The Maguindanao Sultanate

Maguindanao is one of the mainland provinces of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao.
Its people are called Maguindanaon or people of the flood plain. The Sultanate of
Maguindanao was established in the 16th century by Shariff Muhammed Kabungsuwan from,
the first Sultan, who came from Johor e. He married a local princess and continued to preach
Islam to the natives of the province.
The Maguindanao Tarsilas
Source: www.mnlfnet.com
With some minor differences or variations, the Maguindanao tarsilas narrate how the Sharif
Muhammad Kabungsuwan arrived on the shores of Mindanao with a sea-fariing people, after a
long voyage from Johore. It is claimed that he was a son of the Sharif Ali Zein ul-Abidin, an
Arab from Mecca (or Hadhramaut) who settled in Johore where he married a daughter (or sister,
in other accounts) of the Sultan Iskandar Julkarnain. Clearly what is meant here is that the Sharif
married a princess of the royal family of Johore that was descended from the dynasty founded by
Iskandar Julkarnain, the first Malacca sultan. In the list of Malacca sultans, only one, the first
bears his name; while in the list of the early Johore sultans, none bears it. For good chronological
reasons, Muhammad Kabungsuwan could not have been a grandson of the first sultan of Malacca
whose rule began around 1400. Consequently, it would have been more accurate to have stated
that the Sharif Ali Zein ul-Abidin married into the Johore family that descended from Sultan
Iskandar Julkarnain.
It is interesting to note that there are supplementary sections in the tarsilas regarding the
genealogy of the Sharif Ali Zein ul-Abidin from the Prophet Muhammad, may peace be upon
him. This is unlike the Sulu genealogy that does not contain a genealogy of the Sharif ul-Hashim
but merely asserts that he was a descendant of the Prophet, may peace be upon him.
But the Maguindanao royal line is not entirely of foreign descent for, as
the tarsilas assert, Muhammad Kabungsuwan married a few daughters of local chieftains, thus
giving his descendants a claim to hold land, over and above a right to rule over Muslims. His
daughters, too, later on, married local chiefs. In this light, it is evident why the rulers of Buayan,
the Iranun datus, and minor sultans among the Maranaos have all claimed descent from
Muhammad Kabungsuwan.
Since the kingdom of Johore was not established before 1511, the year of Malaccas fall to
the Portuguese, the coming of Muhammad Kabungsuwan must have taken place after this event.
The Maguindanao Rulers and Sultans
1. Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuwan (1520-1543)
2. Sharif Maka-alang Saripada (1543-1574)
3. Datu Bangkaya (1574-1578)
4. Datu Dimasangkay Adel (1578-1585)
5. Datu Salikula (1585-1597)

6. Kapitan Laut Buisan (1597-1619)

7. Sultan Qudarat (1619-1671)
8. Sultan Dundang Tidulay (16711678)
9. Sultan Barahaman (Arabic, Abd ur-Rahman) (1678-1699)
10. Sultan Kahar ud-Din Kuda (1699-1702)
11. Sultan Bayan ul-Anwar (1702-1745)
12. Sultan Muhammad Jafar Sadiq Manamir (1710-1733 in Tamontaka)
13. Sultan Muhammad Tahir ud-Din (1736-1748 in Sibugay, Buayan, Malabang)
14. Sultan Muhammad Khair ud-Din (1733-1755, paramount chief of Maguindanao by 1748)
15. Sultan Pahar ud-Din (1755-1780)
16. Sultan Kibad Sahriyal (1780-1805)
17. Sulatn Kawasa Anwar ud-Din (1805-1830)
18. Sultan Iskandar Qudratullah Muhammad Jamal ul-Azam (1830-1854)
19. Sultan Muhammad Makakwa (1854-1884)
20. Sultan Muhammad Jalal ud-Din Pablu (1884-1888)
(From 1888 to 1896, the sultanate was vacant)
21. Sultan Mangigin (1896-1901)