Tausūg people

The Tausūg (Tausug: Tau Sūg), are an ethnic group of the Philippines and Malaysia. A small population can also be found in the northern part of North Kalimantan, Indonesia. The Tausūg are part of the wider political identity of Muslim Filipinos of western Mindanao, the Sulu archipelago, and southern Palawan, collectively referred to as the Moro people. The Tausugs originally had an independent state known as the Sultanate of Sulu, which once exercised sovereignty over the present day provinces of Basilan, Palawan, Sulu, Tawi-Tawi, Zamboanga City, North Kalimantan and the eastern part of the Malaysian state of Sabah (formerly North Borneo). They are also known in the Malay language as Suluk.

Tausūg people

Tau Sūg تَو سُوگْ (Tausug)
Tausug woman in a pangalay dance.
Total population
c. 2.3 million
Regions with significant populations
Philippines        1,615,823^[1] (Bangsamoro, Davao Region, Northern Mindanao, Zamboanga Peninsula, Palawan, Manila, Cebu)  Malaysia        700,000^[2] (North-eastern part of Sabah, Labuan, Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Johor)  Indonesia        71,000 (North Kalimantan)  Brunei
Languages
Tausūg, Cebuano, Tagalog, English, Malay, Indonesian
Religion
Predominantly Sunni Islam
Related ethnic groups
Visayans, Butuanons, Moros, other Filipinos, Malays and other Austronesian peoples

Etymology

"Tausug" (Tausug: Tau Sūg) means "the people of the current", from the word tau which means "man" or "people" and sūg (alternatively spelled sulug) which means "[sea] currents",^[3] referring to their homelands in the Sulu Archipelago. Sūg and sulug both mean the same thing, with the former being the phonetic evolution in Sulu of the latter (the L being dropped and thus the two short U's merging into one long U). The Tausūg in Sabah refer to themselves as Tausūg but are called "Suluk" (the final "k" in Malay is a glottal stop) in official government records in Sabah.

History

Pre-Islamic era

During the 13th century, the Tausug people began migrating to present-day Zamboanga and the Sulu archipelago from their homelands in northeastern Mindanao. William Scott (1994) calls the Tausugs the descendants of the ancient Butuanons and Surigaonons from the Rajahnate of Butuan, who moved south and established a spice trading port in Sulu. Sultan Batarah Shah Tengah, who ruled in 1600, was said to have been an native of Butuan.^[4] The Butuanon-Surigaonon origin of the Tausugs is suggested by the relationship of their languages, as the Butuanon, Surigaonon and Tausug languages are all grouped under the Southern Visayan sub-family. Consequently, the Tausug language is closely related to other Southern Bisayan languages like the Butuanon language, which is still spoken in northeastern Mindanao to this day.^[5]

Prior to the establishment of the sultanate, the Tausug lived in communities called banwa. Each banwa was headed by a leader known as a panglima along with a shaman called a mangungubat. The shaman could be either a man or a woman. Each banwa was considered an independent state, like other city-states in Asia. The Tausug of the era had trade relations with neighboring Tausug banwas, the Yakan people of Basilan, and the nomadic Sama-Bajau.

The Tausug were Islamized in the 14th century and established the sultanate of Sulu in the 15th century,^[6][7] and eventually dominated the local Sama-Bajau people of the Sulu archipelago,

Sultanate era

Main article: Sultanate of Sulu

 

The flag of the Sulu sultanate in the late 19th century.

 

The chieftains of Sulu, from The Philippine Islands (c. 1899).

In 1380, the Sunni Sufi scholar Karim-ul Makhdum, a Muslim missionary of the Ash'ari Aqeeda and Shafi'i Madh'hab, arrived in Sulu. He introduced the Islamic faith and settled in Tubig Indangan in Simunul until his death. The pillars of a mosque he had built at Tubig-Indangan still stand. In 1390, Rajah Baguinda Ali landed at Buansa, and extended the missionary work of Makhdum. The Johore-born Arab adventurer Sayyid Abubakar Abirin arrived in 1450, and married Baguinda's daughter, Dayang-dayang Paramisuli. After Rajah Baguinda's death, Sayyid Abubakar became sultan, thereby introducing the sultanate as a political system (the Sultanate of Sulu). Political districts were created in Parang, Pansul, Lati, Gitung, and Luuk, each headed by a panglima or district leader. After the Sunni Sufi scholar Sayyid Abubakar's death, the sultanate system had already become well established in Sulu. Before the coming of the Spaniards, the ethnic groups in Sulu — the Tausug, Samal, Yakan, and the Bajau – were united to varying degrees under the Sulu sultanate following the Sunni Islam, they were Ash'ari in aqeeda and Shafi'i in Madh'hab as well as practitioners of Sufism.^[8]

