User:JL 09/Lanao confederation

The confederation of sultanates in Lanao is an Islamic union comprised of four Maranao states located around Lanao Lake in Mindanao, southern Philippines. The constituent states include Baloi, Bayabao, Masiu and Unayan ruled by sixteen royal houses with a leislative body composed of 28 members. The socio-political system was based on the taritib (ancient laws), iaws (customary laws), ijma (adapt traditional practices) and legislative laws.

The confederation of sultanates was politically established in 1640 upon separation and decline of support of the Maranao people to the Sultanate of Maguindanao. On the other hand, the chieftain system started on the four states even during the time of first Maguindanao sultan, Shariff Kabungsuan. In 1637, rebellion of the Maranao was subdued by Maguindanao sultans, and in 1639, Maranao datus entered into an allegiance with the Spaniards in Manila. In 1640, a collective effort made separation of four states from Maguindanao.

Background of political system
The first community in Lanao to establish a sultanate was Masiu and its chieftain was enthroned as Sultan Diagaborolah as first sultan of Masiu in 1630s. That same year, tumult is growing over Mindanao after the defeat of Sultan Muhammad Kudarat of Maguindanao by the Spanish forces. To enter peace agreement, Kudarat agreed (against his will) with the Spanish forces to enter Christianity in his sultanate. To be able to preserve religion, Diagaborolah was charged underground to enforce the teachings of Islam and do peace and order in Lanao.

The sultan, together with his eight consultants, agreed to create the four confederation of Lanao composed of the state of Masiu and communities of Butig (then Unayan), Bayabao and Baloi. Beneath this confederation, there will be fifteen royal houses called panoroganan and a legislative body of 28 members called Piyakambaya ko Taritib. The system was based on the taritib, ijma and iaws foundation.

Due to the lost of popularity of Maguindanao, Maranao people rebelled and was successful to separate the confederation from the sultanate.

Pangampong
Each four states is called a pangampong. A pangampong is sub-divided into smaller socio-political units called ingud. Added together, there were 43 ingud communities, classified under 15 royal houses panoroganan. Eac ingud was politically supported by the Piyakambaya ko Taritib.

Traditional alliance
The taritib is a set of ancient orders that bound the four states of Lanao into an alliance. The law also defined their social and filial relationships. There is no central authority among leaders but every state respects the traditional Kangiginawa (Frienship) alliance.

Sultan's political and social powers
In the confederation, each panoroganan (royal house) was ruled by at most a sultan, so there are fifteen sultans under the four states. Each sultan have equal power. A panoroganan occupies a specific area which was grouped into states. Before the degradation of sultanate power in the 20th century, a community is believed to be stable when a sultan is ruling. The sultan has influence to command and execute with the aid of the taritib and other laws.

When a despot happens and the sultan is not personally available for settling it, he sends his scarf headdress, the tobao through an emissary. The emissary have the power to pause or to make the conflict in "suspended animation" until the sultan arrives for settlement.

During trials, the sultan has the power to ask anyone within his territory to come, either for questioning if the concerned party committed an offense or just for the interest of his people. When the sultan's gong is sounded, people are expected to come and see him.

When an agricultural or domestic animal is stolen from the hand of an owner into another royal house, it becomes his duty to recover and restore it to the owner.

When a conflict from two or more sultanates occurred, it was the duty of another sultan to come and talk for peaceful settlement. The common practice used by the sultan in settling conflicts is through genealogical tracing. Both parties are traced to be relatives by affinity or consanguinity called kambabatabata-a (blood relation). If not, they were traced genealogically by kapamagongowa (friendship) and kapamagadata (respect). In this way, the sultan reminds concerned parties that they were relatives into a sort of matter, to resolve dispute.