Rajah Humabon
Encyclopedia
Rajah Humabon was the Rajah of Cebu
at the time of Portuguese
explorer, Ferdinand Magellan
's arrival in the Philippines
in 1521. There is no official record of his existence before the Spanish
arrival, but extensive narration by Italian historian Antonio Pigafetta
was made on Humabon and the Philippine indigenous kingdoms, prior to the Spanish colonization.
There is no official record on the origins of Rajah Humabon prior to the arrival of Magellan. One of this native kings were Sri
Lumay, a native from Sumatra, who settled in the Visayas
, and had several sons. One of his son was Sri Alho, who ruled a land known as Sialo which included the present-day towns of Carcar and Santander in the southern region of Cebu. Sri Ukob ruled a kingdom known as Nahalin in the north which included the present-day towns of Consolación, Liloan, Compostela, Danao, Carmen and Bantayan. He died in battle, fighting with the tribal group known as magalos from Mindanao
.
The youngest of his sons was Sri Bantug who ruled a kingdom known as Singhapala (a variation of the Sanskrit
Singha-Pura meaning City of the Lion, the same root for the name of Singapore
), in a region which is now part of Cebu City
, who died of disease and was succeeded by his son Sri Hamabar, also known as Rajah Humabon. Sri Bantug had a brother called Sri Parang, the limp, but could not govern his kingdom because of his infirmity. Sri Parang handed his throne to his nephew Humabon as regent and became the Rajah (king) of Cebu.
Sri Parang, the limp, also had a young son, Sri Tupas, also known as Rajah Tupas
who succeeded Rajah Humabon as king of Cebu. The phrase Cata Raya Chita was documented by historian Antonio Pigafetta to be a warning in the Malay language
, from a merchant to the Rajah. Following Pigafetta's inscription, the phrase is creole Malay for "Kata-katanya adalah raya cita-cita". (Kata (word), raya (great, main, large), cita-cita (ambitious)"), or "What they say is mainly ambitious".
Another interpretation is that this phrase is that of Kota raya kita, an indigenous Old Malay
phrase of merchants under the authority of Rajah Humabon, with a meaning in English of: "We are of the great fortress": Kota
(fortress), Raya (Rajah, royal, great), kita (we).
The meeting between Rajah Humabon and Enrique of Malacca, the slave accompanying Magellan's voyage, is the evidence of the existence of the Old Malay
being the indigenous language spoken in the Philippines, documented by Antonio Pigafetta and Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi
.
According to Spanish and Philippine historical accounts, Rajah Humabon was the first indigenous king of the Philippines who converted to Christianity
, after he, his wives and the people of Cebu were baptized by Magellan's priest. Humabon was named Carlos in honour of king Charles I of Spain
, while his principal wife Hara Amihan was named Juana, after king Charles' mother, Johanna. He also made a blood compact
with Magellan, as a sign of friendship. According to Pigafetta, it was Humabon who had requested Magellan to kill his rival Datu Lapu Lapu, the Datu
(chieftain) of nearby Mactan island. Humabon's conversion to Christianity however, had an adverse effect of allowing the Spaniards to control Humabon and his people. After quarrel and mis-understanding erupted between the Spaniards and the Cebuanos, Rajah Humabon and his warriors plotted to poison the remaining Spanish soldiers in Cebu after the death of Magellan at the Battle of Mactan
.
Cebu
Cebu is a province in the Philippines, consisting of Cebu Island and 167 surrounding islands. It is located to the east of Negros, to the west of Leyte and Bohol islands...
at the time of Portuguese
Portugal
Portugal , officially the Portuguese Republic is a country situated in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula. Portugal is the westernmost country of Europe, and is bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the West and South and by Spain to the North and East. The Atlantic archipelagos of the...
explorer, Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan
Ferdinand Magellan was a Portuguese explorer. He was born in Sabrosa, in northern Portugal, and served King Charles I of Spain in search of a westward route to the "Spice Islands" ....
's arrival in 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...
in 1521. There is no official record of his existence before the Spanish
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
arrival, but extensive narration by Italian historian Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta
Antonio Pigafetta was an Italian scholar and explorer from the Republic of Venice. He travelled with the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and his crew on their voyage to the Indies. During the expedition, he served as Magellan's assistant and kept an accurate journal which later assisted him...
was made on Humabon and the Philippine indigenous kingdoms, prior to the Spanish colonization.
There is no official record on the origins of Rajah Humabon prior to the arrival of Magellan. One of this native kings were Sri
Sri
Sri , also transliterated as Shri or Shree or shre is a word of Sanskrit origin, used in the Indian subcontinent as polite form of address equivalent to the English "Mr." in written and spoken language, or as a title of veneration for deities .-Etymology:Sri has the root meaning of radiance, or...
Lumay, a native from Sumatra, who settled in the Visayas
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...