The political system of the sultanate was patrilineal. The sultan was the sole sovereign of the sultanate, followed by various maharajah and rajah-titled subdivisional princes. Further down the line were the numerous panglima or local chiefs, similar in function to the modern Philippine political post of the barangay captain in the barangay system. Of significance are the sarip (sharif) and their wives, sharifah, who are Hashemite descendants of the Islamic prophet, Muhammad.^{[citation needed]}

 

The Sulu sultanate at its greatest extent (blue)

The Sulu Archipelago was an entrepôt that attracted merchants from south China and various parts of Southeast Asia beginning in the 14th century.^[9] The name "Sulu" is attested in Chinese historical records as early as 1349,^[10] during the late Yuan dynasty (1271–1368), suggesting the existence of trade relations around this time.^[11] Trade continued into the early Ming dynasty (1368–1644), as envoys were sent in several missions to China to trade and pay tribute to the emperor. Sulu merchants often exchanged goods with Chinese Muslims, and there was also trade with Muslims who were of Arab, Persian, Malay, or Indian descent.^[9] Islamic historian Cesar Adib Majul argues that Islam was introduced to the Sulu Archipelago in the late 14th century by Chinese and Arab merchants and missionaries from Ming China.^[10][11] Moreover, these 7 Arab missionaries were called "Lumpang Basih" by the Tausug and they were Sunni Sufi Scholars from the Ba 'Alawi sada of Yemen.^[12]

Around this time, a notable Arab judge,Sunni Sufi and religious scholar named Karim ul-Makhdum^{[note 1]} from Mecca arrived in Malacca. He preached Islam,particularly the Ash'ari Aqeeda and Shafi'i Madh'hab as well as the Qadiriyya Tariqa to the people, and thus many citizens, including the ruler of Malacca, converted to Islam.^[13] The Sulu leader Paduka Pahala and his sons moved to China, where he died, and Chinese Muslims brought up his sons in Dezhou, where their descendants live and have the surnames An and Wen. In 1380 AD,^{[note 2]} Karim ul-Makhdum arrived in Simunul island from Malacca, again with Arab traders. Apart from being a scholar, he operated as a trader; some see him as a Sufi missionary originating from Mecca.^[14] He preached Islam in the area, and was thus accepted by the core Muslim community. He was the second person who preached Islam in the area, following Tuan Mashā′ikha. To facilitate easy conversion of nonbelievers, he established a mosque in Tubig-Indagan, Simunul, which became the first Islamic temple to be constructed in the area, as well as the first in the Philippines. This later became known as Sheik Karimal Makdum Mosque.^[15] He died in Sulu, although the exact location of his grave is unknown. In Buansa, he was known as Tuan Sharif Awliyā ^[16] On his alleged grave in Bud Agad, Jolo, an inscription was written as "Mohadum Aminullah Al-Nikad". In Lugus, he is referred to as Abdurrahman. In Sibutu, he is known by his name.^[17]

The different of beliefs on his grave locations came about due to the fact that the Qadiri Shaykh Karim ul-Makhdum travelled to several islands in the Sulu Sea to preach Islam. In many places in the archipelago, he was beloved. It is said that the people of Tapul built a mosque honouring him and that they claim descent from Karim ul-Makhdum. Thus, the success of Karim ul-Makhdum of spreading Islam in Sulu threw a new light in Islamic history in the Philippines. The customs, beliefs and political laws of the people changed and customised to adopt the Islamic tradition.^[18]

Sulu abruptly stopped sending tributes to the Ming in 1424.^[11] Antonio Pigafetta, in his journals, records that the sultan of Brunei went and invaded Sulu in order subjugate the nation and retrieve the two sacred pearls Sulu pillaged from Brunei during earlier times.^[19] A sultan of Brunei, Sultan Bolkiah married a princess (dayang-dayang) of Sulu, Puteri Laila Menchanai, and they became the grandparents of the Muslim prince of Maynila, Rajah Matanda, as Manila was a Muslim city-state and vassal to Brunei before the Spanish colonized them and converted them from Islam to Christianity.^{[citation needed]} Islamic Manila ended after the failed attack of Tarik Sulayman, a Muslim Kapampangan commander, in the failure of the Conspiracy of the Maharlikas, when the formerly Muslim Manila nobility attempted a secret alliance with the Japanese shogunate and Bruneiean sultanate (together with her Manila and Sulu allies) to expel the Spaniards from the Philippines.^[20] Many Tausugs and other native Muslims of Sulu Sultanate already interacted with Kapampangan and Tagalog Muslims called Luzones based in Brunei, and there were intermarriages between them. The Spanish had native allies against the former Muslims they conquered like Hindu Tondo which resisted Islam when Brunei invaded and established Manila as a Muslim city-state to supplant Hindu Tondo.

