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

 

THE FALL OF THE DUMAGAT EMPIRE

THE LAKANATE of Tundun was still in the process of regaining its lost territories in the North of Luzon and Ibalon (modern day Bicol Region) in 1560s when Spanish Conquistador Miguel Lopez de Legazpi, who just left Mexico with a retinue of Spanish and Mexican soldiers, was already searching for a more suitable place to establish the Spanish colonial capital in Las Islas Filipinas, having found Cebu and then Iloilo undesirable to be the capital city because of insufficient food supplies and its locations prone to attacks of Portugese pirates. 

FRIENDLY NEGOTIATIONS OF SPAIN WITH RAJAH MATANDA

Legazpi was in Cebu when he heard about a flourishing settlement in the north - Maynila. He then immediately sent messages of friendship to its ruler Rajah Matanda whom he mistakenly addressed as "King of Luzon" (the real King of Luzon was Lakan Bunao Dula). Legazpi believed that Rajah Matanda's earlier affinity with the Spanish militia in 1521 would make negotiations with the natives easier. In May 1570, Martin de Goiti, whom Legazpi designated to command the expedition in Luzon, arrived in Cavite and was very well received by Rajah Matanda. Lakan Dula was said to expressed its interest with the negotiations but De Goiti ignored it because Legazpi's target was the fortified city of Maynila and not Tondo proper. Other historians debunked this claim saying that Lakan Dula, as the monarch, might have designated Rajah Matanda as the chief negotiator having an earlier encounter with the Spanish forces during his stint as admiral of the Bruneian forces.

THE BATTLE OF MANILA 

However, Rajah Matanda's negotiations with Spain broke down while the newly-installed leader of Maynila - Rajah Sulayman III - arrived and began treating the Spanish belligerently, saying the Tagalog people would not submit to Spanish sovereignty. Some narratives even stated that the younger Sulayman didn't buy the Spanish idea of the Muslims in Maynila to usurp the imperial throne from his Animist uncle Lakan Dula with the help and support of Spain. Which only means the divide and conquer tactics of the Spanish colonizers like what they did in Cebu, didn't work out in Luzon, resulting to the Battle of Manila in May 24, 1570.

The local troops were defeated and both Rajah Matanda and Rajah Sulayman III went in refuge to Tondo proper and its other neighboring territories while other group of natives started to flee to the mountains of now modern-day Sierra Madre and they were later called the Dumagat Remontado. De Goiti knew that the natives could bounce back anytime so he immediately notified Legazpi of their victory and called on the Spanish conquistador to sail up north to Luzon as De Goiti's troops were outnumbered by the local militia.

LAKAN DULA AND MIGUEL LOPEZ DE LEGAZPI'S PEACE TREATY

With a bigger Spanish reinforcements joined by Mexican soldiers and newly-recruited Visayan converts, Lakan Dula was forced to surrender in May 1571 to save the Dumagat people via peace pact with Legazpi to avoid further bloodshed. Other historians claim that it was Legazpi who offered a peace treaty because he knew that a prolonged war in Luzon may result to Spanish defeat with their limited number of supplies and soldiers. 

THE LAST EFFORTS OF RESISTANCE TO SPANISH RULE

Whoever initiated the peace pact, it was obvious that most of the local chiefs under the Lakanate of Tundun did not embraced nor recognized the said treaty. A Kapampangan leader of the Macabebe polity, later identified as Tarik Sulayman, refused to submit to the Spaniards and after failing to gain support of Lakan Dula and Rajah Matanda, and other chieftains in Bulacan, gathered a formidable force composed of Kapampangan warriors. In June 3, 1571, he subsequently fought and lost in the Battle of Bangkusay Channel. 

Another resistance happened in August 1571 when Cainta envoys sent to Manila realized that Spanish forces was too small and Cainta who was also an upland fortified city can defend themselves, so they deliberately withdrew their offer of friendship and refused to submit to Spanish authorities. But Cainta also fell into the hands of Spain after Legazpi's nephew, Juan de Salcedo, whom he sent to pacify Cainta, discovered the weakness of the walls that protects the community. Over 400 residents were killed in this battle.

After the death of Lakan Dula and Legazpi in 1575 and 1572 respectively, most of the provisions of the peace treaty between the Lakanate of Tundun and Kingdom of Spain were violated by the Spanish authorities prompting local nobilities led by Magat Salamat, Don Agustin de Legazpi and Martin Pangan to plan for another uprising, even larger than that of the Battle of Bangkusay. But, the uprising was subjugated before it could be executed by the natives because the chief of Cuyo Island named Antonio Surabao betrayed Magat Salamat and revealed the locals' plan to revolt against Spain. All the lead conspirators were executed while some participants and supporters, including our ancestor Maria Poloin, were exiled to New Spain now called Mexico.

The Tondo Conspiracy also known as Conspiracy of the Maginoos or Revolt of the Lakans was the last ditch effort of the native nobilities to regain its control in the archipelago. With most of the key players either dead or exiled, the natives were not able to regroup and organize a new unified movement against Spain.

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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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