LAKANATE OF TUNDUN: Tondo's Forgotten History (First Part)

 

LAKANATE OF TUNDUN FLAG

(LUSUNG EMPIRE 900 - 1588 AD)

A REMARKABLE breakthrough in Philippine's pre-colonial history was unveiled in the Philippines when a copperplate was found in 1989 by a laborer near the mouth of the Lumbang River in Wawa, Lumban, Laguna. The plate contains inscription of what believed to be an old austronesian language written in ancient Kawi script with a combination of technically Sanskrit words, old Javanese and old Tagalog honorifics. Two years after its discovery, the text in the plate was first translated by Dutch anthropologist and Hanuno script researcher Antoon Postma in 1991.

Later, this piece of artifact which is the Laguna Copperplate Inscription,  established the existence of old kingdoms, chiefdoms, and polities that existed in the Philippines and one of these settlements occupied a huge portion of the largest island of the archipelago - Luzon or Lusung.

The said settlement is popularly known as the Chiefdom of Tundun with its capital city located in the present-day Tondo District of the City of Manila. Limited historical records about the existence of the Chiefdom of Tundun, have made it difficult to trace its real founders. However, the copperplate inscription dated 900 A.D., named one of its earliest recorded official as Jayadewa or Jayadeva.

Tundun was considered a chiefdom rather than a kingdom for the very reason that the way to be the head of state was not hereditary but through direct or indirect election. Eurocentric biases led to identify chiefdoms as a lesser or smaller tribal states and kingdoms as a bigger one, but in fact, chiefdoms and kingdoms share the same essence, the only difference is in kingdoms, the succession of the head of state is hereditary, while in chiefdoms, it is through election.

In 1200s, Lakan Timamanukum expanded Tundun's territories within the whole of presently known as Central Luzon (Zambales, Pampanga, Bulacan, Rizal, Tarlac, Nueva Ecija, Bataan, and Aurora). It was during this period that from a small tribal state, Tundun became a confederate state known as the Lakanate of Tundun (mistakenly identified as Kingdom of Lusung or Kingdom of Maynila). His son, Lakan Alon, succeeded him and further expanded its territories up north of Luzon in the present-day La Union, southern Benguet, Nueva Vizcaya, Quirino, and parts of Isabela.

Lakan Alon's descendant, Lakan Gambang started to reign as Tundun's sovereign in 1390. In his reign, Ming Dynasty was established in China and the Sultanate of Brunei in Borneo. Tundun became Ming Dynasty's closest ally and trading partner resulting to an unexpected rivalry with the Sultanate of Brunei. 

With the untimely death of Lakan Gambang, he was succeeded by Lakan Sukwu while the former's child Dayang Kalangitan established a polity in Bitukang Manok (lands surrounding Parian Creek in Pasig) with her husband Gat Lontok and under the name of the Lakanate of Tundun. Kalangitan's marriage with with Lontok temporarily halted the rivalry between Tundun and Brunei. 

In 1430s, Gat Lontok and Dayang Kalangitan became the Lakan and Lakambini of Tundun. They established the fortified city of Maynila. A fortress that protects Tundun proper (Tondo District).

Gat  Lontok was the son of Rajah Baguinda (possibly Sharif Ali or Sultan Barkat of Brunei) and Dayang Maylag, a princess of Sapa/Namayan. In Sumatra, Baguinda is a honorific name for a prince. Lontok had a brother named Gat Pandan. Aside from Dayang Maylag, Rajah Baguinda also married a Sulu princess where he had four sons.

Lontok's reign in Tundun became successful with the help of his wife. However, Lakan Lontok's early passing in 1450s, made Dayang Kalangitan the Queen Regnant of Tundun. Dayang Kalangitan was the longest ruler of Tundun expanding its alliances in the South Luzon including the modern-day CALABARZON area, Bicol (Ibalon) and Palawan (Taytay) forming the confederate Lusung Empire.

Tundun's continued monopoly on trade in the modern-day West Philippine Sea (WPS) and the lack of assurance that Kalangitan's second child and eldest son Gat Salalila will be her successor prompted a Bruneian-backed attack of Maynila and Tundun in 1500s.

Gat Salalila was the son-in-law of Nakhoda Ragam or Sultan Bolkiah. He was the husband of Dayang Ysmeria Doyly, Bolkiah's daughter to another Sulu princess. Salalila later converted to Islam and became Rajah Sulayman I.

The coup d'etat forced Kalangitan to abdicate and give-way to her son Gat Salalila. The latter became the lakan of Tundun and rajah of Maynila. The lakanate's center of power were transferred from Tundun proper (Tondo District) to Maynila (Intramuros).

Power struggle between rajahs and datus, the continuous foreign interference to Tundun's political situation, and natural disasters weakened the influence of the lakanate and resulted to political instability. Eventually, allied tribal states in north Luzon and Ibalon disengaged with the Lakanate of Tundun.

After the death of Lakan Salalila, his nephew Gat Malangsik, son of Dayang Panginoan (eldest child of Kalangitan and Lontok) to Datu Balagtas of Sapa/Namayan, became the lakan of Tundun and Dayang Ysmeria (who mistakenly identified as Kalangitan) became the head of Maynila.

In 1515, Salalila's sons Gat Achai/Ache, Gat Alalila, and Gat Bunao, with the support of their grandfather Sultan Bolkiah brought the Bruneian armada in Tundun to depose their cousin Lakan Malangsik. The brothers succeeded. Achai became the admiral (laksamana) of Brunei, Alalila became Rajah Sulayman II and led Maynila, while Bunao became the Lakan of Tundun.

(SEE SECORD PART)

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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.