Battles and skirmishes were waged intermittently from 1578 till 1898 between the Spanish colonial government and the Moros of Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago.^{[citation needed]} In 1578, an expedition sent by Governor Francisco de Sande and headed by Captain Rodriguez de Figueroa began the 300-year conflict between the Tausūgs and the Spanish authorities. In 1579, the Spanish government gave de Figueroa the sole right to colonize Mindanao. In retaliation, the Moro raided Visayan towns in Panay, Negros, and Cebu, for they knew the Spanish conscripted foot soldiers from these areas. Such Moro raids were repelled by Spanish and Visayan forces. In the early 17th century, the largest alliance, comprising Maranao, Maguindanao, Tausūg, and other Moro and Lumad groups, was formed by Sultan Kudarat or Cachil Corralat of Maguindanao, ruler of domains extending from the Davao Gulf to Dapitan on the Zamboanga peninsula. Several Spanish expeditions suffered defeat at their hands. In 1635, Captain Juan de Chaves erected a fort and established a settlement in Zamboanga. In 1637, Governor General Sebastián Hurtado de Corcuera personally led an expedition against Kudarat, and temporarily triumphed over his forces at Lamitan and Iliana Bay. On 1 January 1638, Hurtado de Corcuera, with 80 vessels and 2000 soldiers, defeated the Moro Tausūg and occupied Jolo, mainly staying inside captured Cottas. A peace treaty was forged, but Spanish sovereignty over Sulu still had not been firmly established; the Tausūg abrogated the treaty in 1646 soon after the Spaniards occupiers departed.^[21] It wasn't until 1705 that the sultanate renounced to Spain any sovereignty it had previously asserted over south Palawan, and in 1762 it similarly relinquished its claims over Basilan. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the sultanate formally recognized Spanish sovereignty, but these areas remained partially controlled by the Spanish, with their sovereignty limited to military stations, garrisons, and pockets of civilian settlements in Zamboanga and Cotabato (the latter under the sultanate of Maguindanao). Eventually, as a consequence of their defeat in the Spanish–American War, the Spanish had to abandon the region entirely.^{[citation needed]}

In 1737, Sultan Alimud Din I, advancing his own personal interests, entered into a "permanent" peace treaty with Governor General F. Valdes y Tamon; and in 1746, he befriended the Jesuits sent to Jolo by King Philip. The "permission" of Sultan Azimuddin-I (*the first heir-apparent) allowed Catholic Jesuits to enter Jolo, but his younger brother, Raja Muda Maharajah Adinda Datu Bantilan (*the second heir-apparent) argued against this, saying that he did not want the Catholic Jesuits to disturb or dishonor Islamic faith among the Moro in Sulu. The two brothers' disagreement eventually caused Sultan Azimuddin-I to depart Jolo, first removing to Zamboanga and eventually arriving in Manila 1748. Upon his departure, his brother Raja Muda Maharajah Adinda Datu Bantilan was proclaimed sultan, taking the name Sultan Bantilan Muizzuddin.

 

Tausūg horsemen in Sulu, taken on 30 December 1899.

In 1893, amid succession controversies, Amir ul Kiram became Sultan Jamalul Kiram II, the title being officially recognized by the Spanish authorities. In 1899, after the defeat of Spain in the Spanish–American War, Colonel Luis Huerta, the last governor of Sulu, relinquished his garrison to the Americans. (Orosa 1970:25–30).

 

Mat Salleh (marked with an "X"), a Bajau-Suluk warrior widely known in North Borneo (present day Sabah).

In northern Borneo, most citizen families residing in Sabah are generally-recognized to have lived in the area since the time of the sultanate.^{[22][note 3]} Local North Borneo records indicate that during the period of British rule, a notable Bajau-Suluk warrior participated in the Mat Salleh Rebellion, participating in the conflict until his death. During the Second World War when the Japanese occupied the northern Borneo area, many Suluk people, along with ethnic Chinese emigrants, were massacred by Japanese soldiers during the Jesselton Revolt against the Japanese invasion and occupation.^{[citation needed]}

Modern era

Philippines

Main article: Moro conflict in the Philippines

A "policy of attraction" was introduced, ushering in reforms to encourage Muslim integration into Philippine society. "Proxy colonialism" was legalised by the Public Land Act of 1919, invalidating Tausūg pusaka (inherited property) laws based on the Islamic Shariah. The act also granted the state the right to confer land ownership. It was thought that the Muslims would "learn" from the "more advanced" Christian Filipinos, and would integrate more easily into mainstream Philippine society. In February 1920, the Philippine Senate and House of Representatives passed Act No 2878, which abolished the Department of Mindanao and Sulu, and transferred its responsibilities to the Bureau of Non-Christian Tribes under the Department of the Interior. Muslim dissatisfaction grew as power shifted to the Christian Filipinos. Petitions were sent by Muslim leaders between 1921 and 1924, requesting that Mindanao and Sulu be administered directly by the United States. These petitions were not granted. Realising the futility of armed resistance, some Muslims sought to make the best of the situation. In 1934, Arolas Tulawi of Sulu, Datu Manandang Piang and Datu Blah Sinsuat of Cotabato, and Sultan Alaoya Alonto of Lanao were elected to the 1935 Constitutional Convention. In 1935, two Muslims were elected to the National Assembly.

