Confederation of Madya-as
Encyclopedia
The Confederation of Madya-as was a pre-Hispanic Philippine state within the Visayas
island region. It was established in the 13th century by rebel datus (chiefs), led by Datu Puti, who had fled from Rajah Makatunao of Borneo. The semi-democratic confederation reached its peak during the 15th century under the leadership of Datu Padojinog when it warred against the Chinese Empire, the Rajahnate of Butuan
, and the sultanates of Sulu
and Maguindanao. It was also feared by the people of the Kingdom of Maynila
and Tondo. It was conquered after the Spanish conquest in 1569 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and his grandson Juan de Salcedo
.
, early in the 13th century, the datus: Sumakwel, Bangkaya, Paiburong, Paduhinog, Dumangsol, Dumangsil, Dumaluglog, Balkasusa, and Lubay who were led by Datu Puti and their followers, fled to the sea on their barangays and sailed north to flee from the oppressive rule of Rajah Makatunaw, of Borneo and the destruction of the Srivijayan Empire. Until they reached Panay
island .They immediately settled in Antique and made a trade treaty with the Negrito
hero named, Marikudo and his wife Maniwantiwan, from whom they wanted to purchase the land. A golden salakot and long pearl necklace (called Manangyad) was given in exchange of the plains of Panay
. The Negritos relocated to the mountains while the newcomers occupy the coasts. Datu Bangkaya then established a settlement at Madyanos, while Datu Paiburog established his village at Irong-irong (Which is now the city of Iloilo
) while Datu Sumakwel and his people crossed over the Madyaas mountain range into Hamtik and established their village at Malandong.
Datu Puti, left them for explorations, northwards, after ensuring his people's safety. He designated, Datu Sumakwel, being the eldest, as the commander-in-chief of Panay
before he left.
By 1213, Datu Sumakwel invoked a council
of datus to plan for common defense and a system of government. Six articles were adopted and promulgated, which came to be known as Articles of Confederation of Madya-as. Historians would later refer to these Articles as the first written constitution of the Philippines.
The confederation created the three sakups (Sovereign territories) as the main political division
s, and they defined the system of government, plus establishing rights of individuals while providing for a justice system.
AS a result of the council, Datu Paiburong was formally installed as commander-in-chief of Irong-irong at Kamunsil, Sumakwel of Hamtik at Malandog, and Bangkaya of Aklan at Madyanos .
Bangkaya ruled his sakup from Madyanos according to local customs and the Confederation of Madyaas' articles. The first capital of Aklan was Madyanos. Commander-in-chief
, Datu Bangkaya then sent expeditions throughout his sakup and established settlements in strategic locales while giving justice to this people.
After his election as commander-in-chief of Aklan, Bangkaya, transferred his capital to Madyanos for strategic and economic reasons and renamed it to Laguinbanwa.
Bangkaya used his two sons as officers in the government of his sakup. He appointed Balengkaka in charge of Aklan, and Balangiga for Ilayan. Balangiga had twin sons, Buean and Adlaw , from which Capiz (Kapid) was originally named, before the Spaniards came.
The center of government of the Confederation was Aklan, when Sumakwel expired and Bangkaya succeeded him as leader of Panay. Bangkaya was then replaced by Paiburong. Aklan returned to become the center of Confederation again, when Paiburong expired and was replaced by Balengkaka.
Two Centuries later, after the barter of Panay, the capital of Aklan became Batan and of all Panay, when Datu Kalantiaw became the leader of Aklan.
Antedating the ascent of Kalantiaw as leader of Aklan, there were numerous datus that became petty rulers in their own fiefdoms, and each claimed to be commander-in-chief of Aklan. One of them was datu Daguob, who moved the capital to Capiz
. Daguob was replaced by Hagnaya, who relocated to Mambusao the new capital. Dingandan then became chief and he moved the government back to Batan
.
Kalantiaw in 1399, invaded and captured Batan from Dingandan. Then, Kalantiaw raped Dacaylay, Dinagandan's daughter. Datu Bolinawan, the legitimate successor of Dinagandan, led a people's revolt against Kalantiaw. Kalantiaw was killed, but Bolinawan failed to regain control of confederation. However, Kalantiaw II and Kalantiaw III, children of the original Kalantiaw in his first marriage took over. The eighteen commands now known as the code of Kalantiaw was issued by datu Kalantiaw III, on December 8, 1433. Commands some historians consider a hoax.
Shortly after the proclamation of the tyrannic Code of Kalantiaw, Kalantiaw III was killed in a sword duel with Datu Manduyog, the successor of Dinagandan, who relocated capital back to Bakan in 1437.
Conquistador, Legaspi then parceled Aklan to his men. Antonio Flores became encomiendero for all settlements along the Aklan River and he was also appointed in charge of pacification and religious instruction. Pedro Sarmiento; was appointed for Batan, Francisco de Rivera; for Mambusao, Gaspar Ruiz de Morales; and for Panay town, Pedro Guillen de Lievana.
