The history of Luzon covers events that happened in the largest island of the Philippine Archipelago,
Luzon. Luzon wrested the record of having the oldest man ever discovered in the Philippines with discovery of the
Callao Man in 2007, which predated the
Tabon Man by around 20,000 years.[1] The written history of Luzon began in around 900 AD with the discovery of the
Laguna Copperplate Inscription in 1989. After that, Luzon began to appear in the annals of the Japanese. One example would be the , wherein Luzon appeared in 22 records.[2] Luzon was split among
Hindu-
Buddhist kingdoms, Muslim principalities, and
ethnoreligious tribes, who had trading connections with
Borneo,
Malaya,
Java,
Indochina,
India,
Okinawa,
Japan before the Spanish established their rule. As a result of the
Spanish–American War, Luzon became American territory. In the
Second World War, Luzon saw one of the fiercest battles during the
Japanese occupation. Luzon, apart from being the largest island, had been the economic and political center of the Philippines ever since the country entered the Western Calendar, being home to the country's capital city,
Manila, and the country's largest
metropolis,
Metro Manila.
The first evidence of the systematic use of Stone-Age technologies in the Philippines is estimated to have dated back to about 50,000 BC,[3] and this phase in the development of proto-Philippine societies is considered to end with the rise of metal tools in about 500 BC, although stone tools continued to be used past that date.[4] However, new discoveries in Luzon, particularly in
Liwan, Kalinga, found stone tools that were dated through potassium argon test at most 920,000 years old, and at least 750,000 years old.[5]
The earliest human remains known in the Philippines are the fossilized remains discovered in 2007 by Armand Salvador Mijares in
Callao Cave,
Peñablanca, Cagayan. The find was of a 67,000-year-old remains that predate the
Tabon Man, which was discovered in 1962 by
Robert Bradford Fox.[6] Specifically, the find consisted of a single 61 millimeter
metatarsal which, when dated using
uranium series ablation, was found to be at least about 67,000 years old.[1] If definitively proven to be remains of
Homo sapiens, since there was a certainty that the Callao Man could be a
Homo floresiensis, it would antedate the 47,000-year-old remains of
Tabon Man to become the earliest human remains known in the Philippines, and one of the oldest human remains in the Asia Pacific.[7][8]
The primary theory surrounding the migration of Callao Man and his contemporaries to Luzon from what is believed to be the present-day Indonesia is that they came by raft. It is notable that the approximate time this happened is, according to experts, prior to the point when human beings were thought to be capable of making long voyages across the sea. It has also been noted that Callao Man could have crossed into the Philippines by a
land bridge. This is because at the time Callao Man lived, it was the period known as
Ice age and the
sea level was lower. Because of lower sea levels, there could have been an
Isthmus between the Philippines and the rest of
Southeast Asia.[9]
Mining in the Philippines began around 1000 BC. However, the discovery of a
brass needle in Musang Cave, Cagayan pushed back the date to 2160 BC, the date the needle was made.[10] Metal smiths from this era had already developed a crude version of modern metallurgical processes, notably the hardening of soft iron through
carburization. However, unlike the typical pattern, there had been no shift to copper or bronze implements before iron implements, it had been from stone to iron.[11]
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (circa AD 900) is inscribed with small writing hammered into its surface. It shows heavy
Indian cultural influence (by way of
Srivijaya) present in the Philippines prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription is the earliest known written document found in the
Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by a sand labourer near the mouth of the Lumbang River in
Barangay Wawa,
Lumban,
Laguna. The inscription on the plate was first deciphered by
DutchanthropologistAntoon Postma.[16][17]
The inscription is on a thin copper plate measuring less than 20 × 30 cm (8 × 12 inches) in size with words directly embossed onto the plate. It differs in manufacture from other Javanese scrolls of the period, which had the words inscribed onto a heated, softened scroll of metal.[18]
Inscribed on it the
Saka era date year of Saka 822, month of Waisaka, the fourth day of the waning moon, which corresponds to Monday, 21 April 900 AD in the
Gregorian calendar.[19] The writing system used is the
Kawi Script, while the language is a variety of
Old Malay, and contains numerous loanwords from
Sanskrit and a few non-Malay vocabulary elements whose origin is between
Old Tagalog and
Old Javanese.[20] The document states that it releases its bearers, the children of Namwaran, from a debt in
gold amounting to 1 kati and 8 suwarnas (865 grams).[18][19] The original text was written with an English translation below. (Place names are in bold.)
Long Live! In the Year of Saka 822, month of
Waisakha, according to the
astronomer.
