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Namayan

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This article is about the ancient polity. For the modern barangay, see Namayan, Mandaluyong.

Namayan
ᜈᜋᜌᜈ᜔ (Baybayin)
before 1175–1571
A map of Namayan (colored pink) in 1470 [1] under the rule of Lakan Tagkan. Locations like Calatondongan, Dibag, Pinacauasan and Yamagtogon are missing. The location of Meycatmon is unclear.
A map of Namayan (colored pink) in 1470 [1] under the rule of Lakan Tagkan. Locations like Calatondongan, Dibag, Pinacauasan and Yamagtogon are missing. The location of Meycatmon is unclear.
StatusPrecolonial barangay[2]
under the house[3]
of Lakan Tagkan[2]: 193 
CapitalNamayan, Mandaluyong or Sapa
Common languagesOld Tagalog, Old Malay
GovernmentFeudalism under barangay state led by the house of Lakan Tagkan[3][2][1]
History 
• Established
before 1175
• Conquest by Spain
1571
CurrencyPiloncitos and gold rings[4]
 Succeeded by
Captaincy General of the Philippines
Manila (province)
Today part ofPhilippines
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Namayan (Baybayin: Pre-Kudlit: ᜈᜋᜌ or ᜐᜉ (Sapa), Post-Kudlit: ᜈᜋᜌᜈ᜔), also called Sapa[5] and sometimes Lamayan,[6] was an independent[2]: 193  polity[7][8] on the banks of the Pasig River in the Philippines. It is believed to have achieved its peak in 1175,[9] and to have gone into decline sometime in the 13th century,[10] although it continued to be inhabited until the arrival of European colonizers in the 1570s.[2]

Formed as a polity occupying several barangays,[3] it was one of several polities on the Pasig River just prior to the Spanish colonization of the Philippines, alongside Tondo, Maynila, and Cainta.[2][11]

Archeological findings in Santa Ana have produced the oldest evidence of continuous habitation among the Pasig River polities, pre-dating artifacts found within the historical sites of Maynila and Tondo.[5][10][Notes 1]

Sources

[edit]

Historians studying Namayan have the advantage of being able to draw both from written sources and from artifacts uncovered in controlled archeological digs.[7][10]

The most prominent primary written sources regarding precolonial Namayan is "Estado Geográfico, Topográfico, Estadístico, Histórico-Religioso de la Santa y Apostólica Província de San Gregorio Magno", published in 1865 by Franciscan scholar Fr. Felix de Huerta. His description of Namayan included important details such as the extent of Namayan's territories, and the lineage of its rulers.[3]

Controlled archaeological excavations conducted by the National Museum of the Philippines in the 1960s, meantime, produced artifacts from a pre-Hispanic grave site within the Santa Ana Church complex,[5][10] providing important information about maritime trade around Southeast Asia and China from 12th to 15th century AD, as well as the elaborate mortuary practices of Namayan's inhabitants.[10]

Capital sites

[edit]

Three present-day locations are identified as the political centers of Namayan. Two of these are within the present-day Santa Ana district in Manila, and Barangay Namayan in Mandaluyong across the river from the other sites.

Namayan, Mandaluyong

[edit]

Barangay Namayan in Mandaluyong bears the name of the polity, and was believed to be the seat of power of Lakan Tagkan. However, it would be incorporated into Santa Ana de Sapa as a barrio in 1578.[3]

Sapa

[edit]

The site most associated with the Namayan polity is the town proper of Santa Ana, which grew around Our Lady of the Abandoned Parish. This site did not become the main settlement until 1578, when Franciscan missionaries built the first church some distance from the original town. Local referred to the site as "Sapà."

Sapà is the Tagalog and Kapampangan word for a small creek. Nearby bodies of water matching the description include what are now Estero de Tripa de Gallina ("Rooster’s Gut Estuary") and a smaller creek (Estero de Sta. Clara) in the vicinity of the present-day streets of Del Pan, Havana, and Tejerón. However, old Santa Ana was known for being "criss-crossed by brooks and creeks", any number of which could have been obscured by urbanization.