In 1716, the old Sakup (Sovereign Territory) of Aklan became Spanish politico-military province under the name of Capiz. And so it remained for the next 240 years.
Visayas
The Visayas or Visayan Islands and locally known as Kabisay-an gid, is one of the three principal geographical divisions of the Philippines, along with Mindanao and Luzon. It consists of several islands, primarily surrounding the Visayan Sea, although the Visayas are considered the northeast...
island region. It was established in the 13th century by rebel datus (chiefs), led by Datu Puti, who had fled from Rajah Makatunao of Borneo. The semi-democratic confederation reached its peak during the 15th century under the leadership of Datu Padojinog when it warred against the Chinese Empire, the Rajahnate of Butuan
Kingdom of Butuan
The Kingdom of Butuan was an ancient Indianized kingdom in pre-colonial southern Philippines centered on the present Mindanao island city of Butuan. It was known for its mining of gold, its gold products and its extensive trade network across the Nusantara area...
, and the sultanates of Sulu
Sulu Sultanate
The Sultanate of Sulu Dar al-IslamSometimes known as the Royal Sultanate of Sulu or Sultanate of Sulu Darul Islam. was an Islamic Tausūgstate that ruled over many of the islands of the Sulu Sea, in the southern Philippines and several places in northern Borneo. The sultanate was founded in 1457...
and Maguindanao. It was also feared by the people of the Kingdom of Maynila
Kingdom of Maynila
The Kingdom of Seludong , or Maynila, which after colonization became Manila, capital of the Philippines, was one of three major city-states that dominated the area around the upper portion of the Pasig River before the arrival of Spanish colonizers in the 16th century.The early inhabitants of the...
and Tondo. It was conquered after the Spanish conquest in 1569 by Miguel Lopez de Legaspi and his grandson Juan de Salcedo
Juan de Salcedo
Juan de Salcedo was a Spanish conquistador. He was born in Mexico in 1549 and he was the grandson of Miguel López de Legazpi and brother of Felipe de Salcedo. Salcedo was one of the soldiers who accompanied the Spanish colonization of the Philippines in 1565...
.
History according to folklore
According to local oral legends and the book entitled MaragtasMaragtas
The Maragtas is a work by Pedro Alcantara Monteclaro titled History of Panay from the first inhabitants and the Bornean immigrants, from which they descended, to the arrival of the Spaniards. The work is in mixed Hiligaynon and Kinaray-a languages in Iloilo in 1907...
, early in the 13th century, the datus: Sumakwel, Bangkaya, Paiburong, Paduhinog, Dumangsol, Dumangsil, Dumaluglog, Balkasusa, and Lubay who were led by Datu Puti and their followers, fled to the sea on their barangays and sailed north to flee from the oppressive rule of Rajah Makatunaw, of Borneo and the destruction of the Srivijayan Empire. Until they reached Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
island .They immediately settled in Antique and made a trade treaty with the Negrito
Negrito
The Negrito are a class of several ethnic groups who inhabit isolated parts of Southeast Asia.Their current populations include 12 Andamanese peoples of the Andaman Islands, six Semang peoples of Malaysia, the Mani of Thailand, and the Aeta, Agta, Ati, and 30 other peoples of the Philippines....
hero named, Marikudo and his wife Maniwantiwan, from whom they wanted to purchase the land. A golden salakot and long pearl necklace (called Manangyad) was given in exchange of the plains of Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
. The Negritos relocated to the mountains while the newcomers occupy the coasts. Datu Bangkaya then established a settlement at Madyanos, while Datu Paiburog established his village at Irong-irong (Which is now the city of Iloilo
Iloilo
Iloilo is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Iloilo occupies the southeast portion of Panay Island and is bordered by Antique Province to the west and Capiz Province and the Jintotolo Channel to the north. Just off Iloilo's southeast coast is Guimaras Province,...
) while Datu Sumakwel and his people crossed over the Madyaas mountain range into Hamtik and established their village at Malandong.
Datu Puti, left them for explorations, northwards, after ensuring his people's safety. He designated, Datu Sumakwel, being the eldest, as the commander-in-chief of Panay
Panay
Panay may refer to*Panay Island*Panay *Panay, Capiz*Panay River*Panay Gulf* USS Panay *Panay incident...
before he left.
By 1213, Datu Sumakwel invoked a council
Committee
A committee is a type of small deliberative assembly that is usually intended to remain subordinate to another, larger deliberative assembly—which when organized so that action on committee requires a vote by all its entitled members, is called the "Committee of the Whole"...
of datus to plan for common defense and a system of government. Six articles were adopted and promulgated, which came to be known as Articles of Confederation of Madya-as. Historians would later refer to these Articles as the first written constitution of the Philippines.
The confederation created the three sakups (Sovereign territories) as the main political division
Political division
A political division is a term of art of geography defining the concept of a geographic region accepted to be in the jurisdiction of a particular government entity...
s, and they defined the system of government, plus establishing rights of individuals while providing for a justice system.
