ ' ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ suzerainty — authority over @ dependent nation‘@ cotton fabric "with a printed pattern usually glazed, used t_ for furnishing {damask — @ patterned - fabric made of woven silk or linen, {especially {white table {linen with {designs that "become more 1 visible with 1 reflected light t t t ‘ ‘ ‘ t to measure things Projectiles — objects to be hurled or projected forcibly from @ gun or bow censers — 0 small container for burning incense deep cooking pot for boiling liquids 32 hardwoods, gums, resins, betel nuts, pear shell, pink and blue coral tree, large conch shells, tortoise shells, sponges, rattan, beeswax, mus) sandalwood, leather, mats, and pepper. In exchange, China brought: iro. bars, porcelain and pottery, silk, chintz, black damask, Java cloths, req tafetta, blue cloth, bronze gongs, small bells, mirror, scales, coins, jade, projectiles, gold, silver, censers, lead, colored glass beads, iron needles tin, lead sinkers for fishing nets, lacquered ware, copper cauldrons, wine, ivory, and “tint” (a kind of Chinese silver money). Although trade was conducted in general through the barter system, by the eighth century, a type of currency began to be used in the form of barter rings. By the twelfth century, gold coins (piloncitos) began to be used as medium of exchange. With trade of products came cultural exchanges, including religion. These in turn, would influence the indigenous lifestyle, customs, and religious beliefs of the ancient Filipinos. This is particularly true of the influences on our language, system of writing, technology, attire, ornaments, food, and religious beliefs and practices. Much of the Chinese influence on Filipino life is economic in nature. This is shown by the Chinese words that were adopted into the languages of the Philippines, particularly Tagalog. Here are some examples: Barter rings and pilencitos Chinese Tagalog English ‘am-pau ampow | _ puffed rice or corm he-bi hibi | dried salted shrimps ke-tai katay cut up meat le-piah lipya plowshare | hok-bu hukbo arm peh-chihai petsay Chinese cabbage There are hundreds of Tagalog words which have their origin in Chinese. Most of these words have economic meanings. The Filipinos also learned from the Chinese the use of umbrellas, porcelain, gongs, the manufacture of gunpowder, metallurgy, and mining methods. Perhaps the Filipinos also borrowed the Chinese custom of having parents arrange the marriage of their children. Wearing white _clothing, instead of black, for mourning the death of family and relatives, is also of Chinese origin, especially among the Visayans. Quite apart from the Chinese, the ancient Filipinos were also influenced by the Indians of India. The ancient Indians may not have settled in huge numbers in the Philippines, but their influence on Filipino culture may have come through the ancestors of the present Indonesians. The Malays who came to the Philippines were possibly Hinduized Malays, that is, Malays who professed the Hindu religion of India. This Indian influence is clearly seen in some of the words in the different languages of the Philippines, including Tagalog, which were derived from Sanskrit, the ancient language of India. Some of the Tagalog words of Sanskrit origin are the following: Sanskrit Tagalog English ahi ghas snake swamin asawa husband or wife bhaga bahagi part, portion vartta balita news kotta kuta fort dala dala fishing net ‘ganda ganda beauty hari hari king Talarawe Talawa spider tara tala stor Sanskrit words or their variations are also found in Visayan and Maguindanaoan languages. Such words as agama (religion), pandita (priest or scholar), tumbaga (copper), baginda (emperor), sutra (silk), and many others, are of Sanskrit origin. Several deities in the myths of ancient Filipinos show traces of Indian influence: Indra Batara, Lord of the Universe; Idiyanale, god of agriculture, Agni, god of fire, and many more. A figurine of the Hindu goddess Padmapani was found in Butuan and was dated to 300 A.D. This could attest to that ancient contact between the Philippines and the Indian sub-continent. The Philippine Catholic wedding ceremony has Indian influences. The use, for example, of the cord and the veil during the Catholic marriage ceremony in the Philippines is Indian in origin. It is not originally Western or Spanish Catholic, because the non-Philippine Catholic marriage has no veil and cord ceremonies. The Laguna Copperplate discovered in the Pagsanjan, Laguna river delta in 1986 is another evidence of this early Philippine contact with its Southeast Asian neighbors particularly the Malays and Indonesians. Dated to 900 A.D., the copperplate contains an inscription in an old Philippine