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Elsa Clavé, Les sultanats du Sud philippin. Une histoire sociale et culturelle de l’islamisation (xve-xxe siècles)

Paris, EFEO, 2022, « Monographie n°199 », maps, illustrations, bibliography, indexes, annexes, 295 p.
Antonio J. Guerreiro
p. 222-227
Référence(s) :

Elsa Clavé, Les sultanats du Sud philippin. Une histoire sociale et culturelle de l’islamisation (xve-xxe siècles), Paris, EFEO, 2022, « Monographie n°199 », maps, illustrations, bibliography, indexes, annexes, 295 p.

Texte intégral

  • 1 By training an Indonesianist, she did study the arts of performance in the Malay world. Elsa Clavé (...)
  • 2 Blust (1991, 2009) provides a comprehensive survey of the linguistic situation in the Central and S (...)
  • 3 Further precisions can be found in the following works: Addis (1968), Warren (1985, 2007), Haji Abd (...)

1The book is adapted from Elsa Clavé’s1 Ph. D. dissertation (2013) defended at EHESS in Paris, focusing on what she defined as the “Malayisation” of the Southern Philippines’. The book reformulates elegantly the main themes of her dissertation. The key argument of the book, “Rethinking Islamisation, conceptualizing Malayisation”, is developed through a wealth of historical and anthropological sources (p. 31 ff). From a methodological point of view, the author advocates an interdisciplinary approach that encompasses various social and cultural topics in analyzing the sources. I remark that she uses with care local manuscripts, maps and other documents besides published sources (articles, books). She manages to grasp in detail the indigenous representations, social institutions and beliefs supporting the organisation of the Sultanates in Sulu and Mindanao (Magindanao and Lanao regions of Western and Southwest Mindanao). The attention given to the linguistic situation throughout the book should be noted. A simplified ethnolinguistic map (map 3) is based on SIL (Summer Institute of Linguistics), although it may have been supplemented.2 This original work is synthetic, it covers the Islamic legal framework, political myths and social institutions that have been functioning since a long time in both areas. The historical dimension advocated in the introduction should be commended, it reveals the multiple links that existed in maritime Southeast Asia, along the two main north-south trade routes between China, Mainland Southeast Asia, the Philippines, Borneo and Indonesia (map 4, p. 24). In doing so, she sketches the social and cultural history of the Southern Philippines—during the “Age of commerce” from the 11th onwards—, defining the territorial and political areas as well as the peoples living in the region and their respective trade networks.3 E. Clavé points to the traces of an Indianized culture in Mindanao, evidences for epigraphy relating to Buddhism are well summarized (p. 16 ff.). The approach chosen by E. Clavé provides the general background to the argument, which is centered on the analysis of textual materials, namely sarsila historical narratives/genealogies, legal codes including the Luwaran of Magindanao, religious texts. These texts are actually English translations of the original languages, as the author points out (pp. 37-38), it forms a challenge for research in reason of their heterogeneous character. According to E. Clavé, some mss. have been transliterated, although she does not provide exemples. Besides the exhaustive use of Spanish archives, Dutch, English, Italian and French archival sources and publications contributes to support her analyses. It is reflected in the large number of footnotes in the book (865). Conversely, E. Clavé makes also good use of recent historical/anthropological research on the Southern and Central Philippines, indeed her work complements on many points the publications of Warren (1981, 2002), Pallesen (1985), Junker (1999), Paredes (2013), and Scott (1994).

2The book is well structured, it is organized in two parts. The first comprising the introduction (pp. 11-38), six main chapters (pp. 39-213) and a brief conclusion (pp. 215-217); chap. 1: Presentation of the sources (local and foreign); chap. 2: Populations, territories and administration; chap. 3: Development of a written culture in the Southern Philippines; chap. 4: Political power and legitimacy in the Sultanates; chap. 5: Analysis of the political founding myths; chap. 6: Distance and changes from the Malay World. While the second includes the bibliography, the annexes (1 to 6: list of Najeeb Saleeby mss. from the Otley Bayer Collection in the National Library of Australia, lists of the Sulu and Mindanao sultans, narrative scheme of the myths, a chronological chart and photographic documents from the corpus studied, archival sources [SOAS’ photographs, London] and those of the author); indexes, table of maps and figures, table of contents (pp. 219-295).

