Datu is the title for chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs

[1]
in
the Visayas
[2]
and Mindanao
[3]
Regions of thePhilippines. Together with Lakan (Luzon), Apo in
Central and Northern Luzon,
[4]
Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are
still currently used especially in Mindanao and Sulu.
[5]
Depending upon the prestige of the
sovereign prince, this title of Datu could be roughly equated to the
European dukes, marquesses, counts, or barons.
[6]
In big barangays, which had contacts with
other southeast Asian cultures through trade, some Datus took the title Rajahor Sultan.
[7]

The word datu is akin to the Malay word Dato' or Datuk, which are royal titles of
the Malay people, and to the Fijian title of Ratu.
Proofs of Filipino royalty and nobility (Dugong Bughaw) must be demonstrated only by blood
descent, that is, one has to have native blood in his veins, and must be a descendant of ancient
native royal or noble families.
[8]


Datus of Pre-Hispanic Philippines (12th to 16th
century)[edit]
The following category is a list of leaders who governed Mindanao,
the Visayas and Luzon region.
Datu ''Daya'' - King of Daanbantayan, Cebu
Datu Dinagandan - King of Aklan in Panay in the 12th century
Datu Kalantiao - King of Aklan in the 14th century
Datu Padojinog - Governed the Visayas region with his wife Ribongsapaw. According to
Visayan folk tradition, about 900 years ago between the 12th century to 13th century, ten
noble Malay warriors were believed to have settled in the Philippines. They migrated from
the kingdom of Borneo, escaping the wrath of a wicked ruler called Rajah Makatunao. They
boarded on large boats and canoes and set out to sea to find a place where they can live in
peace and harmony.
Datu Bangkaya - Settled and became King of Aklan after migrating from the kingdom of
Borneo.
Datus in the Maragtas epic[edit]
See also: Maragtas (book)
Datu Kalantiaw III /Rajah Bendahara Kalantiaw, according to the local oral tradition of
Panay, is said to have enacted a body of laws, which is now called theCode of Kalantiaw in
1433.
Datu Puti - One of the 10 Bornean Datus to arrive in Iloilo before the Spanish colonization.
Datu Sumakwel - Leader of the 10 Bornean Datus. He settled in Antique.
Datu Bangkaya
Datu Paiburong
Datu Marikudo - the Ati (Aeta) Datu of Panay, from whom the 10 Bornean Datus purchased
the lowlands of the Island, in exchange for a golden Salakot(Bulawan nga Saduk), and a
long pearl necklace that could touch the ground (Manangyad).
Datus during the Spanish colonization[edit]
Rajah Colambu - King of Limasawa in 1521, brother of Rajah Siagu of Butuan. He
befriended Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and guided him to Cebu on April 7,
1521.
Rajah Humabon - King of Cebu who became an ally of Ferdinand Magellan and the
Spaniards. Rival of Datu Lapu-Lapu. In 1521, he and his wife were baptized as Christians
and given Christian names Carlos and Juana after the Spanish royalty, King Carlos and
Queen Juana.
Sultan Kudarat - Sultan of Maguindanao.
Lakan Dula or Lakandula - King of Tondo, one of the last princes of Manila.
Datu Lapu-Lapu - King of Mactan Island. He defeated the Spaniards on April 27, 1521.
Datu Sikatuna - King of Bohol in 1565. He made a blood compact with Spanish
explorer, Miguel Lpez de Legazpi.
Datu Pagbuaya - King of Bohol. He governed with his brother Datu Dailisan, a settlement
along the shorelines between Mansasa, Tagbilaran and Dauis, which was abandoned years
before the Spanish colonization due to Portuguese and Ternatean attacks. He
founded Dapitan in the northern shore of Mindanao.
Datu Dailisan - King of Mansasa, Tagbilaran and Dauis and governed their kingdom along
with his brother Datu Pagbuaya. His death during one of the Portuguese raids caused the
abandonment of the settlement.
Datu Manooc - Christian name - Pedro Manuel Manooc, son of Datu Pagbuaya who
converted to Christianity, defeated the Higaonon tribe in Iligan, Mindanao. He established
one of the first Christian settlements in the country.
Datu Macabulos - King of Pampanga in 1571.
Rajah Siagu - King of the Manobo in 1521.
Apo Noan - Chieftain of Mandani (present day Mandaue) in 1521.
Apo Macarere - Famous Chieftain of the Tagbanwa warrior tribe in Corong Island (Calis).
Rajah Sulaiman III - One of the last King of Manila, was defeated by Martn de Goiti, a
Spanish soldier commissioned by Lpez de Legazpi to Manila.
Rajah Tupas - King of Cebu, conquered by Miguel Lpez de Legazpi.
Datu Urduja - Female Leader in Pangasinan.
Datu Zula - Chieftain of Mactan, Cebu. Rival of Lapu-lapu
Datu Kalun - Ruler of the Island of the Basilan and the Yakans in Mindanao, converted his
line to Christianity
Datu Limbona - Ruler of Marawi City
Datu Bangkaya - King of Antique
unnamed Datu - King of Taytay Palawan. Mentioned by Pigafetta, chronicler of Magellan.
The king, together with his wife were kidnapped by the remnant troops from Magellan's fleet
after fleeing Cebu to secure provisions for their crossing to the Moluccas.

