Chapter X: Introduction

This manuscript is a correct copy of the original which is in the possession of Datu Kali Adam of Kalangnan, one of the principal present representatives of the dumatus. The dumatus are a distinct class of the Moros of Magindanao who trace their origin back to the former chiefs of the country who reigned before the introduction of Mohammedanism. The original was written by Datu Kali Adam himself, copied from a previous manuscript handed down to him from his father, who was a prominent judge, with some later additions of his own. It was neither neat nor well kept. It abounds with grammatical mistakes and has several errors in the text. Its style is mixed; Ranao words, pronouns, and terminations occur; still, in general it is a fair specimen of the literature of the Magindanao dialect. It is the best authority on its subject, and is greatly valued by the people. It is the oldest manuscript known on this subject.

The ruler of Magindanao at the time of Kabungsuwan's arrival was Tabunaway. Tabunaway was not a datu; he was a timuway. The word timuway or timway means chief or leader, and is still generally used by the Tirurays and Manobos and other hill tribes. Kabungsuwan evidently conquered Magindanao, and its sovereignty passed over from Tabunaway to him, and to his descendants after him. The Moros greatly regard and respect every Mohammedan who is related to the Prophet, and look upon every Arabian as of noble birth and equal in rank to their datu class. Descent from Kabungsuwan constitutes all their claim to nobility and their right to the datuship.

The descendants of Tabunaway are naturally jealous. They claim to have come from an Arabian ancestor who is descended from the Prophet, and take great pride in the fact. They assert that the datus omitted this part of the history from their books intentionally in order to give more importance to Kabungsuwan and to their own descent.

The descendants of Tabunaway are called dumatus, which is the future tense of the verb datu. The dumatus are well known, and I have met several of them. Chief among them I mention Datu Mawlana Sa-Magindanao and Datu Kali Adam. The former has lately been favored with the honorary title of datu by Datu Mastura, because his mother was a datu's daughter and he personally deserved the honor. Both Datu Mawlana and Datu Kali claim that Sharif Maraja, the father of Tabunaway, was an uncle of Sharif Kabungsuwan and that he and his children were Mohammedans prior to the arrival of Kabungsuwan, though their people were not so until Kabungsuwan converted them. The story that the angels brought paradise to Mindanao does not appear in the other manuscripts, but it is generally believed by all the datus and people of Magindanao. I heard both Datu Mastura and Datu Mawlana Sa-Magindanao affirm the fact. They say that a part of the white earth of paradise was left in the hill behind Cotabato and they call it the sacred dust. It was the custom in Magindanao to bring this earth before the new sultan after his appointment that he might step on it for the confirmation of his sultanate. They believed no sultan could be successful and prosperous in his reign unless he performed this rite. The last sultan who obeyed this custom was Sultan Untung Qudratul-Lah, Datu Mastura's father, during the latter part of whose reign the Spaniards came into Magindanao and occupied Cotabato. The later three sultans did not perform this rite; this the Moros cite as the cause of the decline of the sultans' power and the lack of prosperity in the country. They believe this white earth still exists in the hill of Cotabato, but nobody can find it except the oldest living dumatus whose forefathers have not intermarried with either datus or the common people, and to whom the secret has been handed down from Tabunaway. This they keep away from everybody except their children. The dumatus are a privileged class of people, and claim they can follow any datu they choose, and that they should not pay any tribute. They assert that when Tabunaway resigned his sovereignty in favor of his older brother, Kabungsuwan, he reserved this privilege for his children, which privilege Kabungsuwan promised to respect.

For these reasons the dumatus keep their own records of the history of their country, and the genealogy of their line.

Sambug, who is mentioned here, is stated to be the son of Tabunaway. Manuscript No. III states that Kabungsuwan had a son named Sambgan, who was born in Juhur. Whether these two are one and the same name or not it is very difficult to say. Probably they are two different names.

LITERAL TRANSLATION OF MANUSCRIPT NO. IV

THE GENEALOGY AND HISTORY OF THE PEOPLE OF MINDANAO

The land of paradise was brought by the angels from the west (Arabia) to Mindanao. Later the angels moved paradise to Madinat, but the earth did not balance and tipped on the side of Mindanao. They then measured the earth to find its center, but it had none. Then the angels took paradise and carried it to Mecca, but a part of it remained in Mindanao.

Sharif Awliya knew that and came to Mindanao to search for it. He saw a column of smoke, and as he came to this smoke he found that it was a woman. He took her and married her and begot a daughter whose name was Paramisúli, whom he left in the blessed land.