CaturthiKriṣnapaksa Somawāra sana tatkala Dayang Angkatan lawan dengan nya sānak barngaran si Bukah anak da dang Hwan Namwaran di bari waradāna wi shuddhapattra ulih sang pamegat senāpati di
Tundun barja(di) dang Hwan Nāyaka tuhan
Pailah Jayadewa.
The fourth day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion, Lady Angkatan, and her relative whose name is Bukah, the children of the Honorable Namwaran, were awarded a document of complete pardon from the Commander-in-Chief of Tundun, represented by the Lord Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa.
Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang kayastha shuddha nu di parlappas hutang da walenda Kati 1 Suwarna 8 di hadapan dang Huwan Nayaka tuhan
Puliran Kasumuran dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan
Pailah barjadi ganashakti.
This means that, through the Honorable Scribe, the Honourable Namwaran is totally cleared of his salary-related debts of 1 Katî and 8 Suwarna, before the Honorable Lord Minister of Puliran, Kasumuran; by the authority of the Lord Minister of Pailah, represented by Ganasakti.
Dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadana sanak kapawaris ulih sang pamegat
Dewata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat
Mdang dari bhaktinda diparhulun sang pamegat.
the Honourable and widely-renowned Lord Minister of Binwagan, represented by Bisruta. And, with his whole family, upon ordered of the Lord Minister of Dewata, represented by the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject of the Commander-in-Chief.
Ya makanya sadanya anak cucu dang Hwan Namwaran shuddha ya kapawaris dihutang da dang Hwan Namwaran di sang pamegat
Dewata.
Therefore, the living descendants of the Honorable Namwaran are cleared of all debts of the Honorable Namwaran to the Lord Minister of Dewata.
Ini gerang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas hutang da dang Hwa.
This, in any case, whosoever, sometime in the future, who shall state that the debt is not yet cleared of the Honorable...[21]
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, among other recent finds such as the
Golden Tara of
Butuan and 14th century pottery and gold jewellery in
Cebu, is significant in revising
precolonial Philippine history, which was until then considered by some Western historians to be culturally isolated from the rest of Asia, as no evident pre-Hispanic written records were found at the time. Noted Philippine historian
William Henry Scott debunked these theories in 1968 with his Prehispanic Source materials for the Study of Philippine History which was subsequently published in 1984.[22]
Tagalog royalty and his wife, wearing the distinctive color of his class (red), an illustration from the
Boxer Codex.
The barangay government emerged in around 200 AD, which owed the name from the Malay boat
balangay. In more developed barangays in the
Visayas (e.g.
Cebu,
Bohol, and
Panay) which were the first to be conquered by Spain by means of pacts, peace treaties, and reciprocal alliances,[23] the datu was at the top of the social order in a sakop or haop (elsewhere referred to as barangay).[24] In Luzon, the social structure had been less stable and more complex as compared to the barangays in the Visayas. Enjoying a more extensive commerce than those in Visayas, having the influence of Bornean political contacts, and engaging in farming wet rice for a living, the Tagalogs, who had established the dominant pre-colonial barangays in Luzon, were described by the Spanish Augustinian friar
Martin de Rada as more traders than warriors.[25]
The more complex social structure of the Luzon barangays was less stable because it was still in a process of differentiating. A Jesuit priest Francisco Colin made an attempt to give an approximate comparison of it with the Visayan social structure in the middle of the 17th century. The term datu or lakan, or apo refers to the chief, but the noble class to which the datu belonged to was known as the maginoo class. Any male member of the maginoo class can become a datu by personal achievement.[26]
The
Yongle Emperor instituted a Chinese Governor on Luzon during
Zheng He's
voyages and appointed Ko Ch'a-lao to that position in 1405.[27][excessive citations] China also had vassals among the leaders in the archipelago.[28][29] China attained ascendancy in trade with the area in Yongle's reign.[30]
In circa 1595, the Spanish made a manuscript known as the
Boxer Codex which contained illustrations of
Filipinos during the early Spanish era. Aside from a description of, and historical allusions to the
Philippines and various other Far Eastern countries, it also contains seventy-five colored drawings of the inhabitants of these regions and their distinctive costumes. At least fifteen illustrations deal with the natives of the Philippine Archipelago.[31]
In the period between the 7th century to the beginning of the 15th century, numerous prosperous centers of trade had emerged, including the three city-states that formed in what is now
Metro Manila,[32]Cebu,
Iloilo,[33]Butuan, the Kingdom of Luyag na Caboloan situated in
Pangasinan, the Kingdoms of
Zabag and Wak-Wak situated in
Pampanga and
Aparri (which specialized in trade with
Japan and the
Kingdom of Ryukyu in
Okinawa).
Chinese porcelain-ware, Kangxi era (1662–1722), Qing Dynasty. Ancient Chinese porcelain excavated in
Mindoro, Philippines; proves the existence of trade between the island and
Imperial China. This consequently validates
Chinese historical records of the area.