Christianised into Santa Ana de Sapa, the name eventually encompassed the modern Santa Ana district of Manila.[9] De Huerta notes that "this town takes its name from the titular saint and the addition of Sapa for its having been established in a site immediately upon an estuary or rivulet proceeding from the Pasig River, which the natives call Sapa and the name of the town itself."[3]

Lamayan

[edit]

Instead of the Sapa site, local traditions say that an area called Lamayan (Tagalog and Kapampangan for "the place where a wake was held"), on the banks of the Pasig itself. It was said to be the site of the ancient capital from which Lakan Tagkan and Buwan once ruled. It is still recognizable today, as a street in the area still bears its name.[6]

Territory

[edit]

Namayan's territory has been described bordering Manila Bay, the Pasig River, and Laguna de Bay.[6][9] A more precise description of Namayan's administrative area is given by Fr. de Huerta, who, noting that Namayan was a confederation of several barangays, identified these component communities as they were named during the mid 19th century.[3]

Most are now districts or barangays within the modern City of Manila:[3]

Four settlements are now separate cities in and around Metro Manila:

Administrative and political records of Spanish Manila indicate that these settlements mentioned as territories of Namayan were recorded in 1578 as parts and visitas (satellite settlements) of Sta. Ana de Sapa.[6]

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A number of these settlements' names are no longer used today, but Philippine National Artist for Literature Nick Joaquin, in his book "Manila My Manila: A History for the Young", says that Namayan's territories included what are now Santa Ana, Quiapo, San Miguel, Sampaloc, Santa Mesa, Paco, Pandacan in Manila; Mandaluyong, San Juan, Makati, Pasay, Pateros, Taguig, Taytay, and Parañaque.[1]

Economic activities

[edit]

Huerta describes the original settlement in Santa Ana as a fishing village that had other industries including carpentry, masonry, piña (pineapple cloth) embroidery, tinapá, cigars, bricks, sugar and bread.[3]

This contrasts sharply with the economic activities of the contemporaneous polities of Tondo and Maynila, which monopolized the influx of goods coming from China, and monopolized the re-sale of the same Chinese goods to other ports in the archipelago, respectively.[2]

Gold as currency

[edit]
A collection of Piloncitos.

The Namayans, like Tondo, used Piloncitos, small gold ingots some of the size of a corn kernel—and weighing from 0.09 to 2.65 grams. Large Piloncitos weighing 2.65 grams approximate the weight of one mass. Piloncitos have been excavated from Mandaluyong, Bataan and the banks of the Pasig River.[4]

Other than Piloncitos, the Namayans also used gold rings, or gold ring-like ingots, very similar to the first coins invented in the Kingdom of Lydia in the present-day Turkey. Barter rings were circulated in the Philippines up to the 16th century.[13]

Rulers

[edit]

Fray Huerta also recorded the genealogy of Namayan's ruling family, tracing it to a Lakan Tagkan (also known as Lacantagcan, or Lakan Takhan in some oral histories), and his wife Buan. Under the heading "Santa Ana", he records:

"In origin of the natives of this town comes from a ruler ("regulo") called Lacantagcan, and his wife named Bouan, lords ("señores") of the Namayan territories [...] The first Christian name found in the genealogical tree of this great ("gran") family is a certain Martin in this form. Martin, son of Calamayin: Calamayin, son of Laboy, Laboy, son of Palaba, and Palaba, firstborn son of the ruler ("regulo") Lacantagcan and his wife Bouan."[3]

Historian William Henry Scott notes that "Rajah Kalamayin" was the name of the ruler of Namayan at the point of colonial contact in the early 1570s,[2] and Huerta here records that his son was baptized "Martin" upon conversion to Roman Catholicism. Huerta only traces the genealogical tree of Lacan Tagcan back through Martin, and thus only mentions the eldest of Tagcan and Bouan's sons, Palaba. The other four sons of Tagcan are not named, and no daughters are mentioned.

Huerta does go on, however, to mention that Tagcan had another male son, named Pasay, whose mother was a Bornean slave:

"The said Lacantagcan, in addition to five children of his legitimate wife Bouan, had a bastard ("bastardo") with a slave of Bornean lineage ("esclava de casta bornea"), called Pasay, who was the origin of the town known by the same name, for having fixed there his residence as landowner, supported by his father."[3]

While Huerta thus definitively establishes that the rulers of Namayan and the settlement called Pasay were related, the precise nature of their relationship during the 1500s is unclear: Scott records that during that period, Pasay's rulers interacted with the Spanish themselves instead of "Rajah Kalamayin" speaking on their behalf.[2]

Some local oral traditions cite Tagkan's child Pasay as a daughter, bestowing her with the title "Dayang-dayang" ("princess").[9] However, the descriptor "bastardo" (bastard), used by Huerta, is masculine in form.[3]

Historian Grace Odal-Devora notes that Kapampangan oral histories also mention a "Sultana Kalangitan", described as "the Lady of the Pasig" who ruled the "Kingdom of Namayan." She is said to have been the grandmother of "Prinsipe Balagtas" (or Bagtas), and the legend says that the Kapampangan people are descended from him. Odal notes that this demonstrates the interconnections of the Tagalog ruling elites.[11]

Documented rulers of Namayan

[edit]