 

Datu Hadji Kamlon, a Tausūg freedom fighter who fought during World War II, and afterwards, staged his own uprising against the Philippine government.

The Tausūg in Sulu fought against the Japanese occupation of Mindanao and Sulu during World War II and eventually drove them out. The Commonwealth sought to end the privileges the Muslims had been enjoying under the earlier American administration. Muslim exemptions from some national laws, as expressed in the administrative code for Mindanao, and the Muslim right to use their traditional Islamic courts, as expressed in the Moro Board, were ended. It was unlikely that the Muslims, who have had a longer cultural history as Muslims than the Filipinos as Christians, would surrender their identity. This incident contributed to the rise of various separatist movements – the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM), Ansar El-Islam, and Union of Islamic Forces and Organizations (Che Man 1990:74–75).Founders of the Ansarul Islam were Capt.Kalingalan Caluang, Rashid Lucman, Salipada Pendatun, Domocao Alonto, Hamid Kamlian, Udtog Matalam, Atty. Macapantun Abbas Jr.In 1969, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) was founded on the concept of a Bangsa Moro Republic by a group of educated young Muslims.The Chief Minister of Sabah by then was Tun Mustapha, he was like a brother and had good relations with Kalingalan “Apuh Inggal” Caluang. Through Tun Mustapha’s help, the first fighters of MNLF(Like Al Hussein Caluang) were trained in Sabah after staying in Luuk, Sulu(which is now Kalingalan Caluang). Nur Misuari became a part of the Ansarul Islam because of his good reputation as a UP professor. After the training of these first MNLF fighters, Yahya Caluang(Son of Kalingalan “Apuh Inggal” Caluang) was asked by Kalingalan “Apuh Inggal” Caluang to fetch the MNLF fighters in Sabah. When Yahya Caluang arrived,Nur Misuari took over and declared himself Leader of the MNLF. Nur Misuari eventually asked forgiveness to Kalingalan “Apuh Inggal” Caluang and Apuh Inggal forgive him.^[23]

In 1976, negotiations between the Philippine government and the MNLF in Tripoli resulted in the Tripoli Agreement, which provided for an autonomous region in Mindanao. Nur Misuari was invited to chair the provisional government, but he refused. The referendum was boycotted by the Muslims themselves. The talks collapsed, and fighting continued. On 1 August 1989, Republic Act 673 or the Organic Act for Mindanao, created the Autonomous Region of Mindanao, which encompasses Maguindanao, Lanao del Sur, Sulu, and Tawi-Tawi.^{[citation needed]}

Malaysia

 

Mustapha Harun is the first governor of Sabah, who is of Tausūg-Bajau descent.

Most of the Tausugs in Malaysia have lived since the rule of the sultanate of Sulu in parts of Sabah with some of them actually descendants of a Sulu princess (Dayang Dayang) who had escaped from the Sulu sultan in the 1850s when the sultan tried to take the princess as a wife although the sultan already have many concubines.^[24] To differentiate themselves from the newly arrived Tausūg immigrants from the Philippines, most of them prefer to be called "Suluk".^[25]

However, more recent Tausug immigrants and refugees dating back to the 1970s Moro insurgency (the majority of them illegal immigrants) often face discrimination in Sabah. After the 2013 Lahad Datu standoff, there were reports of abuses by Malaysian authorities specifically on ethnic Tausug during crackdowns in Sandakan, even on Tausūg migrants with valid papers.^[26][27] Approximately nine thousand Filipino Tausūg were deported from January to November 2013.^[28][29][30]

Demographics

 

Tausūg refugee children on the water.

The Tausug number was of 1,226,601 in the Philippines in 2010.^[31] They populate the Filipino province of Sulu as a majority, and the provinces of Zamboanga del Sur, Basilan, Tawi-Tawi, Palawan, Cebu and Manila as minorities. Many Filipino-Tausūgs have found work in neighbouring Sabah, Malaysia as construction labourers in search of better lives. However, many of them violate the law by overstaying illegally and are sometimes involved in criminal activities.^[25] The Filipino-Tausūgs are not recognised as a native to Sabah.^{[note 3][32]}

The Tausugs who have already been living natively in Sabah by the time of the Sulu or Tausug sultanate have settled in much of the eastern parts, from Kudat town in the north, to Tawau in the south east.^[22] They number around 300,000 and many of them have intermarried with other ethnic groups in Sabah, especially the Bajaus. Most prefer to use the Malay-language ethnonym Suluk in their birth certificates rather than the native Tausūg to distinguish themselves from their newly arrived Filipino relatives in Sabah. Migration fueled mainly from Sabah also created a substantial Suluk community in Greater Kuala Lumpur. While in Indonesia, most of the communities mainly settled in the northern area of North Kalimantan like Nunukan and Tarakan, which lies close to their traditional realm. There are around 12,000 (1981 estimate) Tausūg in Indonesia.^[33]

Religion

The overwhelming majority of Tausūgs follow Islam, as Islam has been a defining aspect of native Sulu culture ever since Islam spread to the southern Philippines. They follow the traditional Sunni Shafi'i section of Islam, however they retain pre-Islamic religious practices and often practice a mix of Islam and Animism in their adat. A Christian minority exists. During the Spanish occupation, the presence of Jesuit missionaries in the Sulu Archipelago allowed for the conversion of entire families and even tribes and clans of Tausūgs, and other Sulu natives to Christianity. For example, Azim ud-Din I of Sulu, the 19th sultan of Sulu was converted to Christianity and baptised as Don Fernando de Alimuddin, however he reverted to Islam in his later life near death.