  • 4 On the Sulu-China connection, see Ang Sie (2017); Nicoll (1989); Tan & Gloria (2002); Tiu (2005).
  • 5 Futher references on Islamic and Customary law in the Southern Philippines are provided by Al-Gasel (...)

3Some sections in the book show more in-depth research than others. Chapter 2 discusses ethnicity and population dynamics in the Southern Philippines in the period studied, from the early migrations into Sulu and in Mindanao, where larger populations coexisted (pp. 68-87). The various ethnolinguistic groups (Bajau-Sama,Tausug,Yakan) that migrated at a later date to Sulu speak Western Austronesian languages of the Philippine branch, as those of Mindanao. Soon, these people were involved in commercial activities with traders from nearby Brunei and also from China.4 In chap. 3, E. Clavé quotes from the texts originating from the Malay world such as Hikayat chronicles and legal codes (undang-undang), and salasilah/tarsila royal genealogies, and those specific to Sulu, Magindanao and Lanao. The Malay language element appears as well in the later. Other texts refer to customary law (hukum adat) and Islamic law (hukum syarak and fikh).5 She compares the Sulu sarsila and other texts such as the kissa among the Tausug, the hegemonic group in the archipelago. In Mindanao, the figure of the ancestor of the sultans, Sharif Kabungsuwan who is credited to have introduced Islam, is dated circa the 15th century, and the tale of the two brothers Tabunaway and Mamalu is reformulated among the Tiruray, Manobo and Subanon, neighbours of the Magindanao sultanate. One brother accepts Islam while the other refuses and leaves for the interior: they are the descendants of the current populations, although the fact does not coincide with their linguistic affiliations, actually they have separated much earlier. E. Clavé remarks that in the 16th century, the main distinction was between the “people of the coastal areas and those living inland/on the hills” (respectively tau higad and tau gimbahanun/bukid), forming the larger ethnic categories on the islands (pp. 67-68). Likewise the distinction is expressed in the oral literature (pp. 72-73). The social-political units found in the territory, descending from the earlier Austronesian settlers such as banwa, are completed by two other systems, the puró and nigri (Malay negeri), formed at a later date (pp. 74-75).

  • 6 Although E. Clavé mentions the gold bastón (bagobal ha bulawen) a symbol of authority of the datus (...)

4The core of the book is based on textual analyses, in chap. 4 E. Clavé focuses on a corpus of various edited and translated manuscripts besides the sarsilas. The Sulu sarsila, composed of four different texts, and those of Magindanao, are discussed in detail by the author notably in connection to the mythical figure of Iskandar Zulkarnain. In a remarkable analysis, she outlines the Islamic and other features appearing in the texts (pp. 137-147). Among the legal texts, one should mention the Magindanao’s Lurawan (lit. “Selection”), written possibly before the 19th century, although the version quoted by E. Clavé would be a copy from the mid-19th century, a legal document relating to Islamic law (fiqh) composed of 85 rulings, that is based on famous legal works, the Minhāǧ aṭ ṭālibīn and the Fatḥ al-qarīb besides other sources (pp. 120-124). The detail of the fines as stated in the Luwaran (bronze and brass items) besides other punishments as in the Sulu codes which are given in detail by E. Clavé—i.e. imported Indian calico textiles, gajalihaw or bronze items as lantaka, better translated in French as couleuvrines than canon which is generic. The Sulu code (called “ancient code”) was different, although it was also drafted in the second half of the 19th c. It is basically a list of fines (pp. 124-127). These texts are indeed pusaka as the author remarks, however in the same line the regalia of the Sultanates are not given much attention in the book, neither the architectural features of the royal palaces or “great houses”.6

  • 7 Perhaps a comparison with other texts from Brunei such as the Syair Awang Semaun would have shown s (...)