language, stating the full payment of a loan obtained by a woman trader from her contacts in the nearby Indonesia. The copperplate+ also shows shared knowledge in metallurgy and its use in trade ang } metallurgy — commerce to record transactions, as in this case, as certificate of credit | the art of a ayment. extracting and loan pay} metals from ores; working metals to make objects Laguna copperplate THE ComING oF IsLAM After Mohammad’s death in 632 A.D., Islam spread outside of Arabia ve paren = in two stages. In the first stage, Islam was brought to the rest of the Middle East, Northern Africa, Spain, and Central Asia. In the second stage, Muslim missionaries traveled with Arab merchants to India, propagating a religious faith consciousness — China, and finally to Southeast Asia where a number of them (traders awareness; a and also missionaries) settled and intermarried with members of the person's royalty. They also set up mosques and madrasahs (schools). In the Philippines, Islam was introduced by Tuan Masha’ika, a trader from Malaya, and his companion Tuan Maqbalu who came to Sulu in the 1240s. According to Sulu genealogy called tarsila, his wealth increased and with it, the status of Muslims in the communities was raised. By 1380, when a missionary from Java, Karim ul’ Makhdum arrived in Buansa (Sulu), he found a thriving Muslim community that welcomed him and his efforts to strengthen Islam around the mosque he built in Tubig Indangan, Tawi-tawi. Ten years later (1480), Rajah Baginda arrived from Sumatra. He further deepened Islamic consciousness among the Muslims in Sulu by building more madrasahs in the area. He later rose to a position of power in Sulu. But it was Abu Bakr (who married Rajah Baginda’s daughter, Paramisuli), who succeeded in establishing a government similar to the sultanate of Arabia. Meanwhile, in Maguindanao (present-day Cotabato and Lanao), Serif Kabungsuan arrived from Jahore, now a state of West Malaysia: and converted many inhabitants to Islam. He became the first sultan of Maguindanao. So rapid was the spread of Islam that when the Spaniards first arrived in 1570, they found Maynila and the nearby places with thoughts and feelings as 2 whole 34 aMuslim connections, The rulers of the kingdom of Maynila were found to be related by blood and marti house of Muslim Brunei, tothe royal Teachings of Islam The basic tenets of Islam are found in the Qur'an (Koran), the holy book of the Muslims. Written in Arabic, the Koran is ered the word of the Supreme consi Creator, Allah, as directly communicated by the angel to the prophet Mohammad. Among the teacl Koran are the following: ngs of the * There is only one Supreme Being, Allah, the Creator of the Universe and all of humankind. © Allah isajust and mei repent of their sins, purif death, ful God and it is Allah's desire that all should themselves so they could enter Paradise after * Life in this world is only temporary and one’s good deeds, as well ast day of the entire humanity. Each one will be judged according to what one has done in his lifetime. © The Koran forbids any human or animal representation in their art. the bad deeds, are listed by an el for final judgement on the Only geometric patterns are allowed. * Eating pork, dri in orthodox Islam. ing wine, gambling, and other vices are forbidden Mosque= e Islam forbids loans and usury: * Muslims are duty-bound to help the poor, the orphans, ang widows. . '« Telling lies, stealing, adultery, and murder are all grave sins that deserve serious punishment. Every Muslim must have goodness expressed in faith in God and such virtues as patience, faithfulness, honesty, industry, honor, and courage. e A follower of Allah has to observe the following rituals or obligations: a declaration of faith in the oneness of God (shahada); prayer facing the east (Mecca) five times a day (sa/a4); fasting (sawm); giving of alms (zaka?), and a one-time pilgrimage to Mecca (hadi). Fasting is observed during the Ramadan, which is held at the ninth month of the Muslim calendar. No solids are taken from early dawn until the sun sets. They purify themselves by praying and practicing good deeds and self-restraint. The Sultanate Unlike the barangays of the non-Muslim ancient Filipinos which were smaller in size and very much decentralized, the sultanate governed a much larger territory through a centralized network of officials with the Sultan at the top. Sultan (With royal or Arab ancestry) dS Ruma Bichara (A council of elders composed of datus) and panglimas (teachers) Waiir ~ first minister/datu Maja rajah — customs chief Rajah laut — chief of the seas Qadi ~ chief interpreter of the Muslim adats (traditions) and law, and the Muslim court (the Shariah)