CHAPTER 3
EARLY CONTACTS WITH
NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
(900-1400 A.D.)
Introduction
The Philippines had already trade and
cultural exchanges with its Southeast Asian
neighbors.
The seemingly scattered island groups of
people actively engaged in trade and in
commerce with their neighbors.
Early 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. Those were used to 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
regions, the Philippines had outside
trade contacts, and along these,
varied cultural exchanges took place.
- Filipino historians and archeologists
believe the Filipino-Chinese trade
contacts began around the 9th
century during the Tang Dynasty
(618-906 A.D.)
- - They cite as evidence the 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, Cagayan de Oro.
- If Chinese goods 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.
- - In a fit of jealousy, the Buranuns
massacred some Orang Dampuans
causing the others to fell 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 Philippines 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 cauldrons, wine, ivory, and “tint”(a
Javanese or Madjapahit Period kind of Chinese Silver Money).
(1337-1478). - Although trade was conducted in
- The Chinese trade in the Philippines general through the barter system, by
greatly improved during the Ming the 8th century, a type of currency in
Dynasty (1368-1650). the form of barter rings.
- During this time Emperor Yung-lo - By the 12th century, gold coins
sent a fleet of vessels to the (piloncitos) began to be used as
Philippines, under the command of medium of exchange.
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 send to this ambitions plan. Barter Rings

