Lecture 7: The Srivijaya and Majapahit Empires

The Srivijaya Empire (around X to XI century)

• Controlled trade routes between the Indian Ocean and South China Sea around 683-1285 with Sumatra as its center

• Trade relationships between China, India, and the Arabian Peninsula were established and fostered cultural exchange

• Buddhist and Hindu influences became part of its culture and influenced its arts and architecture

• Decline began in the 11th century due to internal strife and competition from emerging powers

• In the 13th century, the Srivijaya Empire broke up into separate states and paved the way for a Hindu kingdom to flourish

How the Srivijaya Empire influenced Philippine pre-colonial chiefdoms

• Goods such as silk, ceramics, and spices were traded

• Economic transactions influenced pre-colonial polities (e.g. the concept of the Rajah) beliefs (e.g. bathala), and language

The Majapahit Empire

• Founded in 1292 and went into a rapid decline in the early 15th century

• It was replaced by a new political power that entered the region through trade routes

The Arrival of Islam into the Philippines

A Brief Introduction to Islam

• Five Pillars of Islam

  • Belief in Allah with Muhammad as his prophet

  • Prayer 5x a day plus public prayer on Friday

  • Observance of Ramadan

  • Making the hajj at least once in one’s lifetime (Eid’l Fitr / Eid’l Adha)

  • Giving of alms (zakat)

• Also a way of life — Some practitioners strictly adhere to Shari’a: gambling, drinking alcohol, eating pork and dishonest behavior is strictly forbidden; conservative dress is encouraged; contacts between unmarried men and women discouraged.

A little bit about Islam’s origin

• Gabriel delivers message to Muhammad (570-632); revelations by Allah transcribed in the Koran (Qur’an)

• Conquered Mecca in 630 with a military force from Medina; the Ka’aba is declared as sacred shine

• The prophet began his night journey to heaven in Jerusalem (Dome of the Rock)

The Spread of Islam

• Abu Bakr (Muhammad’s father-in-law) selected as the first caliph

• Schism between Sunnis (followers of Abu Bakr) and Shi’ites (partisans of Ali —the 4th caliph and cousin of Muhammad) develops

The Entry of Islam into Southeast Asia

• Entered the Philippines in the 13th century through Arab traders and missionaries

• Early conversion efforts were led by Muslim scholars known as “ulamā”

Islam in Mindanao

• Narratives based on tarsilas

• Prominent Islamic Scholars:

  • Najeeb Saleeby (1870-1935) - A Lebanese-American historian who wrote extensively about Islam in Mindanao

  • Cesar Majul (1923-2003) - A Filipino historian who studied the Muslim resistance against Spanish colonization

• Tuan Mashaika (1290)

  • an Arab trader, arrives in Sulu; followed by migration of Badjaos from Johore

The Sultanate of Sulu

• Abu Bakr becomes the first Sultan of Sulu in 1457 and became known as Sharif ul-Hashim

• Political and commercial ties are established with other Islamized parts of present-day Malaysia

• Includes the Tausug, Samal (Badjao), Yakan, Subanen ethnolinguistic groups

• Muslim missionaries / scholars arrive and start settling in Maguindanao around the 1450

Context:

• Foundation of the Sultanate of Sulu

  • Sayyid Abu Bakr (from Brunei) became the first Sultan of Sulu in 1457 and took the name Sharif ul-Hashim.

  • He established political and commercial ties with other Islamic regions, particularly present-day Malaysia.

  • His leadership formalized Islamic rule in Sulu, integrating the Tausug, Samal (Badjao), Yakan, and Subanen ethnolinguistic groups into the sultanate.

• Early Muslim Influence in Sulu

  • Rajah Baguinda (from Sumatra, arrived in 1400) was one of the early Muslim leaders who helped spread Islam in Sulu before Abu Bakr.

  • He married the daughter of a local datu, integrating himself into local society.

  • His daughter, Dayang-dayang (Lady) Paramisuli, later married Sayyid Abu Bakr, strengthening his legitimacy as the ruler.

• Islamic Expansion into Mindanao

  • Muslim missionaries and scholars began settling in Maguindanao around 1450, leading to the rise of the Sultanate of Maguindanao.

  • The spread of Islam in the region shaped the identity and governance of the Moro (Muslim) communities.

The Sultanate of Maguindanao

• Sharif Kabungsuan (from Johor) arrives in Lanao with many warriors in 1515 from Malacca, which was conquered by the Portuguese in 1511

• He intermarried into a Maguindanao dynasty and became Sultan of Maguindanao after the death of his father-in-law

• Islam spreads into the Maranaw areas and includes the Iranun pirates

• Their territory was never conquered by the Spaniards

• The sultanate declined in the 18th century due to dynastic quarrels

The Sultanates of Mindanao

• The Sultanates of Sulu and Maguindanao were not only religious, but also political and economic units.

  

The Economy of Sulu

• Slave-raiding continued up to 18th century

Bersales (2021)

• “(Visayan) communities shared a fluid social structure and an animist belief system permeated in a loose network of alliances that traded as well as carried out active warfare, both on land and sea. This constant warfare coupled with loose and tentative alliances did not bode well for a untied front against the Spanish conquest and the subsequent colonization of the archipelago.”