The Timawa (Spanish spelling: Timagua) were the feudal warrior class of the
ancient Visayan societies of the Philippines. They were regarded as higher than
the uripon (commoners, serfs, and slaves) but below the Tumao (royal nobility) in the Visayan
social hierarchy. They were roughly similar to the Tagalog maharlika caste
The term later lost its military and nobility connotations and was demoted to mean "freemen"
during the Spanish conquest of the Philippines. During which, the word was also introduced to
the Tagalogs, who incorrectly used the term to refer to freeduripon (more correctly
the matitimawa or tinimawa in Visayan) and commoners in general (tuhay or mamahay in
Visayan). Eventually, the meaning of timawa in modern Visayan languages was reduced to an
adjective for "impoverished".
History[edit]
The Timawa were the privileged intermediate class of ancient Visayan society, in between
the uripon (commoners, serfs, and slaves) and the tumao (royal nobility). They were originally
descendants or illegitimate children of the datu by commoner wives or uripon concubines, or the
illegitimate children of the binokot princesses. These Timawa were referred to with the
title Ginoo upon the death of their fathers. A few known as Matitimawa or Tinimawa, originated
from uripon who bought their freedom or were set free by their masters. These were usually
distinguished from freeborn timawa.
[1][2]

Like the Tagalog Maharlika class, the Timawa were primarily a feudal warrior class, required to
provide military service to the datu in hunts, land wars (Mangubat or Managayau), and sea raids
(Mangahat or Magahat). They also paid tribute or taxes to the datu known
as buhis or handug and were required to provide agricultural labor as needed. They enjoyed
certain freedoms, like the right to own their own land and uripon, the right to lend and borrow
money, and the right to enter into business partnerships.
[1][3]

Unlike the maharlika, however, they can change allegiances freely and had no intrinsic right to
the spoils of war beyond what is granted them by the datu.
[1]
Though the class itself was
hereditary, their wealth were only inherited by their children with the approval of
the datu.
[4]
A timawa may also be demoted to the uripon status (temporarily or permanently) in
cases of debt, and any children born during the period will likewise be an uripon.
[1]

However this does not apply to the higher ranks of the timawa, the personal vassals of the datu.
These in turn were exempt from taxes and labor obligations. Though still obligated to render
military service, they had rights to the share of the war loot, were included in praises of war
exploits (including acquiring tattoos of ranks and accomplishments), and were often retainers
and confidantes of the datu. The datu himself was required to defend or avenge
these timawa even at the risk of his own life. The most trusted among these timawa are
traditionally tasked with carrying out diplomatic missions, marriage negotiations, and mourning
rites in case of the death of the datu. As such, the Boxer Codex likened them to
"knights and hidalgos".
[1][4]

Though timawa were powerful and influential members of the community, they were seldom
wealthy. Wealthy timawa who overstep their class and act like tumaowere derided
as timindok ("big banana").
[1]

Some members of the uripon class known as the horo-han or horohan also served their masters
as warriors, but unlike the timawa, they were not part of the nobility.
[5][6]


The alipin refers to the lowest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before
the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Visayan languages, the
equivalent social classes were known as the oripun, uripon, orulipon.
The most common translation of the word is "servant" or "slave", as opposed to the higher
classes of the timawa/maharlika(warrior class) and the tumao/maginoo (noblemen). This
translation, however, is inaccurate. The concept of the alipin relied on a complex system of
obligation and repayment through labor in ancient Philippine society, rather than on the actual
purchase of a person as in Western and Islamic slavery. Indeed, members of the alipin class
who owned their own houses were more accurately equivalent to medieval European serfs and
commoners.
Etymology[edit]
Alipin and oripon come from the transitive form of the archaic Visayan root word udip ("to live").
It derived from the word meaning "to let live" in the senses of letting a war captive live or paying
or ransoming someone for a debt that exceeds the value of their life.
[1]

Subclasses[edit]
As a social class, alipin had several subclasses based on the nature of their obligations and
their dependence on their masters:
Horo-han or horohan, a hereditary class of oripun unique to the Visayans and first
mentioned in the Boxer Codex. Instead of serving obligations through labor, the horo-
han instead served their masters as warriors.
[1][2]
Unlike the timawa warrior class, they were
not considered nobility, though higher-status horo-hanwere virtually indistinguishable from
lower-class timawa.
[3]
Like the timawa, they may also sometimes be obligated to do
communal work and paid a vassalagefee known as dagupan.
[1]

