Sultanate of Sulu

Sultanate of Sulu
كاسولتانن سين سوڬ
Kasultanan sin Sūg
  • 1457–1915
Flag of Sulu
Flag (19th century)
Map showing the extent of the Sultanate of Sulu in 1845, with North Borneo being under its nominal control.
Map showing the extent of the Sultanate of Sulu in 1845, with North Borneo being under its nominal control.
StatusBruneian vassal (1457–1578)
Ming tributary (1417–1424)
Sovereign state (1578–1726, 1733–1851)
Qing tributary (1726–1733)
Spanish protectorate (1851–1899)
U.S. protectorate (1899–1915)
Capital
Common languagesTausug, Sama–Bajau, Malay
Religion
Sunni Islam
GovernmentMonarchy
Sultan 
• 1457–1480 (first)
Sharif ul-Hāshim
• 1894–1915 (last)
Jamalul Kiram II
History 
• Ascension of Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim
1457
• Temporal power ceded to the United States
22 March 1915
CurrencyBarter with foreign traders
Sulu coins for local use[3]
Preceded by
Succeeded by
Ancient barangay
Lupah Sug
Bruneian Sultanate
Spanish East Indies
Insular Government
of the Philippines
Zamboanga Republic
North Borneo
Bulungan Sultanate
Dutch East Indies
Today part of

The Sultanate of Sulu (Tausug: Kasultanan sin Sūg; Malay: Kesultanan Sulu; Filipino: Sultanato ng Sulu) was a Muslim state[note 1] that ruled the Sulu Archipelago, costal areas of Zamboanga City and certain portions of Palawan in the today's Philippines, alongside parts of present-day Sabah, North and East Kalimantan in north-eastern Borneo.

The sultanate was founded either on 17 November 1405 or 1457[5][note 2] by Johore-born explorer and Sunni Sufi religious scholar Sharif ul-Hashim, a follower of the Ash'ari Aqeeda and Shafi'i Madh'hab. Paduka Mahasari Maulana al Sultan Sharif ul-Hashim became his full regnal name; Sharif-ul Hashim is his abbreviated name. He settled in Buansa, Sulu. After the marriage of Abu Bakr and a local dayang-dayang (princess) Paramisuli, he founded the sultanate. The sultanate gained its independence from the Bruneian Empire in 1578.[9]

At its peak, it stretched over the islands that bordered the western peninsula of Zamboanga in Mindanao in the east to Palawan in the north. It also covered areas in the northeast of Borneo, stretching from Marudu Bay,[10][11] to Tepian Durian (in present-day Kalimantan, Indonesia).[12][13] Another source stated the area included stretched from Kimanis Bay, which also overlaps with the boundaries of the Bruneian Sultanate.[14] Following the arrival of western powers such as the Spanish, the British, the Dutch, French, Germans, the Sultan thalassocracy and sovereign political powers were relinquished by 1915 through an agreement that was signed with the United States.[15][16][17][18] In the second half of the 20th century, Filipino government extended official recognition of the head of the royal house of the sultanate, before the ongoing succession dispute.

In Kakawin Nagarakretagama, the Sultanate of Sulu is referred to as Solot, one of the countries in the Tanjungnagara archipelago (Kalimantan-Philippines), which is one of the areas that is under the influence of the mandala area of the Majapahit kingdom in the archipelago.

  1. ^ Saleeby (1870–1935), Najeeb Mitry. "The History of Sulu". www.gutenberg.org.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ C, Josiah, Historical Timeline of The Royal Sultanate of Sulu Including Related Events of Neighboring Peoples, NIU, archived from the original on 29 April 2012, retrieved 21 December 2010.
  3. ^ "11 coins used by Filipinos before and during the Spanish Era". The Kahimyang Project. 5 November 2011.
  4. ^ Scott 1994, p. 177.
  5. ^ Abinales & Amoroso 2005, p. 44
  6. ^ Philippine Almanac & Handbook of Facts. 1977.
  7. ^ Usman, Edd (10 February 2010). "Heirs of Sulu Sultanate urged to attend general convention". Manila Bulletin. Archived from the original on 14 June 2012. Retrieved 21 December 2010.
  8. ^ Cavendish 2007, p. 1178.
  9. ^ Ring, Trudy; Salkin, Robert M; La Boda, Sharon (January 1996). International Dictionary of Historic Places: Asia and Oceania. Taylor & Francis. p. 160. ISBN 978-1-884964-04-6.
  10. ^ Brunei, Muzium (1969). Brunei Museum Journal. The area from Kimanis Bay to the Paitan River not from Sulu but from Brunei
  11. ^ Cahoon, Ben. "Sabah". worldstatesmen.org. Retrieved 9 October 2014. Sultan of Brunei cedes the lands east of Marudu Bay to the Sultanate of Sulu.
  12. ^ Keppel, p. 385
  13. ^ Campbell 2007, p. 53
  14. ^ Saunders, Graham (5 November 2013). A History of Brunei. Routledge. pp. 84–. ISBN 978-1-136-87394-2.
  15. ^ Kemp, Graham; Fry, Douglas P. (2004). Keeping the Peace: Conflict Resolution and Peaceful Societies Around the World. Psychology Press. pp. 124–. ISBN 978-0-415-94761-9.
  16. ^ K. S. Nathan; Mohammad Hashim Kamali (January 2005). Islam in Southeast Asia: Political, Social and Strategic Challenges for the 21st Century. Institute of Southeast Asian Studies. pp. 52–. ISBN 978-981-230-282-3.
  17. ^ "Why 'Sultan' is dreaming". Daily Express. 27 March 2013. Retrieved 27 March 2013.
  18. ^ "Memorandum: Carpenter Agreement". Government of the Philippines. 22 March 1915. Retrieved 17 October 2015.


Cite error: There are <ref group=note> tags on this page, but the references will not show without a {{reflist|group=note}} template (see the help page).