The raiders of the sulu sea transcript PDF

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Note: In the 16th century, Spaniards colonized Zamboanga because of its geographical advantage that made it valuable to the catholic Spaniards. To protect their interests, the Spanish built forts to discourage potential invaders.Front line: Fort Del Pilar – a 10-meter high fortress that sprawled ove...

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Note: In the 16th century, Spaniards colonized Zamboanga because of its geographical advantage that made it valuable to the catholic Spaniards. To protect their interests, the Spanish built forts to discourage potential invaders. Front line: Fort Del Pilar – a 10-meter high fortress that sprawled over 2 acres - one of the most celebrated attacks on Fort Pilar is the 1720 attack by the Maguindanao King Dalasi – the king of Bulig in Maguindanao at the time Rajah Dalasi was planning to attack Zamboanga city together with the joint force of the Sulu sultanate. Sulu and Maguindanao Sultanates – the two main kingdoms which control the Muslim colonies of the Southern Philippines. On December 8, 1720, together with Rajah Dalasi, they launched a bloody attack on Fort Pilar, located in Zamboanga City. They attacked Zamboanga, burned the town around the fort, cut down the lines of provisions for the Spaniards, and began a war against the soldiers inside the fort. Taking the fort wouldn’t be easy for Rajah Dalasi and his fighters. The fort has a structure designed to withstand even the destructive force of cannonballs. Spanish artillery rows defended every possible approach to the fort, but Spanish soldiers are vastly outnumbered even with these defenses and weaponry. Together with his army, Rajah Dalasi held only their sword to fight against the Spaniards’ cannon and firearms. Spaniards are desperate to defend the fort that they even use rocks and boiling water against the raiders as they scaled the fort’s walls. Rajah Dalasi’s fighters fight with the desire to rid Zamboanga against the Spanish. The Fort Pilar is the checking point on slave-raiding going to the North and coming back. That’s why raiders are desperate to suppress the Spaniard’s presence. According to some historians, slave-raiding had been practiced among some tribes in the Philippines before Western powers arrived. The arrival of the Spanish and their desire to dominate trade in the region triggered an escalation in slave raiding. The people of the Southern Sultanate defied a self-proclaim Spanish Masters by targeting Christian communities in the North. The Spanish referred to the slave raiders as Moro. Three different Muslim tribes who challenged Spanish authority throughout its occupancy and reigned during the 17th century. Samal Balanguingui/Balangingi (Raiding tribe) - They occupied the chain of the islands between Basilan and Sulu island Illanuns (Raiding tribe) - Very important in the piracy history. - Known as fierce in marine force in the sultanate - They are nothing but barbaric for the Western Colonist Tausug (Warriors)

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Known for its fierce warriors and widespread political powers. Controls the Sulu Sultanate in the South Lineage of Rajahs

The Illanuns and Samal Balanguingui were both long-standing seafaring communities. They often join forces with the Tausug, a tribe without maritime experience but known for its fierce warriors and widespread political power. When Illanuns captured people, they would bore a hole through their palm of their victim and string through each person’s palm. Historian questioned whether the raiders in the Southern Philippines should be called pirates. Were they out for personal gain, or were they simply serving their local political masters? According to the Historian, Professor Barbara Watson Andaya said, “All books that talk about piracy deal with the problem of terminology. Using the word English word pirate is actually misleading in some respects because it doesn’t cover raiders, it doesn’t cover people who acted on behalf of the state.” These Philippine Moros, the raids to the North, and the Spanish force’s attack were an act of retaliation against the foreign occupier. The sultanate also sanctioned most of these raids in the name of an even higher course, Islam. According to the Historian, Dr Julius Bautista said, “There was certainly a great deal of pressure from the South for populations in the Visayas to become Islamicized, but the presence of the Spanish in the Visayas and Southern Luzon disrupted that spread of Islam. The Spanish colonial administrators thought it was their responsibility to prevent the spread of Islam from the South to the Christianized population in the North.” ((((notes)))) Islam reached the Southern Philippines’ shore in 1380 and began to spread to the North. The Spanish’s presence in the Visayas and Southern Luzon disrupted the spread of Islam. Spanish colonial administrators thought it’s their responsibility to prevent Islam’s spread from the South to the Christianized population in the North. For the Muslim Sultanates, eradicating the presence of Christian-Spanish in Zamboanga was one of their top priorities. Both sides used their ideology to spread its influence. Butuan City – a small town located in the northernmost region of Mindanao In 1977, they found evidence of maritime civilization in a pond. Carbon dating of artifacts found point to a maritime culture that existed in the 4th century. Seafarers inherited their navigational skills from the early Southern Filipino seafarers, which helped them build a flourishing trade in sea’s bounty. The mid-1700s, the ships evolved into a sturdier, more seaworthy craft. Professor Barbara Watson Andaya said, “Increase in slave in the demand for slaves fed into a situation by the mid-18th century when something very unprecedented happened in the Malacca Straits region, and that was the seasonal arrival of very large numbers of raiders from the Southern Philippines.”

