Laguna Copperplate Inscription & Chu-Fan-Chi PDF

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY LESSON 5 EARLY PHILIPPINE SOCIETY and FIRST SPANISH CONTACT PART 1 The study of the pre-colonnial Philippines is hard due to the fact that there are only few surviving documents that can give us the opportunity to "live back to the pa...

READINGS IN PHILIPPINE HISTORY LESSON 5 EARLY PHILIPPINE SOCIETY and FIRST SPANISH CONTACT PART 1 The study of the pre-colonnial Philippines is hard due to the fact that there are only few surviving documents that can give us the opportunity to "live back to the past". The Philippine Islands is a monumental 55-volume book by Emma Helen Blair and James Alexander Robertson. It consists of primary source documents for Philippine history translated into English  The Laguna Copperplate Inscription It is the oldest ever known documented artifact during the pre-colonnial civilization of the Philippines. Dutch Anthropologist Antoon Postma described the Copperplate as "crumpled, blacken, thin piece of metal..." 20 by 30 centimeters fully copper in texture with a hammered Inscriptions written on it. The characters in the LCI was not alphabetical because the "symbols" written or carve in it are in Indonesian Indic script, therefore some Historians concludes that the Laguna Copperplate Inscription was originally from the Indonesia brought here in the Laguna Bay, Laguna city in later known as Metro Manila. Unbelievable that the LCI itself contains the date of which when it was carved it is 900 AD. A renowned scholar Hector Santos who used Indonesian and Indian ancient calendars that eventually proven that the exact date of the creation of Laguna Copperplate Inscription was on April 21, 900, Monday. The language that was used were written most likely in Ancient Tagalog and some Sanskrit or Javanese with it. Postma also do translate the whole script while some portions aren't easy to transcribe he still able to translate the last parts of the LCI: Laguna Copperplate Inscription c.900 AD Laguna Copperplate Inscription, digitalized view Hail! In the Saka-year 822; the month of March–April [= Vaishakh] according to the astronomer: the fourth day of the dark half of the moon; on Monday. At that time, Lady Angkatan together with her relative, Bukah by name. the child of His Honor Namwaran, was given, as a special favor, a document of full acquittal, by the Chief and Commander of Tundun representing the Leader of Pailah, Jayadewa. This means that His Honor Namwaran, through the Honorable Scribe was totally cleared of a salary-related debt of 1 kati and 8 suwarna (weight of gold): in the presence of His Honor the Leader of Puliran Kasumuran; His Honor the Leader of Pailah, representing Ganashakti; (and) His Honor the Leader of Binuangan, representing Bisruta. And, with his whole family, on orders of the Chief of Dewata representing the Chief of Mdang, because of his loyalty as a subject (slave?) of the Chief, therefore all the descendants of his Honor Namwaran have been cleared of the whole debt that His Honor owed the Chief of Dewata. This (document) is (issued) in case there is someone, whosoever, some time in the future, who will state that the debt is not yet acquitted of His Honor... Postma, who first translated the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, suggested that the place names and personal names in the inscription needed to be carefully studied by scholars because "they furnish vital clues regarding the political and topographic background" of the world around the time of the inscription." He identified as Toponyms the words Pailah, Tundun, Puliran and Binuangan', and posited that Dewata and Medang could be either personal names or toponyms. Postma identified three of these toponyms, Binuangan, Pailah and Puliran, as Malayo-Polynesian in origin, and three other toponyms, Tundun, Dewata and Mdang, as being of Sanskrit origin. Chau Ju-Kua Chu-fan-Chi, 1225  CHU-FAN-CHI, published in 1225, briefly describes some of the Philippine islands. Chau Ju-Kua was a Chinese nobleman and customs inspector in south china, as well as a compiler of knowledge and recollections of traders. Based to Chau Ju-Kua, he recall these in his book: The country of Ma-i is to the north of Po-ni or Borneo. over a thousand families are settled along both banks of a creek. There are bronze images of gods, of unknown origin, scattered about in the grassy wilderness. They are small in stature and yellow (brown or kayumanggi), they have curly hair and their teeth show golds or metals attached(between their lips). They nest in treetops, sometimes parties of there or live lurk, in the jungle where their tribes are located. Many have fallen victims to them it thrown a porcelain bowl, they will stoop and pick it up and go away leaping and shouting for joy. When the ships of traders arrives in shores, the natives leap with joy because they will start their trade or exchange of materials to other distinguished natives to other mainlands. Popular trades are from fishes, handicrafts such as porcelains and weapons. The usual time of the tradings are mostly twice a month.  San-su or The Three Islands have these places Pai-p'u-yen, P'u-li-lu, Li-kin-tung, Liu-Sim and Li-han. It is part of Ma-i,. Notable names are also; Kiama-yen, Pa-lau-yu, Pa-ki-nung. But the main name of these islands is San-su. The best products of this country are mostly pearls, cotton, coconuts and other natural commodities. In exchange, traders barter with them the porcelains, weapons, ornamented fabrics, metals golds.  ANALYSIS OF THE CHINESE REFERENCES Ma-i or Mayi might be the oldest name for the city of Mindoro but this not refer to the whole archipelago. Year 878 and 982 AD a years that have a changed in the maritime trade between ancient China and Ma-i. Although Chau Ju-kua is a Chinese trademan, his Chu Fan-chi book pertains and fully acknowledge the early Filipino society. Both the natives of Ma-i and the Chinese traders did not colonize nor invade each other. That is not their plan. Trade is their goal. Also, Chau Ju-Kua also mentioned some places in the San-su which he traded with the natives there. It includes; Kia-ma-yen Pa-lau-yu Paki-nung Other Chinese historical writings were collected and in it was mentioned these islands or places. Min-to-lang Su-lu Ma-li-lu