The rulers of Namayan from the period of colonial contact (the 1570s) back to three prior generations, were documented by Franciscan Historian Fray Felix Huerta in the work Estado geográfico, topográfico, estadístico, histórico- religioso de la santa y apostólica Provincia de San Gregorio Magno ("Geographical, topographical, statistical, historical and religious state of the holy and apostolic province of St. Gregory the Great"), a record of the histories of Franciscan missions which is now a primary resource for local histories of Philippine municipalities.[2]

Title Name Notes Documented Period of Rule Primary Sources
Lakan[3] Tagkan[3] Named "Lacantagcan" by Huerta and described as the ruler to whom the "original residents" of Namayan trace their origin[3] According to Nick Joaquin, Lakan Tagkan was the descendant of Prince Balagtas, who was the descendant of Emperor Soledan and Empress Sasaban of Sapa.[1]: 15  exact years not documented; three generations prior to Calamayin (presumed to be in the 1460s-1490s, c.1470 according to Joaquin)[1] Huerta
Lakan[3]) Palaba Noted by Huerta[3] as the "Principal Son" of Lakan Tagkan. exact years not documented; two generations prior to Kalamayin (presumed to be 1500s-1530s)[3] Huerta
Lakan[3]) Laboy Noted by Franciscan genealogical records to be the son of Lakan Palaba, and the father of Lakan Kalamayin.[3] exact years not documented; one generation prior to Kalamayin (presumed to be 1540s until about the late 1560s)[3] Huerta
Lakan[2] Kalamayin referred to by Scott (1984) as Lakan Kalamayin.[2]
Described by Scott (1984)[2] as the paramount ruler of Namayan at the time of colonial contact.		 immediately prior to and after Spanish colonial contact according to Scott (ca. 1571–1575)[2] [Notes 2] Huerta
(no title documented by Huerta[3]) Martin* *Huerta[3] does not mention if Kalamayin's son, baptized "Martin", held a government position during the early Spanish colonial period early Spanish colonial period Huerta

Legendary rulers of Namayan

[edit]
See also: List of ancient Philippine consorts

Aside from the records of Huerta, a number of names of rulers are associated with Namayan by folk/oral traditions, as recounted in documents such as the will of Fernando Malang (1589) and documented by academics such as Grace Odal-Devora[11] and writers such as Nick Joaquin.[1]

Title Name Notes Period of Rule Primary Sources
"Princess" or "Lady"
(term used in oral tradition, as documented by Odal-Devora[11])		 Sasaban In oral Tradition recounted by Nick Joaquin and Leonardo Vivencio, a "lady of Namayan" who went to the Majapahit court to marry Emperor Soledan, eventually giving birth to Balagtas, who then returned to Namayan/Pasig in 1300.[11][1]: 51  prior to 1300
(according to oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio)[11][1]		 Batangueño folk tradition (cited by Odal-Devora, 2000[11]), and oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio[11][1]
Prince[11]
(term used in oral tradition, as documented by Odal-Devora[11])		 Bagtas or Balagtas In Batangueño Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora,[11] the King of Balayan and Taal who married Panginoan, daughter of Kalangitan and Lontok who were rulers of Pasig.: 51 

In Kapampangan[11] Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora,[11] the "grandson of Kalangitan" and a "Prince of Madjapahit" who married the "Princess Panginoan of Pampanga": 47, 51 

Either the son in law (Batangueño Tradition) or grandson (Kapampangan Tradition) of Kalangitan[11]

In oral tradition recounted by Nick Joaquin and Leonardo Vivencio, the Son of Emperor Soledan of Majapahit who married Sasaban of Sapa/Namayan. Married Princess Panginoan of Pasig at about the year 1300 in order to consolidate his family line and rule of Namayan. According to Joaquin, Balagtas was the ancestor of Lakan Tagkan.[11]: 47, 51  [1]: 15 		 ca. 1300 A.D. according to oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio[11][1] Batangueño and Kapampangan folk traditions cited by Odal-Devora, and oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio[11][1]
"Princess" or "Lady"
(term used in oral tradition, as documented by Odal-Devora[11])		 Panginoan In Batangueño Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora,[11] the daughter of Kalangitan and Lontok who were rulers of Pasig, who eventually married Balagtas, King of Balayan and Taal.: 51 

In Kapampangan[11] Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora,[11] who eventually married Bagtas, the "grandson of Kalangitan.": 47, 51 