The Illanun slave raiders who landed at the Straits of Malacca were skilled warriors, and they sailed formidable ships. “They could go into shallow waters; they had compasses and cannons onboard their ships. They had many rowers.” – Professor Barbara Watson Andaya The Illanun made long-range vessels called Joanga or Lanong. These ships had a large wide keel for stability and three large cloth sails. These vessels were 24 to 27 meters long with 6-meter width, and each had cannon mounted at the bow with three mainsails, and 34 oars rowed each side by captured slaves. Each vessel carried between 100 to 150 men. They also captured local guides to help navigate unknown waters. The Illanuns used compasses and telescopes; they were also knowledgeable about the monsoon winds of the region and used them to travel extensity during the months between August and October, and the period called The Pirate Season. By 1830, a single sailed ship with 25 meters long and 6 meters across, a smaller, faster, and more manoeuvrable form of raiding boat replaced the Lanong ship. They were the fast attack boat for the Samal raiding tribes called Garay. Its glass of vessels was built from bamboo, wood, and the nipa palm, and could carry more than 100 sails. With 30 to 60 oars on each side, the Garay was faster with any seagoing vessel of its time. The raiding fleets also comprised of auxiliary vessels called Salisipan. These were small coats designed for coastal raids. On route to a powerful attack, the caravans would collect manpower and ships from friendly raiding bases along the way, eventually building a fearsome, organized sea force. An Art Historian, Icelle Gloria B. Estrada said, “When they leave the shore on skeleton force, they pass by other bases and augment the labour into the ship, then when they reach the coast, they usually hide their big boats, because it can be seen from the shore, so they use the Salisipan, the smaller vessel, to row into the shorelines and pretend they are fisherman and harmless people.” “When Illanun captured people, they would bore a hole through their palm and put a string through the palm of his bosom. Europeans were unable to do anything about it at this stage. Their ships were not as fast as the Illanuns, they weren’t as manoeuvrable, and if they will be calmed, then they were fair game, and there weren’t enough of them.” – Professor Barbara Watson Andaya Unlike the ships of the raiding tribes, Spanish galleons were slow and ungainly, while they were heavily armed, their deep keels prevented them from chasing raiding tribe into the shallows. Behind the religious doctrine war, the Spanish want to stop the raiders for the spoils of trades with orient something the Spanish wanted complete control. The sea voyages of the ancient Filipino sailor of Butuan were not restricted to the Sulu Seas. Artifacts originating from China but were found in the Philippines are proof of the great distances they travelled and the trading activities they were involved in. There is further proof that Sulu Sultanate’s families visited the resource-rich regions of China for commerce. International trade was already flourishing even before the entry of the western powers to the region. Professor Barbara Watson Andaya said, “When Europeans first came to this region, it was those products that attracted them, the products that couldn’t be found anywhere else. Not only spices, but woods, tin, pepper. By the 18th century, those products were important in the China trade, so before Europeans arrived there was already a pattern of trade between China and India, and Europeans simply