5Religious texts include al-Korans from Mindanao; in Sulu, khobah (“sermons”), pp. 128-130; the Mawlid šaraf āl-ānam, the life of Muhammad, and the Kitab of Sulu, a series a nine ms. about Islamic religious prescriptions, including mystical knowledge (ilmu), pp. 132-134. The Sultanates’ connections to the tarekat and Sufi circles is addressed by E. Clavé in the book (pp. 56, 98, 121, 148, 152). Besides, she gives much attention to the founding myths of the ruling houses of Magindanao, Lanao and Sulu. In chap. 4 and 5, combining points of view from history and myth, she stresses the close relationship between Brunei and Sulu (pp. 160-175). Perhaps, at this point one misses the quotation of a full text, rather than the short excerpts that shed light on specific aspects of the myths. The Malay Hikayat Indraputra7 gives way to a Maranao version, named Radia Indrapatra, which is composed of a narrative structure of 2366 lines describing the ancestral background of the sultanate. Actually, E. Clavé notes that the text is narrated by ulamas and genealogists, not by professional singers as other epics (p. 180 ff). Its royal and sacred character is thus enhanced. The Malay textual influence appears plays as well on the great Maranao epic genre of 40.000 lines, the Darangen—the Radia Inderapatra forming actually its opening—describing the socio-political structure of Lanao. Combined with related texts it is analysed by E. Clavé showing how it articulates closely the Malay and Magindanao notions (pp. 183-184). Besides the mythical founder (Diwata Ndaw Gibon), the text stresses the role of the prince Paramata Banguten, ancestor of the Maranao rulers. One would have liked to hear more about his adventures, as no excerpts are provided.

  • 8 The cultural and religious role of Makassar and the Bugis’ seafaring and trade appears at different (...)

6The study of the texts showed the convergence of a written, court culture supported by the aristocracy around the “palace” (torogan) and the key role of the vectors of Islamisation in the region, the key figures of Sharif, Sayyid and Makhdum (p. 147 ff.), besides the local leaders (datus). E. Clavé remarks that Malay titles (gelar) bestowed by the rulers, such as tuan (lit. “sir, master”) and urangkaya (lit. “important man”), the great of the kingdom were adopted in Jolo for the nobility. During the 16th to the 17th centuries these titles became common in the Malay islamised kingdoms, from the Peninsula (Patani, Johor) to Sumatra (Aceh, Minangkabau), Borneo (Brunei), and even Java (Banten). She provides many exemples of these titles and others as of their uses in Sulu (pp. 98-103). As E. Clavé notes in Malay court culture, the oral uses of language are connected to the written practices, some predated the arrival of Islam, such as the importance of an indic script, baybayin that existed for a long time in the Central and Southern Philippines (pp. 107-110). Then jawi (Malay)/kirim (lit. “to send”, Magindanao), the arabic script adopted by the Tausug/Magindanao was transmitted later to the Iranun and Maranao (at Lanao). Chap. 3 presents a comprehensive synthesis on the issue of development of a written culture in the insular region between Malaysia, Indonesia and the Southern Philippines from the 15th to the 16th centuries. The Bugis’ connection between Makassar, Sulu and Magindanao seems also important in this perspective. Perhaps, the role of Makassar as a religious centre (pp. 121, 129) in the archipelago could have been developed in the book.8 The links between the written compilation of the texts, oral transmission and multilinguism in the Southern Philippines are explored by the author (pp. 113-117). The language of commerce and religion, Malay was spoken contextually besides the local languages on Sulu island and in Magindanao (in the town area), formerly aristocrats and people involved in trade would know the language. E. Clavé rely on Wolfe (1976) about Malay borrowings in Tagalog, Cowie’s Sulu (Tausug)-Malay word list and vocabulary (1893) is the main reference work.

  • 9 The monolingual Malay dictionary Kamus Dewan (2015) or W. J. S. Poewardarminta’s, Kamus Umum Bahasa (...)

7Finally, in regard to local historiography inter alia the works of Salazar (2006) and Donoso (2013), the author advocates a distinctive approach in uncovering the historical dynamics of the Southern Philippines polities: how they shared aspects of a “Malay Islamic culture”, which is found elsewhere in Southeast Asia. At the same time, she points to the specificities of the Sultanates in the ordering of references and practices that expressed their identity. Special mention of the indexes should be made, they are well composed and very useful in reading and checking the contents and texts. Besides the general index, they include the following: toponyms, titles (Malay, Islamic, and in Philippines’ languages), anthroponyms, a list of the texts quoted Malay Hikayat and Southern Philippines mss.). On the other hand, I remark the lack of a glossary that would have been appropriate to precise the Malay notions of royalty, aristocracy compared to those of the Southern Philippines, according to the different languages spoken in the area. In the book, E. Clavé gives much attention to the linguistic situation (pp. 69-73) and scripts, although in regard to standard Malay and other languages spoken in the region (Tausug, Magindanao, Iranun, Maranao, Brunei Malay, Bugis), surprisingly few references on the variations of Malay and the Southern Philippines’ languages are found in the bibliography.9 In the last section of the book (pp. 208-211), E. Clavé considers briefly the current changes in social and cultural configurations of the Moro peoples of the Southern Philippines: “Development and construction of Moro identity” —for a different point of view about Mindanao, Bonnet 2011. In short, she stresses the role of the ulamas as the last link in the “Malayisation processes” operating in the region (pp. 208-213).

