Timawa
Encyclopedia
The term timawa refers to an intermediate social class
among the various cultures of the Philippines
before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.
The "Timawa" belonged to the Second Order of a divinely ordained society in the Visayan islands of the Philippines. They were vassals, who bind themselves to the Datu as his seafaring warriors. "Timawas" paid no tribute, and rendered no agricultural labor. They had a portion of the Datu's blood in their veins. The Boxer Codex
calls these "Timawas": Knight
s and Hidalgo
s. The Spanish conquistador, Miguel de Loarca, described them as "free men, neither chiefs nor slaves". In the late 1600s, the Spanish Jesuit priest Fr. Francisco Ignatio Alcina, classified them as the third rank of nobility
(nobleza).
The term Timawa came into use in the social structure of the Tagalogs within just twenty years after the coming of the Spaniards. The term, however, was being applied to former Alipin (Third Class) who have escaped bondage by payment, favor, or flight.
The Tagalog Timawas did not have the military prominence of the Visayan Timawa. The warrior class in the Tagalog society was present only in Laguna, and they were called the Maharlika
Class. At the early part of the Spanish regime, the number of their members who were coming to rent land from their Datus was increasing.
The Datus and Lakan
s of Luzon
could call all non-Maginoo subjects to work in the Datu’s fields or do all sorts of other personal labor. The Tagalog Maharlika
could be obliged to work in his Datu
’s field. He was also required to pay rent for the use of the land within the territory of his Datu. However, he could transfer allegiance to another Datu if he wishes.
On the other hand, the Visayan Timawa class, neither paid tribute nor performed agricultural labor. In this context, they were truly aristocrats. In the Visayas, only the Oripuns were obliged to do that, and to pay tribute besides.
Social class
Social classes are economic or cultural arrangements of groups in society. Class is an essential object of analysis for sociologists, political scientists, economists, anthropologists and social historians. In the social sciences, social class is often discussed in terms of 'social stratification'...
among the various cultures of the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries.
Boxer Codex
The Boxer Codex is a manuscript written circa 1595 which contains illustrations of Filipinos at the time of their initial contact with the Spanish. Aside from a description of and historical allusions to the Philippines and various other Far Eastern countries, it also contains seventy-five colored...
calls these "Timawas": Knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
s and Hidalgo
Hidalgo
Hidalgo officially Estado Libre y Soberano de Hidalgo is one of the 31 states which, with the Federal District, comprise the 32 Federal Entities of Mexico. It is divided in 84 municipalities and its capital city is Pachuca de Soto....
s. The Spanish conquistador, Miguel de Loarca, described them as "free men, neither chiefs nor slaves". In the late 1600s, the Spanish Jesuit priest Fr. Francisco Ignatio Alcina, classified them as the third rank of nobility
Nobility
Nobility is a social class which possesses more acknowledged privileges or eminence than members of most other classes in a society, membership therein typically being hereditary. The privileges associated with nobility may constitute substantial advantages over or relative to non-nobles, or may be...
(nobleza).
The term Timawa came into use in the social structure of the Tagalogs within just twenty years after the coming of the Spaniards. The term, however, was being applied to former Alipin (Third Class) who have escaped bondage by payment, favor, or flight.
The Tagalog Timawas did not have the military prominence of the Visayan Timawa. The warrior class in the Tagalog society was present only in Laguna, and they were called the Maharlika
Maharlika
Maharlika is a Filipino term meaning “nobility” or “aristocracy”. Its etymology is rooted from the Sanskrit maharddhika which means “a man of wealth, knowledge, and ability”...
Class. At the early part of the Spanish regime, the number of their members who were coming to rent land from their Datus was increasing.
The Datus and Lakan
Lakan
Lakan originally referred to a rank in the pre-Hispanic Filipino nobility in the island of Luzon, which means "paramount ruler." It has been suggested that this rank is equivalent to that of Rajah, and that different ethnic groups either used one term or the other, or used the two words...
s of Luzon
Luzon
Luzon is the largest island in the Philippines. It is located in the northernmost region of the archipelago, and is also the name for one of the three primary island groups in the country centered on the Island of Luzon...
could call all non-Maginoo subjects to work in the Datu’s fields or do all sorts of other personal labor. The Tagalog Maharlika
Maharlika
Maharlika is a Filipino term meaning “nobility” or “aristocracy”. Its etymology is rooted from the Sanskrit maharddhika which means “a man of wealth, knowledge, and ability”...
could be obliged to work in his Datu
Datu
Datu is the title for tribal chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs in the Visayas and Mindanao Regions of the Philippines. Together with Lakan , Apo in Central and Northern Luzon, Sultan and Rajah, they are titles used for native royalty, and are still currently used in the Philippines...
’s field. He was also required to pay rent for the use of the land within the territory of his Datu. However, he could transfer allegiance to another Datu if he wishes.
On the other hand, the Visayan Timawa class, neither paid tribute nor performed agricultural labor. In this context, they were truly aristocrats. In the Visayas, only the Oripuns were obliged to do that, and to pay tribute besides.