AS a result of the council, Datu Paiburong was formally installed as commander-in-chief of Irong-irong at Kamunsil, Sumakwel of Hamtik at Malandog, and Bangkaya of Aklan at Madyanos .
Bangkaya ruled his sakup from Madyanos according to local customs and the Confederation of Madyaas' articles. The first capital of Aklan was Madyanos. Commander-in-chief
Commander-in-Chief
A commander-in-chief is the commander of a nation's military forces or significant element of those forces. In the latter case, the force element may be defined as those forces within a particular region or those forces which are associated by function. As a practical term it refers to the military...
, Datu Bangkaya then sent expeditions throughout his sakup and established settlements in strategic locales while giving justice to this people.
After his election as commander-in-chief of Aklan, Bangkaya, transferred his capital to Madyanos for strategic and economic reasons and renamed it to Laguinbanwa.
Bangkaya used his two sons as officers in the government of his sakup. He appointed Balengkaka in charge of Aklan, and Balangiga for Ilayan. Balangiga had twin sons, Buean and Adlaw , from which Capiz (Kapid) was originally named, before the Spaniards came.
The center of government of the Confederation was Aklan, when Sumakwel expired and Bangkaya succeeded him as leader of Panay. Bangkaya was then replaced by Paiburong. Aklan returned to become the center of Confederation again, when Paiburong expired and was replaced by Balengkaka.
Two Centuries later, after the barter of Panay, the capital of Aklan became Batan and of all Panay, when Datu Kalantiaw became the leader of Aklan.
Antedating the ascent of Kalantiaw as leader of Aklan, there were numerous datus that became petty rulers in their own fiefdoms, and each claimed to be commander-in-chief of Aklan. One of them was datu Daguob, who moved the capital to Capiz
Capiz
Capiz is a province of the Philippines located in the Western Visayas region. Its capital is Roxas City and is located at the northeastern portion of Panay Island, bordering Aklan and Antique to the west, and Iloilo to the south. Capiz faces the Sibuyan Sea to the north...
. Daguob was replaced by Hagnaya, who relocated to Mambusao the new capital. Dingandan then became chief and he moved the government back to Batan
Batan
Batan may refer to the following places:* Batan, Aklan, a municipality in the Philippines* Batan Island, the main island of the province of Batanes, the Philippines* Batan Island, Albay, in Rapu-rapu, Albay, the Philippines...
.
Kalantiaw in 1399, invaded and captured Batan from Dingandan. Then, Kalantiaw raped Dacaylay, Dinagandan's daughter. Datu Bolinawan, the legitimate successor of Dinagandan, led a people's revolt against Kalantiaw. Kalantiaw was killed, but Bolinawan failed to regain control of confederation. However, Kalantiaw II and Kalantiaw III, children of the original Kalantiaw in his first marriage took over. The eighteen commands now known as the code of Kalantiaw was issued by datu Kalantiaw III, on December 8, 1433. Commands some historians consider a hoax.
Shortly after the proclamation of the tyrannic Code of Kalantiaw, Kalantiaw III was killed in a sword duel with Datu Manduyog, the successor of Dinagandan, who relocated capital back to Bakan in 1437.
Chinese accounts
To the Chinese, the people of Confederation of Madyaas were known as the Pisheya. This is a transliteration of the general geographical location of the Confederation of Madyaas, the Visayas islands. In 1612, the Chuan-chou gazeeter specifically reported that the Pisheya consistently made raids against Imperial commerceIntegration of parts of the Confederation to the Spanish Empire
When the Spaniards landed at Batan. In 1565, the Datu Kabnayag, relocated the capital to Guadalupe. Afterwards, however, the datus were overpowered by the Spaniards. Following the Spanish conquest, the locals became Christians. Father Andres baptized thousands of Aklanis in 1565, and consequently the settlements of Madyanos was renamed Kalibo.Conquistador, Legaspi then parceled Aklan to his men. Antonio Flores became encomiendero for all settlements along the Aklan River and he was also appointed in charge of pacification and religious instruction. Pedro Sarmiento; was appointed for Batan, Francisco de Rivera; for Mambusao, Gaspar Ruiz de Morales; and for Panay town, Pedro Guillen de Lievana.
In 1716, the old Sakup (Sovereign Territory) of Aklan became Spanish politico-military province under the name of Capiz. And so it remained for the next 240 years.
The Datus of Madyaas
| Commander-In-Chief | Capital | From | Until |
|---|---|---|---|
| Datu Puti | Aklan | 13th century | 1212 |
| Datu Sumakwel | Malandong ( in Antique ) | 1213 | ? |
| Datu Bangkaya | Aklan | ? | ? |
| Datu Paiburong | Irong-Irong | ? | ? |
| Datu Balengkaka | Aklan | ? | ? |
| Datu Kalantiaw | Batan | 1365 | 1437 |
| Datu Manduyog | Batkcan | 1437 | ? |
| Datu Padojinog | Irong-Irong now Iloilo | ? | ? |
| Datu Kabnayag | Kalibo | ? | 1565 |