Economic and Cultural Exchanges - With trade of products came

cultural exchanges, including
- Chinese traders competed with the religion.
Arabs from the eleventh to the - These in turn, would influence the
twelfth century. indigenous lifestyle, customs and
- Sung porcelain unearthed in Sta. religious beliefs of the ancient
Ana, Manila and around the Laguna Filipinos.
de Bay, attested to the success of this - This is particularly true of the
trade. influences on our Language, System
- By the thirteenth century, the of Writing, Technology, attire,
Chinese had overtaken the Arabs in ornaments, food, and religious
the region. Description of the beliefs and practices.
lucrative trade between China and - Much of the Chinese influence on
the Philippine Archipelago can be Filipino life is Economic in Nature.
found in Chao Jukua's Chu fan-chi This is shown by the Chinese words
(1225) where the Chinese mentioned that were adopted into the languages
the following places: Ma-i (Mindoro of the Philippines, particularly
or Baé in Laguna), Min-to-lang Tagalog.
(Mindanao), Ma-li-lu (Manila), Su-
lu (Sulu), and Pi-sho-ye (Visayas). Examples:
- The Philippine trade goods include
bulak (raw cotton), abaca, cloth of Chinese Tagalog English
various patterns, hardwoods, gums,
resins, betel nuts, pear shell, pink am-pau ampaw puffed rice or corn
and blue coral trees, large conch
shells, tortoise shells, sponges, he-bi hibi dried salted shrimps
rattan, beeswax, musk, sandalwood,
leather, mats, and pepper. ke-tai katay cut up meat
- In exchange, China brought: iron
bars, porcelain and pottery, silk, le-piah lipya plowshare
chintz, black damask, Java cloths,
red taffeta, blue cloth, bronze hok-bu hukbo army
gongs, small bells, mirror, scales,
peh-chihai petsay Chinese cabbage
coins, jade, projectiles, gold, silver,
censers, lead, colored glass beads,
iron needles, tin, lead sinkers for - There are hundreds of Tagalog
fishing nets, lacquered ware, copper 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, Sanskrit words or their variations are
porcelains, gongs, the manufacture also found in Visayan and Maguindanaoan
of gun powder, metallurgy, and languages.
mining methods. Such words are:
- Perhaps the Filipinos also borrowed Agama- religion
the Chinese custom of having Pandita – priest or scholar
parents arrange the marriage of their Tumbaga – copper
children. Baginda- emperor
- Wearing white clothing, instead of Sutra- silk
black for mourning the death of
family and relatives, is also of Several deities in the myths of ancient
Chinese origin, especially among the Filipinos show traces of Indian influence:
Visayans.
Indra Batara - Lord of the Universe
Quite apart from the Chinese, the ancient Idiyanale - God of Agriculture
Filipinos were also influenced by the Agni - God of Fire
Indians of India. Padmapani
The ancient Indians may not have settled - figurine of the Hindu Goddess
in huge numbers in the Philippines, but their - was found in Butuan and was dated
influence on Filipino culture may have come 300 A.D.
through the ancestors of the present - this could attest to that ancient
Indonesians. contact between the Philippines and
The Malays who came to the Philippines the Indian sub-continent.
were possibly Hinduized Malays, that is,
Malays who professed the Hindu religion of The Philippine Catholic wedding ceremony
India. has Indian influences.
This Indian influence is clearly seen in
some of the words in the different languages Example:
of the Philippines, including Tagalog, which
were derived from Sanskrit, the ancient Cord and Veil
language of India. - during the Catholic marriage
ceremony in the Philippine is an
Examples: Indian in origin.
- It is not originally Western or
Sanskrit Tagalog English Spanish Catholic, because the non-
Philippin Catholic marriage has no
ahi ahas snake veil and cord ceremonies.
Laguna Copperplate
swamin asawa husband or wife - discovered in Pagsanjan, Laguna
river delta (1986) is another evidence
bhaga bahagi part, portion of this early Philippine contact with
its Southeast Asian neighbors
vartta balita news particularly the Malays and
Indonesians.
kotta kuta fort - dated to 900 A.D., the copperplate
contains an inscription in an old
dala dala fishing net Philippine language, stating the full
payment of a loan obtained by a
ganda ganda beauty
woman trader from her contacts in
hari hari king the nearby Indonesia.
- The copperplate also shows shared
lalarawa lalawa spider knowledge in metallurgy and its use
in trade and commerce to record
tara tala star transactions, as in this case, as
 certificate of credit and loan
payment.
Laguna Copperplate
The Coming of Islam
- After Mohammad’s death in 632
A.D., Islam spread outside of Arabia
in two stages:
First stage - Islam was brought to
the rest of the Middle East, Northern
Africa, Spain, and Central Asia
Second stage - Muslim missionaries
traveled with Arab merchants to
India, China and finally to Southeast
Asia where a number of them
(traders and also missionaries)
settled and intermarried with
members of the 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 Muslim
connections.
- The rulers of the Kingdom of
Maynila were found to be related by
blood and marriage to the royal
house of Muslim Brunei.
Teachings of Islam
- The basic tenets of Islam are found
in the Qur'an (Koran), the holy
book of the Muslims.
- It is written in Arabic
- the Koran is considered the word of
the Supreme Creator, Allah, as
directly communicated by the angel
to the prophet Mohammad.
Among the teachings of the Koran are the
following:
1. There is only one Supreme Being, Allah,
the Creator of the Universe and all of
humankind.
2. Allah is a just and merciful God and it is
Allah’s desire that all should repent of their
sins, purify themselves so they could enter
Paradise after death.
3. Life in this world is only temporary and
one's good deeds, as well as bad deeds, are
listed by an angel for final judgment on the
last day of entire humanity. Each one will be
judged accordingly to what one has done in
his lifetime.
4. The Koran forbids any human or animal
representation in their art. Only geometric
patterns are allowed.
5. Eating pork, drinking wine, gambling and
other vices are forbidden in Orthodox Islam.
6. Islam Forbids loans and usury.
7. Muslims are duty-bound to help the poor,
the orphans, and widows.
8. Telling lies, stealing, adultery, and murder
are all grave sins that deserve serious
punishment.
9. Every Muslims must have goodness Reference: Philippine History Expanded and
expressed in faith in God and virtues as Updated Edition by Teodoro A. Agoncillo and
patience, faithfulness, honesty, industry, Fe B. Mangahas (2010)
honor, and courage.
10. 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 (salah); fasting (sawm);
giving of alms (zakat), and a one-time
pilgrimage to Mecca (hadjj).
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

RUMA BICHARA
(a council of elders composed of
datus) and panglimas (teachers)

Other officials

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)