Aliping namamahay (translated as "Servant who is housed") refers to alipin that have their
own houses, which is usually built on the property of their masters. They are also known
as tuhay, mamahay, or tumaranpoc (Spanish spelling: tumaranpoque) in Visayan. They
are not at all slaves, as they are often only obligated to pay a percentage of their earnings
or harvests (known as handog in Tagalog and buhis in Visayan, 'tribute' and 'tax'
respectively) to their masters and no more, thus making them more similar to the medieval
European serfs and commoners. They may sometimes be called upon by their masters for
harvesting, sowing fields, building new structures, or for aid in emergencies, though these
are usually not part of their obligations. They can also freely buy their way out of debt and
can marry without the consent of their masters. In the Visayas, some tuhay may also serve
their masters in war, like the horohan.
[1][4][5]

Aliping sa gigilid (translated as "Servant in the corners [of the master's house]") refers to
unmarried alipin without a house and whose existence is completely dependent and
insufficiently undesirable on the graces of their masters. They are also known
as hayohay, ayuey, or tomataban in Visayan. They can only marry with the consent of
their current master (rarely given for female aliping sa gigilid). Once married, an aliping
sagigilid becomes an aliping namamahay, as the master is not obligated to feed and house
the family of the latter. Their obligations (i.e. services) can also be transferred or sold to
another master.
[4][5]
Most of the people belonging to this class are the unmarried children
of aliping namamahay parents, or are unransomed captives taken from wars or raids
(bihag).
[6]

At lower ranks than the above are the alipin of alipin. The aliping sa gigilid of an aliping
namamahay was called bulisik ("vile"), while an aliping sa gigilid of analiping sa gigilid was
known by the even more derogatory bulislis (literally meaning "lifted skirt", a term implying that
these persons were so vulnerable that it seems like their genitals are exposed). At an even
more lower social rank than the latter two are alipin who were acquired through war or who
came from other communities. They are often treated as non-persons until they become fully
integrated into the local culture.
[4]

Differences from the western concept of slavery[edit]
While the alipin does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as
"slave" in the western sense of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documented observations
from the 17th century indicate that there may be significant differences between
the Western concept of "slave" and the Pre-HispanicFilipino concept of "alipin".
[1]
Some
academics prefer to use the more accurate terms "debtors", "serfs", "bondsmen", or
"dependents" instead.
[7]

The lowest class of alipin originating from prisoners-of-war are traded like market goods initially.
But unlike Western slaves, subsequent transfer of the alipin to a new master is priced at the
value of the [remaining] bond. It is the labor obligation of the alipin being sold, not the person.
Most alipin usually acquire their status either voluntarily (usually because of material
or honor debt, or as a form of assistance to impoverished relatives), by inheriting the status of
their parents, as a form of legal punishment for crime, or by being spared from execution after
being captured in wars or raids. Alipin who acquired their status by debt are known
astinubos (literally "redeemed" or "ransomed"), and their creditors may sell their services for
profit at the price of the debt incurred.
[8]

The actual degree of obligations of the alipin can vary considerably. It is dependent on the
monetary equivalent of the obligation owed and is usually limited in duration. An alipin can earn
their freedom or gain higher status by marriage, being set free by their masters (known
as matitimawa or tinimawa among Visayans), buying it with their earnings, fulfillment of the
obligations, or by extraordinary accomplishments and bravery in battle.
[1][8][4]

The inheritance of the alipin status is subject to a complex system of rules dependent on the
offspring's condition known as the saya. For example, the first child of a male freeman and a
female alipin will be free, but their second child will be an alipin like the mother; and so on with
the rest of the children. If the number of children is not even, the last child will be a partial alipin.
The master of an aliping namamahay may also sometimes take one child of the latter as
an aliping sa gigilid in the case of the latter's death. They may
become sibin or ginogatan ("favorites") of their masters and may be set free upon the master's
death.
[1]

An alipin who inherits the debts of their parents was known as a gintubo (literally "grown up
with").
[6]
Children of parents who are both alipin were known asginlubos, while the children
of ginlubos were known as lubos nga oripun.
[1]

Partial alipin retain their alipin ancestors' obligations according to their degree of relation. The
partial alipin child of a timawa and an alipin, for example, will inherit half of their alipin parent's
obligations, while the grandchild of an alipin will only owe a quarter. Half alipin whose services
were scheduled alternately by months are referred to as bulan ("moon" or "month")
or pikas ("half"). Quarter alipin were referred to as tilor or sagipat ("quarter"). They could also
freely buy their way out of service if they can afford it. Part or all of the alipin duties of the
parents are often taken over by their children.
[1][6]