In
Zhao Rugua's account, Zhu fan zhi, Liu-sin (刘罪) was one of the islands in the country known as
Ma-i. This is presumed to be Luzon (吕宋).[38]
Traders from Ma-i (麻逸, present-day Mait in northern
Mindoro) came to Canton as early as 971 during the
Northern Song dynasty (960‒1127). Their activities received the attention of officials at the Chinese Bureau of Maritime Trade. The traders came again in 982. During the
Southern Song dynasty, officials at the Chinese Bureau of Maritime Trade in Fujian reported the arrival of more merchants from various Philippine islands: Ma-i, Baipuer 白蒲邇 (present-day Babuyan Islands), and Sandao 三嶋, which was known also as Sanyu 三嶼, a term that was used collectively to refer to the following three islands: Jamayan 加麻延 (present-day Calamian), Balaoyou 巴姥酉 (present-day
Palawan),and Pulihuan 蒲裏喚 (perhaps Tuliahan River, near present-day
Manila). Their trading activities, especially those by merchants from Sanyu, continued well into the
Yuan dynasty (1271‒1368).[39]
The country of Mai is to the north of
Borneo. The
natives live in large
villages on the opposite banks of a stream and cover themselves with a cloth like a sheet or hide their bodies with a
loin cloth. There are metal images (Buddhas) of unknown origin scattered about in the tangled wilds. Few
pirates reach these shores. When trading ships enter the harbor, they stop in front of the official
plaza, for the official plaza is that country's place for barter and trade and once the ship is registered, they mix freely. Since the local officials make a habit of using white umbrellas, the merchants must present them as gifts.
^Postma, Antoon. (1992). The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary. Philippine Studies vol. 40, no. 2:183–203
^Ocampo, Ambeth (2012). Looking Back 6: Prehistoric Philippines. Mandaluyong, Philippines: Anvil Publishing, Inc. pp. 51–56.
ISBN978-971-27-2767-2.
^William Henry Scott (1984). Prehispanic Source materials for the Study of Philippine History. New Day Publishers.
ISBN971-10-0226-4.
^Cf. William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, p. 4. Also cf. Antonio Morga, Sucessos de las Islas Filipinas, 2nd ed., Paris: 1890, p. xxxiii.
^William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, pp. 102 and 112
^Cf. William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, pp. 124–125.
^Cf. William Henry Scott, Cracks in the Parchment Curtain, Quezon City: 1998, p. 125.
^Huerta, Felix, de (1865). Estado Geografico, Topografico, Estadistico, Historico-Religioso de la Santa y Apostolica Provincia de San Gregorio Magno. Binondo: Imprenta de M. Sanchez y Compañia.{{
cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (
link)
^Remains of ancient barangays in many parts of Iloilo testify to the antiquity and richness of these pre-colonial settlements. Pre-Hispanic burial grounds are found in many towns of Iloilo. These burial grounds contained antique porcelain burial jars and coffins made of hard wood, where the dead were put to rest with abundance of gold, crystal beads, Chinese potteries, and golden masks. These Philippine national treasures are sheltered in Museo de Iloilo and in the collections of many Ilonngo old families. Early Spanish colonizers took note of the ancient civilizations in Iloilo and their organized social structure ruled by nobilities. In the late 16th Century, Fray Gaspar de San Agustin in his chronicles about the ancient settlements in Panay says: "También fundó convento el Padre Fray Martin de Rada en Araut- que ahora se llama el convento de Dumangas- con la advocación de nuestro Padre San Agustín...Está fundado este pueblo casi a los fines del río de Halaur, que naciendo en unos altos montes en el centro de esta isla (Panay)...Es el pueblo muy hermoso, ameno y muy lleno de palmares de cocos. Antiguamente era el emporio y corte de la más lucida
nobleza de toda aquella isla." Gaspar de San Agustin, O.S.A., Conquistas de las Islas Filipinas (1565-1615), Manuel Merino, O.S.A., ed., Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas: Madrid 1975, pp. 374–375.
^
abPatanne, E. P. (1996). The Philippines in the 6th to 16th Centuries. San Juan: LSA Press.
ISBN971-91666-0-6.
^Robert Nicholl, "Brunei rediscovered", Brunei Museum Journal, Volume 4 (1980)
^Scott, William Henry. (1984). "Societies in Prehispanic Philippines". Prehispanic Source Materials for the Study of Philippine History. Quezon City: New Day Publishers. p. 70.
ISBN971-10-0226-4.
^"Prehispanic Source Materials: for the study of Philippine History" (Published by New Day Publishers, Copyright 1984) Written by William Henry Scott, Page 68.
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