Afterwards there came from Juhur Sharif Hasan and Sharif Maraja, who were brothers. Sharif Hasan came to Sulu, and from him descended all the datus of Sulu. Sharif Maraja had two sons, Sharif Bidayan and Sharif Timbangan. He or one of his sons lived at Basilan. Sharif Hasan and Sharif Maraja were followed by Sharif Kabungsuwan, a nephew of Sharif Maraja. Sharif Maraja was the first Mohammedan who came to Bawangin, which is Mindanao. He first came to Slangan (the western part of Cotabato), where he saw Burak (an animal intermediate between a bird and a horse) light on a bamboo tree. Burak slipped and let fall his load, which was the lady, Paramisúli. Sharif Maraja dived into the river and brought up Paramisúli; later he married her and begot several children. The oldest of his children was Tabunaway, the youngest Mamalu. The daughters were Sarabanun and Pindaw.

Some time after that Sharif Kabungsuwan came from Juhur and anchored at Tinundan (a stream or estuary very near the mouth of the Rio Grande of Mindanao). There was nobody there then; but the sharif saw a taro plant and a cornstalk floating down, and said, "There must be some people at the head of this river; let us wait until they come down." Later there came down the river Manúmbali, the datu of Slangan, with seven men, to fish at Tinundan. They saw Sharif Kabungsuwan. The sharif called them, but they could not understand him. He beckoned to them, but one of them died on that account, and they were frightened and returned. Later the people of Katittwan, having heard of this, came down the river to see the sharif, but they also could not understand him, and one of their men died of the same cause. They again returned and told Tabunaway, who came down the river and saw Sharif Kabungsuwan. The sharif called to Tabunaway and Mamalu, who both understood him and came into his boat. Tabunaway saw the ring of Sharif Kabungsuwan, and the sharif observed the ring of Tabunaway. The sharif then asked Tabunaway how he had become possessed of this ring, and if he had bought or inherited it. Tabunaway replied that he had not bought the ring, but that he had inherited it. "Then," said the sharif, "you must be a descendant of my uncle." He then informed Tabunaway of his relation to him, and they became acquainted with each other. They then went up the river together in the boat of Sharif Kabungsuwan and came to Magindanao (which is Cotabato). There Kabungsuwan met Sarabanun, the sister of Tabunaway, and asked to marry her. Tabunaway consented and the sharif married Sarabanun, but she died before her child was born.

After the death of his father Tabunaway became datu of Magindanao.

Sitti Paramisúli, the mother of Tabunaway, had asked her son to bury her comb, after her death, underneath her window. This he did. The comb grew and become a large bamboo tree. As Mamalu was cutting the tree one day he found a lady in one of the bamboo joints which he had cut. The blow had reached her little finger and cut it slightly. He took the child to Tabunaway who told Mamalu to adopt her because he had no children. They called her Putri Tunina, because they thought their mother had come to life again. As she was a virgin and of age she was married to Sharif Kabungsuwan and bore three daughters. The first daughter was called Mamuranda, and married Pulwa, the datu of Bwayan. The second was called Milagandi, and married Malang-sa-Ingud, who is also a datu of Bwayan. The third daughter was called Putri Batula.

Sambug, the son of Tabunaway, married and begot Dagansina. Dagansina begot Ampan; Ampan begot Alang; Alang begot Dumaya, who married Duyuttanan, who is from Liyámin in Balabagan. Dumaya begot Lawana and Mandawa and Taluwa. Lawana begot Bansara. Bansara begot Iput and Ibrahim and Jubayr and the following daughters: Lamyuna, Kalima, and Malubay, the mother of Sultan Izra of Ramitan. From Lamyuna descended Mohammed, whose children are Gayag and Sakandar and Undang. Kalima bore Antim. Antim begot Jayra and Tunug.

Iput begot Karija. Ibrahim begot Ugu. Ugu begot Mintal and Umar, one of whom was a judge (kali). The judge begot Ruranun and Gansing and Mamalu and a daughter called Mandi. Kali Ruranun begot Nyaw and Tarawya and Mangilay. Mamalu begot Kudarat and Dawuntánan and Mantag. Nyaw begot Jamarun and Kawali. Tarawya begot Anggris and Sayd. Mangilay begot Abbas and Payag and Dadaw. Mandi begot Gawi and Mindang and Inding. Gawi begot Lambway and Bkaran and Gandayra. Mindang begot Rakman. Inding begot Dindaw.

MANUSCRIPT NO. V

THE OLDEST COPY OF THE GENEALOGY OF MAGINDANAO AND THE IRANUN DATUS