, and had several sons. One of his son was Sri Alho, who ruled a land known as Sialo which included the present-day towns of Carcar and Santander in the southern region of Cebu. Sri Ukob ruled a kingdom known as Nahalin in the north which included the present-day towns of Consolación, Liloan, Compostela, Danao, Carmen and Bantayan. He died in battle, fighting with the tribal group known as magalos from Mindanao
Mindanao
Mindanao is the second largest and easternmost island in the Philippines. It is also the name of one of the three island groups in the country, which consists of the island of Mindanao and smaller surrounding islands. The other two are Luzon and the Visayas. The island of Mindanao is called The...
.
The youngest of his sons was Sri Bantug who ruled a kingdom known as Singhapala (a variation of the Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
Singha-Pura meaning City of the Lion, the same root for the name of Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
), in a region which is now part of Cebu City
Cebu City
The City of Cebu is the capital city of Cebu and is the second largest city in the Philippines, the second most significant metropolitan centre in the Philippines and known as the oldest settlement established by the Spaniards in the country.The city is located on the eastern shore of Cebu and was...
, who died of disease and was succeeded by his son Sri Hamabar, also known as Rajah Humabon. Sri Bantug had a brother called Sri Parang, the limp, but could not govern his kingdom because of his infirmity. Sri Parang handed his throne to his nephew Humabon as regent and became the Rajah (king) of Cebu.
Sri Parang, the limp, also had a young son, Sri Tupas, also known as Rajah Tupas
Rajah Tupas
Rajah Tupas was the Rajah of Cebu in the Philippines. He was the son of Sri Parang the Limp, and the nephew of Rajah Humabon. He is known to have been baptized on 21 March 1568 at age 70,He had also been baptized during Magellan's day together with his wife, her parents, his brother, two sisters...
who succeeded Rajah Humabon as king of Cebu. The phrase Cata Raya Chita was documented by historian Antonio Pigafetta to be a warning in the Malay language
Malay language
Malay is a major language of the Austronesian family. It is the official language of Malaysia , Indonesia , Brunei and Singapore...
, from a merchant to the Rajah. Following Pigafetta's inscription, the phrase is creole Malay for "Kata-katanya adalah raya cita-cita". (Kata (word), raya (great, main, large), cita-cita (ambitious)"), or "What they say is mainly ambitious".
Another interpretation is that this phrase is that of Kota raya kita, an indigenous Old Malay
Old Malay
The Old Malay language, also called Classical Malay, is the ancestor of the modern Malay language, including Indonesian and Malaysian. It developed in the now Melayu Kingdom of Sumatra. It was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Kawi , and was grammatically quite similar to modern Malay.-Old...
phrase of merchants under the authority of Rajah Humabon, with a meaning in English of: "We are of the great fortress": Kota
Kota, Rajasthan
Kota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
(fortress), Raya (Rajah, royal, great), kita (we).
The meeting between Rajah Humabon and Enrique of Malacca, the slave accompanying Magellan's voyage, is the evidence of the existence of the Old Malay
Old Malay
The Old Malay language, also called Classical Malay, is the ancestor of the modern Malay language, including Indonesian and Malaysian. It developed in the now Melayu Kingdom of Sumatra. It was heavily influenced by Sanskrit and Kawi , and was grammatically quite similar to modern Malay.-Old...
being the indigenous language spoken in the Philippines, documented by Antonio Pigafetta and Spanish explorer Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi
Miguel López de Legazpi , also known as El Adelantado and El Viejo , was a Spanish conquistador who established one of the first European settlements in the East Indies and the Pacific Islands in 1565. He is the first Governor-General in the Philippines...
.
According to Spanish and Philippine historical accounts, Rajah Humabon was the first indigenous king of the Philippines who converted to Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
, after he, his wives and the people of Cebu were baptized by Magellan's priest. Humabon was named Carlos in honour of king Charles I of Spain
Charles V, Holy Roman Emperor
Charles V was ruler of the Holy Roman Empire from 1519 and, as Charles I, of the Spanish Empire from 1516 until his voluntary retirement and abdication in favor of his younger brother Ferdinand I and his son Philip II in 1556.As...
, while his principal wife Hara Amihan was named Juana, after king Charles' mother, Johanna. He also made a blood compact
Blood compact
Blood compact was a ritual in the Philippines where tribes would cut their wrist and pour their blood into a cup filled with liquid and drink each other's blood as part of the tribal tradition to seal a friendship, a pact or treaty, or to validate an agreement...
with Magellan, as a sign of friendship. According to Pigafetta, it was Humabon who had requested Magellan to kill his rival Datu Lapu Lapu, the 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...
(chieftain) of nearby Mactan island. Humabon's conversion to Christianity however, had an adverse effect of allowing the Spaniards to control Humabon and his people. After quarrel and mis-understanding erupted between the Spaniards and the Cebuanos, Rajah Humabon and his warriors plotted to poison the remaining Spanish soldiers in Cebu after the death of Magellan at the Battle of Mactan
Battle of Mactan
The Battle of Mactan was fought in the Philippines on April 27, 1521. The warriors of Lapu-Lapu, a native chieftain of Mactan Island, defeated Spanish forces under the command of Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in the battle.- Background :...
.