entered into that pattern. The difference was the Europeans wanted to control it.” According to Dr Julius Bautista, “In many respects the Spanish wanted to be a part of this exchange in trade, but they wanted to do so in conjunction with conversion and colonization of the islands. This presented some important conflicts between the people in the South and the newly arrived Spanish.” As the Spanish seized control of the Philippines, the influence of the Muslim South waived, the new western masters sought to dominate trades in Jolo, the seat of power of the Sulu Sultanate. Today, Jolo is a mere shadow of the great commercial and political power it once was. While the seafaring warriors salve raiders evolved along gone, their proud descendants still live here. Halman Abubakar is a direct descendant of Tausug rulers, he is an exponent of the indigenous martial arts of Silat, practicing it is his way of keeping the heritage of his people alive. He is also a city councilor in Jolo, like hi Tausug predecessors, he champions the cause of his people, the Muslim communities of Mindanao in Southern Philippines. “Maybe Spain only wanted to Christianize Jolo. Force feeding us with something that we don’t believe in is like oppression, so we go to war. When you call us pirates for doing that, it’s your decision, but to us, we are fighting for something that we believe in, we are freedom fighters. It is our fight for freedom, freedom from oppression, freedom from not losing your identity.” – Halman Abubakar Ancient Tausug weapons: Barong, a thick blade used by the Tausug warriors to cut off an M-14, a carbine. It is a sword with a single-edged leaf-shaped blade made of thick tempered steel. It is a one-meter long weapon used in close combat battle to cut the Spanish firearms down. Kris or Kalis, measuring up to 1.2 meters in length, was built a weapon of warfare and ceremony. It was not only carried by slave raiders but also but also by nobles and high-ranking officials of the Sultan Sultanate. It is double-edged with a wavy blade, it can make quick work of an enemy in close combat, the reason for its curvings is for easy slashing. The steel would penetrate the bone, and it would stick so it will be very hard to pull. The Tausug warriors made it curvy or wavy so they can pull it faster. Kampilan, the longest sword used by the raiders, primarily the Illanun. It is a heavy single-edge sword that was often adorned with hair to make it look more intimidating, to indicate the number of lives it killed. At the tip of the blade are two horn projecting from the blunt side which is used to pick up the head of a decapitated body. The wealthier raiders also protected themselves in battle with armor, this heavy armor made from Carabao horn or steel plates, was molded to fit the body and held together with chainmail. This armor could deflect the blows from a sword but were useless against Spanish firearms. The Spanish firearm called Musket had its limitation, it could fire its ball bearing projectile as far as 90 meters, but it was inaccurate and it several tiresome steps to reload. Even the best Musketeers could only manage three shots per minute, giving the raiders an ample time to come within striking range, even with Bayonet Mounted, Muskets were not efficient weapons for close combat. The battle between the slave raiders and Spanish were clashes of ideology, Islam against Christianity. The indigenous way of life against the enforced values of the occupiers. The might of the sword against the destructive power of gunpowder. In December 8, 1720, Rajah Dalasi led a 3000 strong coalition of warriors against 600 Spanish soldiers at Fort Pilar, Zamboanga City. The slave raiders attack on Fort Pillar was poorly conceived, as Musket fire cut through their ranks, there were no reinforcements to lend the raiders support. “The

forces of the Sulu Sultanate came in a month after, so there was very poor condition.” (Icelle Gloria Estrada) Another factor that led to Rajah Dalasi’s eventual failure and his demise was the betrayal of his own brother. His betrayal would seal the fate of Dalasi’s raiders. “His younger brother, who was jealous of his position, turned traitor to Rajah Dalasi. His younger brother went to Tamontaka, he left the kingdom and wrote a letter or a warning to the Governor of Zamboanga, warning of the impending attack.” (Icelle Gloria Estrada) There was no element of surprise in Rajah Dalasi’s assault on Fort Pilar, as they were warned, they were prepared for the attack. In the heat of battle, Rajah Dalasi was heavily wounded. Without a leader, their attack was in shambles as subsequent raiders were dispelled. But the Spanish victory was not the end of hostilities. As an act of defiance, the raiders sought for more slaves in Southeast Asia. The Spanish were now hell-bent on ridding themselves of these people they called pirates. “Piracy to them, to us it was culture. Nowadays it’s so hard to understand why there was slaveraiding, but during those days it was legal so we cannot compare now with those times. It’s different.” – Halman Abubakar “They were very cruel, and they killed mercilessly. They were not particularly interested in saving lives just because somebody was of no use, so they raided ships but more particularly they raided communities.” – Professor Barbara Watson Andaya In the early 19th century, raids to the north were so commonplace that even the Catholic friars would stand up to protect their flock. But these Christian communities were far from the main Spanish stronghold in Manila. They faced the brunt of an increasing demand for slaves. “Initially, their target was the Philippines itself and you can track raids in the Philippines right up to Luzon where they can be justified because these were Muslim groups raiding Christian communities. But those communities were protected by the Spanish as far as they could and clearly, the demand exceeded the supply.” – Professor Barbara Watson Andaya To meet the growing demand for slaves, the raiders would disguise themselves harmless fisherman, enter a village, then round up of unsuspecting villagers for bondage into slavery. Over time, the slave raiders journeyed beyond the waters of the Philippines to neighboring Borneo, Java, and into the Straits of Malacca. They peddled their human bounty at slave markets that dotted the archipelago, where the slave trade was booming. In the Southern Sulu region, Jolo was a thriving center for the slave trade, it was sanctioned by the Sultan himself who used slaves as farmhands or in his fisheries and even concubines. Slaves would be displayed like produce like prodigious. The going rate for a slave was between 10 to 100 pesos depending on age and ability. Amongst those who made a tidy sum in the slave trade was a notorious and prolific from the Samal tribe called Taupan, a Paglima or tribal leader and a close ally of the Sultan Sultanate.