  • 10 Note at the exception of Vellarde’s map 5, p. 69 too small to be read. Furthermore, I note that a m (...)

8Besides few minor shortcomings, Les Sultanats du Sud philippin should be highly recommended, the sources are well presented and detailed, especially in the annexes. Despite the dense textual and genealogical data, including charts and tables, it reads easily with the help of the indexes. The layout is nicely done, the iconography, maps and photographs, including E. Clavé’s rare photographs taken in Mindanao and Tawi-Tawi (ph. 5-8), are reproduced with good quality, although the latter could have been enlarged.10 In short, the book is a key reference for historians and students of Islam in maritime Southeast Asia with a special focus on Malay cultural and religious representations. The author manages to grasp the local and regional features of the Islamic “cultural assemblages” of the Southern Philippines. While Western Austronesian “roots”, partly shared with Borneo, are also in evidence in the myths. In order to get a larger audience for the book, it seems that an English translation would be profitable.

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Bibliographie

ADDIS, J. M., 1968, ‘Notes and Comment. The Dating of Chinese Porcelain Found in the Philippines. A Historical Retrospect’, Philippines Studies, 16 (2): i-x.

AL-GAZEL, Rasul, ed., 2002, Still Chasing the Rainbow. Selected Writings of Jainal D. Rasul on Pilipino Muslims’ Politic, History and Law (Shari’ah), Quezon City: FedPhil Publications.

ANG SIE, Teresita, 2017, The Ties that Bind. The Saga of the Sultan of Sulu in China, Manila: Kaisa Para Sa Kaularan, Inc.

BEG, M. A. J., 1983, Arabic Loan-Words in Malay. A Comparative Study, Kuala Lumpur: University of Malaya Press.

BLUST, Robert A., 1991, “The Greater Central Philippines hypothesis”, Oceanic Linguistics, 30 (2): 73-129.

BLUST, Robert A., 2009, The Austronesian Languages, Canberra: Pacific Linguistics, Research School of Pacific and Asian Studies, Australian National University.

BONNET, François-Xavier, 2011, Mindanao. Séparatisme, autonomie et vendetta, foreword from William Guéraiche, Bangkok: Irasec, Carnet no. 18.

CASIÑO, Eric, 1991, “Bricks and Mortar: Historical Background of the Unpublished Beyer-Holleman Series on Philippine Customary Law”, Kabar Sebrang Sumating Maphilindo, guest editors, Rod Sullivan, Isable Holt, 21: 34-54.

DACANAY, Julian E. JR, 1988, Ethnic Houses and Philippine Artistic Expression, Manila: One Man Show Studio (Pilipino Muslims: pp. 64-95).

GARCIA, José Manuel, 2003, As Pilipinas Na Historiografia Portuguesa Do Século XVI,

Lisbon: CEPESA (Portuguese/English Text).

GUERREIRO, Antonio, 2013, “Mythes et pusaka du royaume de Kutai dans le contexte de la fête érau (côte orientale de Bornéo, Indonésie)”, Eurasie, 21: 103-141.

HAJI ABD. KARIM BIN HAJI ABD. RAHMAN, 2014, Keruntuhan Empayar Brunei KM XIX. Satu Kajian Dari Sudut Ekonomi, Bandar Seri Begawan: Kementerian Kebudayaan, Belia dan Sukan Brunei.

HAJI MAHADI HAJI MATARSAT, 2011, Syair Awang Semaun. Satu Kajian Teks, Bandar Seri Begawan: Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka Brunei.

MAXWELL, Allen R., 1996, “Headhunting and the Consolidation of Political Power in the Early Brunei State”, in Headhunting and the Social Imagination in Southeast Asia, J. Hoskins, ed., Stanford: Stanford University Press, pp. 190-126.

NICOLL, Robert, 1989, “An Age of Vicissitude Brunei 1225-1425”, Brunei Museum Journal, 7 (1): 7-21.

NICOLL, Robert, 1991, Raja Bungsu of Sulu. A Brunei hero In His Times, Kuala Lumpur: Monograph of the Royal Asiatic Society n° 19.