Some of the assimilated Filipino celebrities and politicians of Tausūg descent also tend to follow the Christian religion of the majority instead of the religion of their ancestors. For example, Maria Lourdes Sereno, the 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines is of patrilineal Tausūg descent is a born-again Christian. Singer Sitti is of Tausūg and Samal descent (she claims to be of Mapun heritage, also native to Sulu), is also a Christian.

The Tausug used to be Hindus before converting to Islam.^{[34][35][36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45][46][47][48][49][50][51][52][53][excessive citations]} Najeeb Saleeby described them as still retaining Hindu practices.^[54] Saleeby said the Moros were ignorant of Islamic tenets, barely prayed or went to the mosque and their juramentados were not fueled by religion but by nationalism against the occupying enemy.^[55][56]

Traditional Political Structure

The political structure of the Tausug is affected by the two economic divisions in the ethnic group, mainly parianon (people of the landing) and guimbahanon (hill people). Before the establishment of the sultanate of Sulu, the indigenous pre-Islamic Tausug were organized into various independent communities or community-states called banwa. When Islam arrived and the sultanate was established, the banwa was divided into districts administered by a panglima (mayor). The panglima are under the sultan (king). The people who held the stability of the community along with the sultan and the panglimas are the ruma bichura (state council advisers), datu raja muda (crown prince), datu maharaja adensuk (palace commander), datu ladladja laut (admiral), datu maharaja layla (commissioner of customs), datu amir bahar (speaker of the ruma bichara), datu tumagong (executive secretary), datu juhan (secretary of information), datu muluk bandarasa (secretary of commerce), datu sawajaan (secretary of interior), datu bandahala (secretary of finance), mamaneho (inspector general), datu sakandal (sultan's personal envoy), datu nay (ordinance or weapon commander), wazil (prime minister). A mangungubat (curer) also has special status in the community as they are believed to have direct contact with the spiritual realm.

The community's people is divided into three classes, which are the nobility (the sultan's family and court), commoners (the free people), and the slaves (war captives, sold into slavery, or children of slaves).^[57]

Languages

Main articles: Surigaonon language and Tausug language

 

A map of the Sulu Archipelago showing the areas in which Tausug is the primary and secondary language spoken.

The Tausug language is called "Sinug" with "Bahasa" to mean Language. The Tausug language is related to Bicolano, Tagalog and Visayan languages, being especially closely related to the Surigaonon language of the provinces Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur and Agusan del Sur and the Butuanon language of northeastern Mindanao specially the root Tausug words without the influence of the Arabic language, sharing many common words. The Tausūg, however, do not consider themselves as Visayan, using the term only to refer to Christian Bisayan-language speakers, given that the vast majority of Tausūgs are Muslims in contrast to its very closely related Surigaonon brothers which are predominantly Roman Catholics. Tausug is also related to the Waray-Waray language.^{[citation needed]} Aside from Tagalog (which is spoken throughout the country), a number of Tausug can also speak Zamboangueño Chavacano (especially those residing in Zamboanga City), and other Visayan languages (especially Cebuano language because of the mass influx of Cebuano migrants to Mindanao); Malay in the Philippines, Malaysia and Indonesia; and English in both Malaysia and Philippines as second languages.^{[citation needed]}

Malaysian Tausūg, descendants of residents when the Sulu Sultanate ruled the eastern part of Sabah, speak or understand the Sabahan dialect of Suluk, Malaysian language, and some English or Simunul. Those who come in regular contact with the Bajau also speak Bajau dialects. By the year 2000, most of the Tausūg children in Sabah, especially in towns of the west side of Sabah, were no longer speaking Tausūg; instead they speak the Sabahan dialect of Malay and English.^{[citation needed]}

