THE BROTHERS' TALE
LAKAN DULAY, RAJAH MATANDA, AND RAJAH SULAYMAN II
Three brothers who were children of Lakan Salalila (Rajah Sulayman I) and Dayang Ysmeria Doyly were the powerful political figures in 1500s, during the pre-colonial era of the Philippines. They were considered as the rulers of Old Manila (Lakanate of Tundun).
But their rise to power were never easy because they need to go along with a bounty of challenges as they perform their duties to the people. Not to mention, the need for solidity among brothers despite the pressure brought up by their constituents and followers.
Political strife caused by contradicting interests between them and their cousin Lakan Malangsik in the early 1500s led them to use the Bruneian armada to deposed their cousin. Their success have put the two of them to the highest positions in the lakanate while one became a high-ranking military official of the Bruneian Empire.
LAKAN BUNAO DULAY (1503 -1575)
Also known as Lakan Bunao Dula, he was youngest among brothers who became the paramount ruler or lakan of Tundun. Bunao was born on December 16, 1503 and died on March 21, 1589.
Lakan Dulay replaced his cousin Lakan Malangsik as the ruler of Tundun at a very young age, unlike his oldest brother Rajah Matanda (Ache/Achai) who were only installed as the rajah of Maynila after he retired from his military service in Brunei.
During his reign, Lakan Dulay focused on regaining the lost territories of the Lakanate of Tundun with the aim to unify all the provincial states into a one confederate empire. Just like his grandmother Kalangitan, he tried to regain the lost alliances through diplomatic means such as arranged political marriages rather than engaging in tribal wars.
He maintained good relations with other kingdoms, chiefdoms and polities especially with China and Brunei, yet at the same time, protecting Tundun's traditional customs and of course, identity. Bunao became the last Hindu-Buddhist-Animist leader of Tundun who later converted into Catholicism after the fall of Maynila to the Spanish Empire.
Trading was also flourishing during Bunao's reign. Among the brothers, he was more of a merchant diplomat than a military general. He was good in negotiating and makes every transaction favorable to the lakanate and its people.
Lakan Bunao Dulay married Dayang Mutya. He had seven children, namely:
1. Batang Dulay, 2. Dionisio Capulong, 3. Magat Salamat, 4. Felipe Salonga, 5. Luis Taclucmao, 6. Maria Poloin, 7. Martin Lakan Dula.
Whether these seven children were all from Dayang Mutya is subject for further research and studies.
WHY DULAY AND NOT DULA?
Our ancestors name were mostly taken from an adjective that best describes their identity and character. Baybayin experts see that the name "Dulay" might have been mistranslated to "Dula" by early historians because during the pre-colonial period Baybayin texts still don't have a vowel killer, so the name "Dulay" can only be written as "Dula".
Dulay is an old Tagalog word which means to climb. Thus, Lakan Dulay means "a paramount leader who climbs from bottom to the top".
RAJAH ACHE/ACHAI (1480 - 1572)
Also known as Rajah Matanda, Rajah Ache was the eldest among siblings. However, after the early death of his father Rajah Sulayman I, to avoid any collision with the newly installed Lakan Malangsik who happened to be his cousin, he left Tundun and went to his grandfather Sultan Bolkiah who was the Sultan of Brunei. There he served as an admiral (laksamana) of the Bruneian naval forces.
After his failed conquest of Laut, Rajah Ache encountered the retreating Spanish forces who were at the Battle of Mactan in 1521. Ache attacked the Spanish fleet but he failed and was captured. He was only released after paying a great number of gold to the Spaniards.
He married an unnamed Bruneian princess but they weren't able to bore children. Yet, in some historical records, Rajah Matanda have a least three children who were:
1. Don Ambrocio Mag-isa Ladyangbata, 2. Don Luis Ylao, 3. Dona Maria Baloctala.
Rajah Ache returned to Tundun after the death of his father and mother. He became the ruler of the fortified city of Maynila but later on relinquished the position to giveway to his nephew Rajah Sulayman III
RAJAH SULAYMAN II/GAT ALALILA
Little had been written or told about Rajah Sulayman II. After Lakan Malangsik was deposed, Gat Alalila became Rajah Sulayman II and the ruler of Maynila. Some said that like his father, Sulayman II also died at a young age. His mother Dayang Ysmeria tookover the position because his son was too young to lead. Later on, his older brother Rajah Matanda passed down the position to Rajah Sulayman II's son Rajah Sulayman III.
(TO BE CONTINUED)
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Note: During the pre-colonial era, our ancestors were not yet called Filipinos, because the archipelago were comprised of several kingdoms/chiefdoms, it will be difficult to identify the natives one by one according to the kingdom/chiefdom or ethnicity they belong so we just used the word Filipino to identify the natives as it will be easier for us to write this article. It was only during the American occupation that natives of the archipelago were called Filipinos. During the Spanish colonization our ancestors were called Indios.
For inquiries about this article please send E-mail to: poloinroyalhouse1564@gmail.com
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The Royal House of Maria Poloin is an organization comprised of descendants of Dayang Maria Poloin, the only daughter of Lakan Bunao Dula who was the last king of the Lakanate of Tondo also known as Kaharian ng Tondo. The Royal House of Maria Poloin is a member of the United Royal Houses of the Philippines.
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