Rusty Lean Beltran HISTORY 2201

BA History 3 Dr. George Emmanuel Borrinaga, PhD

“WRITTEN SOURCES ON THE PRE-16TH CENTURY

PHILIPPINES”

II. (3) Primary sources (non-Spanish/non-European written materials)

A. “Butuan” (Pu-duan) from the Sung Hui Yao Kao, Vol. 197

As both narrative guides the reconstruction of precolonial past of Philippine archipelago,

these were written 20 years apart and published to explain possibilities of earlier trades in South
East Asia. Scott argues that the triangle of trade from Malacca, China, Luzon or Lusung,
Visayas, Champa, Sumatra, Thai-Malay, Pangasinan and Sulu were a part of much earlier trade
routes and economic missions given the dynastic capabilities of Tang/Song and Ming dynasties.
While the archaeological findings suggests the route of trade brought forth to have different
materials and vast amount of goods to come out within 7th to 17th centuries. Chinese economic
restrictions was also existing in result to tribute given by the Emperor with his “Mandate of
Heaven” to extend the Chinese influence to his South East Asian neighbors. This exercise of
power in Chinese history would affect for centuries, existing before the European expansionism
in the Indies. Therefore, cultures and traditions such as sea-faring was important for Precolonial
Philippines in relation to trade and exercising its power or authority in a specific region, take for
example; Butuan and Sulu archipelago.

Scott, William H. (1989), “Filipinos in China before 1500” Asian Studies, Manila: China Studies Program, De La
Salle University

Nicolas, A. (2009). GONGS, BELLS, AND CYMBALS: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD IN

MARITIME ASIA FROM THE NINTH TO THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES. Yearbook for Traditional
Music, 41, 62–93.
 B. “Ming Shilu” Imperial annals of the Ming Emperors (1368–1644)

In making a context out of these written materials, the primary source provided the
Chinese documented materials and accounts of economic missions sent during the Song-Ming
Dynasties. In fact, this primary source contemplates with the earlier articles I mentioned in this
essay. Same subject of content written in different contexts, the Ming porcelain discusses not
just the amount of wares excavated in the Philippines but its implication during the precolonial
history of the Philippines. The excavated porcelains poses a great amount of supply and demand
trade coming in South East Asia. Philippines was in such involvement because it is one of the
major markets that these porcelains to be sold. As a matter of fact, these were divided upon
groups of classification and concluded with 4 separate conclusions that follows; fine quality and
manufactured, blue and white celadon were often used and traded, Philippines is one of the
major markets for various Chinese goods and the same general type of wares could be found in
South East Asia. This article contemplates with the argument of Song-Ming records particularly
in rewriting the precolonial political structures of the Philippines. Chiefdoms and trade accounts
were created in terms of joint missions for trade and culture.

AGA-OGLU, K., & R. P. G. (1961). B. Ming Porcelain from Sites in the Philippines. Asian Perspectives, 5(2),
243–252.

Zhenping, WANG (2008) “Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the Philippines” Journal
of East Asian cultural interaction studies, Kansai University

C. (Summary Notices of the Barbarians of the Isles ), (1349)

The given gap of this primary source was to see the worldview of Chinese history in their
economic expense throughout the other dynasties. By Scott’s interpretation, the Chinese
perceived the context of South East Asia in trade within their own perspective. Thus, with
relative related materials written during the 20th century, Junker and Scott interpreted the various
pre-16th century societies complex enough for historians, scholars and archaeologists to be
curious about which may entertain different interests in the field.

By classifying the caracoa in 14th century, perhaps this was the Chinese thought from
their observations as barbarians and have no political arrangement in the islands (Philippines).
 Slave raid trade is also one of the clarified notion regarding the barbarians of the isles
which the Chinese saw in their missions through different trade routes in South East Asia.

Although there was a discrepancy to settle the records of Philippine setting in the trade
society as major exporter or market involved through inter-island of political Chieftains, there
were clear political purposes and complex societal roles the precolonial Philippines which Junker
argued that Ethno-Historical analyses could shine a light in giving a new context to these
precolonial societies under such historical circumstances for instance the grave limitations of the
present archaeological evidence in relation to related historical texts.

Junker, Laura L. (1998) “Integrating History and Archaeology in the Study of Contact Period Philippine
Chiefdoms” International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Vol. 2, No. 4

Scott, William H. (1981) “Boat Building and Seamanship in Classic Philippine Society” Antbropological Papers
No.9 NATIONAL MUSEUM Manila, Philippines, December on Wang Ta-vuan, Tao I Chih Lueh, chap. 45.

III. Contradiction and Complimentary

My primary sources were in-line with rich Chinese dynastic documents and historical
accounts for research and analyses of not just precolonial Philippines but all over South East
Asia. By the judgment of contradictory, the narrative written in Chinese documents were a
product of such limitations at the time given of how the past was represented in each written
document for example; the Ming Shilu subjects to a narrative relevant during the Ming Dynasty
in which trade flourished through various trade routes while in Song-Tang periods was the
predecessor of trading system outside China. On another hand, the complementary of these
primary sources and written materials were subjected through different complexity of societies
involved like those in Butuan, Sulu, Mindoro, Pangasinan and Luzon. This subjects to further
research in contemplating the precolonial primitive societies of latter islands in the Philippine
archipelago. While the scholarship itself could be rich in archaeological evidences, the written
historical data was limited because much of the precolonial customs and traditions were subject
to living cultural data but with much observation, scholars could take a note to their respective
culture, customs and tradition.

PRIMARY SOURCES:

(Summary Notices of the Barbarians of the Isles), (1349)

“Ming Shilu” Imperial annals of the Ming Emperors (1368–1644)

“Butuan” (Pu-duan) from the Sung Hui Yao Kao, Vol. 197

E-SOURCES:

https://publishing.cdlib.org/ucpressebooks/ University of California Press E-Book Collection,

1982-2004

JOURNAL ARTICLES:

AGA-OGLU, K., & R. P. G. (1961). B. Ming Porcelain from Sites in the Philippines. Asian
Perspectives, 5(2), 243–252.

Junker, Laura L. (1998) “Integrating History and Archaeology in the Study of Contact Period
Philippine Chiefdoms” International Journal of Historical Archaeology, Vol. 2, No. 4.

Nicolas, A. (2009). GONGS, BELLS, AND CYMBALS: THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL RECORD

IN MARITIME ASIA FROM THE NINTH TO THE SEVENTEENTH CENTURIES. Yearbook
for Traditional Music, 41, 62–93.
Scott, William H. (1981) “Boat Building and Seamanship in Classic Philippine Society”
Anthropological Papers No.9 NATIONAL MUSEUM Manila, Philippines, December on Wang
Ta-vuan, Tao I Chih Lueh, chap. 45.

Scott, William H. (1989), “Filipinos in China before 1500” Asian Studies, Manila: China Studies
Program, De La Salle University.

Zhenping, Wang (2008) “Reading Song-Ming Records on the Pre-colonial History of the
Philippines” Journal of East Asian cultural interaction studies, Kansai University.