English	Tausug	Surigaonon	Cebuano
What is your name?	Hisiyu in ngān mu?	Unu an ngayan mu?	Unsa'y ngalan nimo?
My name is Muhammad	In ngān ku Muhammad	An ngayan ku ay Muhammad	Ang ngalan nako ay Muhammad
How are you?	Maunu-unu nakaw?	Ya-unu nakaw?	Kumusta ka?
I am fine, [too]	Marayaw da [isab]	Madayaw da [isab] aku (Tandaganon)/Marajaw da [isab] aku (Surigaonon)	Maayo da/ra [usab] 'ko
Where is Ahmad?	Hawnu hi Ahmad?	Hain si Ahmad?	Asa si Ahmad?
He is in the house	Ha bāy siya	Sa bay siya/sija	Sa balay siya
Thank you	Magsukul	Salamat	Salamat
‘I am staying at’ or ‘I live at’	Naghuhula’ aku ha	Yaghuya aku sa	Nagpuyo ako sa
I am here at the house.	Yari aku ha bay.	Yadi aku sa bay.	Dia ra ko sa balay.
I am Hungry.	Hiyapdi' aku.	In-gutom aku.	Gi-gutom ku.
He is there, at school.	Yadtu siya ha iskul.	Yadtu siya/sija sa iskul.	Atoa siya sa tunghaan
Fish	ista'	isda	isda/ita
Leg	Siki	Siki	tiil
hand	Lima	Alima	kamut
Person	Tau	Tau	Taw/tawo
(Sea/River) current	Sūg/Sulug/Suluk	Sūg	Sūg/Sulog

Cultures

Tausūgs are superb warriors and craftsmen. They are known for the Pangalay dance (also known as Daling-Daling in Sabah), in which female dancers wear artificial elongated fingernails made from brass or silver known as janggay, and perform motions based on the Vidhyadhari (Bahasa Sūg: Bidadali) of pre-Islamic Buddhist legend. The Tausug are also well known for their pis syabit, a multi-colored woven cloth traditionally worn as a headress or accessory by men. Nowadays, the pis syabit is also worn by women and students. In 2011, the pis syabit was cited by the National Commission for Culture and the Arts as one of the intangible cultural heritage of the Philippines under the traditional craftsmanship category that the government may nominate in the UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage Lists.^[58] The Tausug are additionally associated with tagonggo, a traditional type of kulingtang music.^[59]

Both cross cousin marriage and paternal parallel cousin marriage are practiced by Tausug Moro Muslims.^{[60][61][62][63][64][65][66][67][68][69]}

•  
  Filipino-Americans from NYC-based dance company Kinding Sindaw dressed in Tausug attire.
•  
  Filipino-Americans from NYC-based dance company Kinding Sindaw dressed for a traditional Maranao, not Tausug, fan dance.
•  
  A Tausug man wearing traditional attire that consists of badjuh lapih (upper) and kupat (pants).
•  
  A Tausug woman wearing a sablay.
•  
  The most common Tausūg weapons: the kalis and the barong with the characteristic Tausūg kakatua (cockatoo) pommel design
•  
  Tausūg Satti served with peanut soup and Ta'mu rice cakes wrapped in coconut leaves.
•  
  Kabasi, a Tausūg dish.
•  
  Pis siyabit (headscarf) of the Tausūgs, displayed at the Honolulu Museum of Art.

Notable Tausūgs

 

Sitti Navarro, a Filipino singer of Tausūg and Sama descent, performing at the US-Philippine Expo in Pomona, California.

• Santanina T. Rasul, first Filipino Muslim woman senator.
• Muedzul Lail Tan Kiram, legitimate sultan of Sulu Filipino
• Nur Misuari, former Filipino governor and founder of the Moro National Liberation Front.
• Hadji Kamlon, freedom fighter
• Jamalul Kiram III, descendant Filipino sultan.
• Ismael Kiram II, descendant Filipino sultan.
• Mat Salleh (Datu Muhammad Salleh), Sabah warrior from Inanam who led the Mat Salleh Rebellion until his death.
• Tun Datu Mustapha (Tun Datu Mustapha bin Datu Harun), first Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah and third Chief Minister of Sabah.
• Juhar Mahiruddin, tenth Yang di-Pertua Negeri (Governor) of Sabah (also partial Kadazan-Dusun ethnic ancestry).
• Musa Aman, fourteenth Chief Minister of Sabah.
• Shafie Apdal, fifteenth Chief Minister of Sabah.
• Sitti, Filipino singer.
• Abdusakur Mahail Tan, Governor of Sulu.
• Maria Lourdes Sereno, 24th Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the Philippines.
• Darhata Sawabi, Filipino weaver known for pis syabit, a traditional Tausūg cloth tapestry. She is a recipient of the Philippine National Living Treasures Award.^[70]
• Yong Muhajil, YouTube vlogger and 3rd runner up in Pinoy Big Brother: Lucky 7.
• Omar Musa, author, poet, and rapper.