“There’s a particular expedition where his name [Paglima Taupan] comes up prominently, capturing a Spaniard called Ibañez, who himself was the head of a ship. They taunted him with spears. They didn’t make him sleep. They put him inside their own ship, where his men had lice on their bodies and the lice fell on him. This particular episode caused deep humiliation for the Spaniard, how they had treated this man.” – Dr Margarita Cojuanco Paglima Taupan would launch his raids from a small island base of Balangingi. The Spaniards tried in vain to capture him. Taupan not only eluded them but continued to be a major provider of slaves for the Southern Sultanates and beyond. By this time, the demand for slaves brought buyers from as far as China to slave markets like Jolo. And in a twist of irony, Paglima Taupan would find himself providing slaves to the very Europeans who were hunting them down. “Your ability to command the loyalty of many people was a sign of high status, and Europeans picked that up very quickly. For example, a European woman in Batavia (Jakarta) would require at least 10 personal slaves, a woman of standing, when she went out, just to maintain status. If she was of greater status, she might have more slaves and they would run and take messages, stand behind her chair, and so forth.” – Professor Barbara Watson Andaya This rampant slave raiding was about to change. In 1845, an anti-slavery treaty was finally enforced in the Philippines and a colonial governor, General Narciso Claveria, Paglima Taupan’s arch enemy, was charged with the task of destroying slave raiding bases. “In 1844, Claveria assumed the position of Governor General of the Philippines. In September 1845, he was given the command to attack the islands where these pirates lived.” – Dr Margarita Cojuanco Paglima Taupan’s Balangingi Island had repelled Spanish attacks in the past. The island was protected not only by fortifications, but its seaward approach was nestled in thick mangroves, making it difficult for potential attackers to negotiate and access. Fort Sipak was the largest of four forts protecting Balangingi Island. It was built with coral and bricks and flanked by a narrow waterway filled with mangrove trees. The fort stood 6 meters high with its approaches covered by rows of small cannons. Inside, the Samal men and women waited, ready to fight off any invader. In 1848, after two years of reconnaissance, Governor General Claveria decides it is time to put an end to Paglima Taupan’s Balangingi stronghold. This time, the governor has a secret weapon. “The ships that the Spaniards used was impossible for them to get close to the islands, so they ordered steamships from England.” – Dr Margarita Conjuanco At Claveria’s disposal were three British-built steamships, the Magallanes, Elcano, and Reina Castilla. He used the ships’ artillery to bombard the forts of Balangingi Island. The usually stoic raiders were shaken. Taking advantage of the damage done by the barrage of artillery fire, the Spanish stormed the forts. This time, it was the raiders who were outnumbered.

“The men were actually out during their slave expeditions, so they were met in all the forts by men who remained behind with their women and children.” – Dr Margarita Cojuanco But what the Spanish found awaiting them inside the fort was not what they were expecting. Faced with certain capture, the raiders resorted to an unthinkable act. “The other men killed the women and the women also killed their children. They’d rather kill themselves than be taken captive of the Spaniards.” – Dr Margarita Cojuanco 450 Samal died in battle. All four of Balangingi’s forts and 150 raiding ships were destroyed. The Spaniards granted mercy to the 350 Samal men and women who were captured alive. Paglima Taupan was not among them, but they did capture his pregnant wife, Noila. After years of failed attempts, the Spanish had finally succeeded in destroying the raiding base of Balangingi Island. “Eventually, because Paglima Taupan’s family was taken captive by the Spaniards, he decided to surrender. From his surrender in 1858, he was brought to Zamboanga City by the Spaniards.” – Dr Margarita Cojuanco With most of their fleet destroyed and their bases of o...