In oral tradition recounted by Nick Joaquin and Leonardo Vivencio, "Princess Panginoan of Pasig" who was married by Balagtas, the Son of Emperor Soledan of Majapahit in 1300 AD in an effort consolidate rule of Namayan[11]: 47, 51 [1]		 ca. 1300 A.D. according to oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio[11][1] Batangueño and Kapampangan folk traditions cited by Odal-Devora, and oral tradition cited by Joaquin and Vicencio[11][1]
Gat[attribution needed] Lontok In Batangueño Folk Tradition as cited by Odal-Devora,[11] husband of Kalangitan, serving as "rulers of Pasig" together.[11]: 51  Legendary antiquity[11] Batangueño folk tradition (cited by Odal-Devora, 2000[11])
Dayang[attribution needed] or Sultana[11][Notes 3] Kalangitan[11] Legendary "Lady of the Pasig"[11] in Batangueño Folk Tradition and "Ruler of Sapa" in Kapampangan Folk Tradition (as documented by Odal-Devora[11]).

Either the mother in law (Batangueño Tradition) or grandmother (Kapampangan Tradition) of the ruler known as "Prinsipe Balagtas"[11]		 Legendary antiquity[11] Batangueño and Kapampangan folk traditions (cited by Odal-Devora, 2000[11])

After colonization

[edit]

When the parish of Sta. Ana de Sapa was founded in 1578, Franciscan missionaries chose to build their church, and eventually another settlement, some distance away from the ancient town. The result is that the present-day Santa Ana is no longer located at the original site.[3] This has raised some questions about pre-colonial graves that have recently been excavated near the Santa Ana church.[6]

See also

[edit]

Notes

[edit]
  1. ^ Tondo is mentioned in an even older document (the Laguna Copperplate Inscription), however, providing earlier evidence of a polity named "Tondo", even if the artifact was found in a different site.[http://"Postma1992" Postma, Antoon (1992). "The Laguna Copper-Plate Inscription: Text and Commentary". Philippine Studies. Ateneo de Manila University. 40 (2): 182–203.]
  2. ^ Kalamayin or Calamayin was not mentioned to be the ruler of Namayan who first encountered the Spaniards in Huerta's original work in 1865, but was assumed by William Henry Scott. All that is known was that Martin was the first person in the genealogy of the house of Namayan to be baptized with a Spanish name.
  3. ^ The term "Sultana" is used by Odal-Devora in her essay The River Dwellers (2000, page 47), saying "This Prince Bagtas, a grandson of Sultana Kalangitan, the Lady of Pasig, was also said to have ruled the Kingdom of Namayan or Sapa, in the present Sta Ana-Mandaluyong-San Juan- Makati Area. This would explain the Pasig-Sta Ana-Tondo-Bulacan-Pampanga-Batangas interconnections of the Tagalog ruling elites."

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Joaquin, Nick. Manila My Manila: A History for the Young. City Government of Manila. Manila: 1990.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society. Quezon City: Ateneo de Manila University Press. ISBN 971-550-135-4.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x 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)
  4. ^ a b Ocampo, Ambeth R. (August 30, 2011). "'Piloncitos' and the 'Philippine golden age'". opinion.inquirer.net. Retrieved April 28, 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Locsin, Leandro V. and Cecilia Y. Locsin. 1967. Oriental Ceramics Discovered in the Philippines. Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle Company. ISBN 0804804478
  6. ^ a b c d e "The Kingdom of Namayan and Maytime Fiesta in Sta. Ana of Old Manila". Traveler on Foot: A Travel Journal. May 12, 2008. Retrieved September 27, 2008.
  7. ^ a b "Pre-colonial Manila". Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library. Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library Araw ng Maynila Briefers. Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office. June 23, 2015. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016. Retrieved April 27, 2017.
  8. ^ Abinales, Patricio N. and Donna J. Amoroso, State and Society in the Philippines. Maryland: Rowman and Littlefield, 2005.
  9. ^ a b c d "About Pasay – History: Kingdom of Namayan". Pasay city government website. City Government of Pasay. Archived from the original on September 21, 2010. Retrieved February 5, 2008.
  10. ^ a b c d e Fox, Robert B. and Avelino M. Legaspi. 1977. Excavations at Santa Ana. Manila: National Museum of the Philippines
  11. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t u v w x y z aa ab ac ad ae af ag ah ai Odal-Devora, Grace (2000). The River Dwellers, in Book Pasig : The River of Life (Edited by Reynaldo Gamboa Alejandro and Alfred A. Yuson). Unilever Philippines. pp. 43–66.
  12. ^ "Katmon, illenia philippinensis, PHILIPPINE CATMON / Herbal Medicine / Philippine Alternative Meeicine / StuartXchange".
  13. ^ "Philippine Coin Information: PILONCITOS: The treasure of Philippine numismatic". Archived from the original on February 19, 2020. Retrieved March 22, 2017.

Further reading

[edit]
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