See also

• Tausug language
• Sulu Archipelago
• Province of Sulu
• Sultanate of Sulu
• Ethnic groups in the Philippines
• Moro peoples of the Philippines
  • Sulu:
    • Yakan people
    • Bajau people
  • Mindanao:
    • Maranao people
    • Iranun people
    • Maguindanao people
• Visayan peoples
  • Butuanon people
  • Surigaonon people

Notes

1. May be interchange to Karimul Makhdum, Karimal Makdum or Makhdum Karim among others. Makhdum came from the Arabic word makhdūmīn, which means "master".
2. Another uncertain date in Philippine Islamic history is the year of arrival of Karim ul-Makhdum. Though other Muslim scholars place the date as simply "the end of 14th century", Saleeby calculated the year as 1380 AD corresponding to the description of the tarsilas, in which Karim ul-Makhdum's coming is 10 years before Rajah Baguinda's. The 1380 reference originated from the event in Islamic history when a huge number of makhdūmīn started to travel to Southeast Asia from India. See Ibrahim's "Readings on Islam in Southeast Asia."
3. Most of the native Suluks in Sabah have lived there since before the formation of Malaysia. At that time, everyone living within Malaysian borders automatically gained citizenship, as contrasted with later immigrants from the Philippines arriving after the country had been formed.