NICOLL, Robert, 1985, “Myth and Legend in Brunei History”, Brunei Museum Journal, 6 (1): 32-41.

PEHIN JAWATAN DALAM SERI MAHARAJA DATO’ SERI UTAMA DR. HAJI AWANG MODH. JAMIL AL-SUFRI, 2000, Tarsilah Brunei. The Early History of Brunei up to 1432 A.D., Bandar Seri Begawan: Pusat Sejarah Brunei.

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WARREN, James Francis, 2007, “The Port of Jolo and the Sulu Zone Slave Trade: A 1845 Report”, The Journal of Sophia Asian Studies, 25: 303-322.

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Note de fin

1 By training an Indonesianist, she did study the arts of performance in the Malay world. Elsa Clavé is attached to the CASE research team (CNRS-EHESS, Paris).

2 Blust (1991, 2009) provides a comprehensive survey of the linguistic situation in the Central and Southern Philippines.

3 Further precisions can be found in the following works: Addis (1968), Warren (1985, 2007), Haji Abd.Karim (2014).

4 On the Sulu-China connection, see Ang Sie (2017); Nicoll (1989); Tan & Gloria (2002); Tiu (2005).

5 Futher references on Islamic and Customary law in the Southern Philippines are provided by Al-Gasel (2002) and Casiño (1991).

6 Although E. Clavé mentions the gold bastón (bagobal ha bulawen) a symbol of authority of the datus in Northern Mindanao (after Paredes 2013), attested as well in Sulu in preislamic times (p. 67, note 237). The regalia owned by the Malay sultanates, e.g. kris, canon and jewellery, as those of Kutai (Guerreiro 2013) are an important feature of their political legitimacy. The characteristic Sulu and Mindanao kris, namely the kris kalis and kris sundang, are not described in the book. On the architecture of the houses and mosques, see Ducanay (1988).

7 Perhaps a comparison with other texts from Brunei such as the Syair Awang Semaun would have shown similar mythical themes and the relevance for the Southern Philippines, see Haji Mahadi (2011), Maxwell (1996). The Brunei tarsila published by the Pusat Sejarah Brunei (2000, 2010) is not quoted by E. Clavé, but rather the versions collected by Hugh Low and Treacher (in 1880 and 1885), in Cheah Boon Kheng (1998) ; a comparison of these texts may have been rewarding.

8 The cultural and religious role of Makassar and the Bugis’ seafaring and trade appears at different levels in the Southern Philippines, also because of their connection to the Bajau-Sama (Pelras 1996: 30-35, 68 ff., 305 ff.). Interestingly the Sulu council was named Ruma Bichara, see 89, note 338; see also Garcia (2003). The Bugis script (huruf sulappa’) was known in the Southern Philippines, Bugis’ nautical maps of the archipelago (portulans) using the script, J.-P. Potet p.c.; see also Potet (2000) on Arabic loan-words in Tagalog.

9 The monolingual Malay dictionary Kamus Dewan (2015) or W. J. S. Poewardarminta’s, Kamus Umum Bahasa Indonesia (2003) are not quoted by E. Clavé, nor Beg’s study on Arabic loans in Malay; about Sarawak and the spread of Brunei Malay, compare Mangantar Simanjuntak, 1988.

10 Note at the exception of Vellarde’s map 5, p. 69 too small to be read. Furthermore, I note that a map of North Borneo, i.e. the current State of Sabah in East Malaysia, is lacking: map 8 is showing Sulu islands, Tawi-Tawi and only the tip of Eastern Sabah near Semporna, while North Borneo toponyms are actually mentioned in the text, p. 171).

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Antonio J. Guerreiro, « Elsa Clavé, Les sultanats du Sud philippin. Une histoire sociale et culturelle de l’islamisation (xve-xxe siècles) »Moussons, 40 | 2022, 222-227.

Référence électronique

Antonio J. Guerreiro, « Elsa Clavé, Les sultanats du Sud philippin. Une histoire sociale et culturelle de l’islamisation (xve-xxe siècles) »Moussons [En ligne], 40 | 2022, mis en ligne le 27 mars 2023, consulté le 31 mai 2023. URL : http://journals.openedition.org/moussons/10215 ; DOI : https://doi.org/10.4000/moussons.10215

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Antonio J. Guerreiro

Anthropologist and museographer.

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