References

1. "Ethnicity in the Philippines (2020 Census of Population and Housing)". Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
2. "Cara Hidup Orang Suluk di Lahad Datu". Astro Awani. Retrieved 3 February 2021.
3. Jim Haskins (1982). The Filipino Nation: , or Tausug could also mean, strong people from the word "tau" means – people, "sug" from the word " kusug – strong. The Philippines : lands and peoples, a cultural geography. Grolier International. p. 190. ISBN 9780717285099.
4. Scott, William Henry (1994). Barangay Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture And Society. Quezon City, Philippines: Ateneo de Manila University Press. p. 164. ISBN 971-550-135-4.
5. Zorc, R. David Paul. "Glottolog 3.3 – Tausug". Glottolog. Retrieved 12 March 2019.
6. Alfred Kemp Pallasen (1985). (PDF). LSP Special Monograph Issue 24. Linguistic Society of the Philippines. Archived from the original (PDF) on 11 May 2015.
   • "early history (1400s)". 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
7. Rodney C. Jubilado (2010). "On cultural fluidity: The Sama-Bajau of the Sulu-Sulawesi Seas". Kunapipi. 32 (1): 89–101.
8. Morales, Yusuf. "PEACETALK: The different Islamic schools of thought in the Philippines". MindaNews. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
9. Donoso 2022, p. 505
10. Abinales & Amoroso 2005, p. 43
11. Gunn 2011, p. 93
12. Quiling, Mucha-Shim (2020). "Lumpang Basih". Journal of Studies on Traditional Knowledge in Sulu Archipelago and Its People, and in the Neighboring Nusantara. 3. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
13. Saleeby 1908, pp. 158–159
14. Larousse 2001, p. 40
15. Mawallil, Amilbahar; Dayang Babylyn Kano Omar (3 July 2009). . The Mindanao Examiner. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 22 December 2010.
16. Ibrahim, Ahmad; Siddique, Sharon; Hussain, Yasmin (1985), Readings on Islam in Southeast Asia, Institute of Southeast Asian Studies, p. 51, ISBN 978-9971-988-08-1
17. Gonda 1975, p. 91
18. Saleeby 1908, p. 159
19. Brunei Rediscovered: A Survey of Early Times By Robert Nicholl Page 45.
20. de Marquina, Esteban (1903). Blair, Emma Helen; Robertson, James Alexander (eds.). Conspiracy Against the Spaniards: Testimony in certain investigations made by Doctor Santiago de Vera, president of the Philipinas, May–July 1589. Vol. 7. Ohio, Cleveland: Arthur H. Clark Company. pp. 86–103. {{cite book}}: |work= ignored (help)
21. Cf. also Paulo Bonavides, Political Sciences (Ciência Política), p. 126.^{[verification needed]}
22. "Sabah's People and History". Sabah State Government. Retrieved 25 March 2015. The Kadazan-Dusun is the largest ethnic group in Sabah that makes up almost 30% of the population. The Bajaus, or also known as "Cowboys of the East", and Muruts, the hill people and head hunters in the past, are the second and third largest ethnic group in Sabah respectively. Other indigenous tribes include the Bisaya, Brunei Malay, Bugis, Kedayan, Lotud, Ludayeh, Rungus, Suluk, Minokok, Bonggi, the Ida'an, and many more. The largest non-indigenous group of the population are Chinese.
23. Espaldon, Senator Ernesto (1997). WITH THE BRAVEST The Untold Story of the Sulu Freedom Fighters of World War II. p. 210. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
24. Philip Golingai (26 May 2014). "Despised for the wrong reasons". The Star. Retrieved 22 January 2015.
25. Daphne Iking (17 July 2013). "Racism or anger over social injustice?". The Star. Retrieved 17 July 2013.
26. Saceda, Charlie (6 March 2013). "Pinoys in Sabah fear retaliation". Rappler. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
27. Manlupig, Karlos (9 March 2013). "If you are Tausug, they will arrest you". Rappler. Retrieved 12 January 2020.
28. "Deported Filipinos forced to leave families". Al Jazeera. 20 March 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2013.
29. "11,992 illegals repatriated from Sabah between January and November, says task force director". The Malay Mail. 22 November 2013. Retrieved 7 January 2014.
30. Jaymalin Mayen (25 March 2014). "Over 26,000 Filipino illegal migrants return from Sabah". The Philippine Star. ABS-CBN News. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
31. "2010 Census of Population and Housing, Report No. 2A: Demographic and Housing Characteristics (Non-Sample Variables) – Philippines" (PDF). Philippine Statistics Authority. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
32. Fausto Barlocco (4 December 2013). Identity and the State in Malaysia. Routledge. pp. 77–85. ISBN 978-1-317-93239-0.
33. "Languages of Indonesia | PDF | Java | Bali". Scribd. Retrieved 8 September 2023.
34. Saleeby 1908, p. 44
35. Philippines. Division of Ethnology (1908). Division of Ethnology Publications, Volume 4, Part 2. Division of Ethnology Publications, Philippines. Division of Ethnology. Bureau of Printing. p. 152. In conPage 5 is a copy of a Sulu document issued by Sultan Jamalul - Kiram I in the year 1251 A. H. , or about seventy ... The first person who lived on the Island of Sulu is Jamiyun Kulisa . ... 5 One of the names of the wife of Vishnu ...
36. Philippines. Bureau of Science. Division of Ethnology (1905). Publications, Volume 4. p. 152. Page 5 is a copy of a Sulu document issued by Sultan Jamalul - Kiram I in the year 1251 A. H. , or about seventy - three years ago . It confers the title of Khatib or Katib ? on a Sulu pandita ? named Adak . ... the wife of Vishnu .
37. Sulu Studies, Volume 3. Sulu studies, Notre Dame of Jolo College. Coordinated Investigation of Sulu Culture. Contributors          Notre Dame of Jolo College. Coordinated Investigation of Sulu Culture, Notre Dame of Jolo College. Notre Dame of Jolo College. 1974. p. 152. Mohammad Daud Abdul , a research assistant of the Coordinated Investigation of Sulu Culture ( CISC ) collaborated with ... A vehicle of Vishnu , he is " depicted with a white face , red wings and body of gold " ; he " became famous in ...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
38. The Kadatuan I Conference Proceedings. Contributor        University of the Philippines. Unibersidad ng Pilipinas. 1997. p. 52. The political institutions of pre - Islamic Sulu and Mindanao were patriarchal in form , resembling in many ways the ... Sulu and Mindanao were Hindu - influenced , especially if we deduce that Vitnuism , the cult of God Vishnu or ...{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
39. Rasul, Jainal D. (1999). Rasul, Al-Gazel (ed.). Still Chasing the Rainbow: Selected Writings of Jainal D. Rasul, Sr. on Filipino Muslims' Politics, History, and the Law (Shari'ah). FedPil Pub. p. 286. From these sources , it is clear that the original inhabitants of pre - Islamic Sulu and Mindanao were Hindu - influenced , especially if we deduce that Vitnuism , the cult of God Vishnu or Narayena , was evidently practised .
40. Frothingham, Robert (1925). Around the World: A Friendly Guide for the World Traveler. Park Street library of letters, diaries and memoirs. Houghton Mifflin. p. 319.
41. Galang, Zoilo M. (1936). Galang, Camilo; Osias (eds.). Encyclopedia of the Philippines: Education and religion. Vol. 5 of Encyclopedia of the Philippines: The Library of Philippine Literature, Art and Science, Zoilo M. Galang. Philippine Education Company. p. 504.
42. Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Folklore Etc. Times of India. 1872. p. 331. ... ( verse 82 of my MS ) where it is said : -Ohu bê sulu Siri Sanga - bo raja Piyangul - wehera âdi wihâra karawâ Dewnuwara Dew ... Vishnu commonly called in this ( Anuradhapura ) district , ' Utpala waruna diwya rajayan wahanse ...
43. Scribe I Am (2014). Terrah: Damnation. X libris Corporation. ISBN 978-1493136483. Vishnu, Sokol, Thor, Zeus, Baal, Sulu, Diva, Hawk and Lark Squadrons took off, all except the suspiciously absent Hunters. It was only as the pilots of the Solitude's fighter wings filled the airwaves with their chatter, that the truth ...
44. Saleeby 1908, p. 47
45. Philippines. Division of Ethnology (1905). Publications, Volume 1, Part 4. Division of Ethnology Publications, Philippines. Division of Ethnology. p. 155. CHAPTER III RISE AND PROSPERITY OF SULU SULU BEFORE ISLAM ور The Genealogy of Sulu is a succinct analysis of the tribes or ... the highest places in its pantheon to Indra , the sky ; Agni , the fire ; Vayu , the wind ; Surya , the sun .
46. Philippines. Division of Ethnology (1908). Division of Ethnology Publications, Volume 4, Part 2. Division of Ethnology Publications, Philippines. Division of Ethnology. Bureau of Printing. p. 155. RISE AND PROSPERITY OF SULU SULU BEFORE ISLAM The Genealogy of Sulu is a succinct analysis of the tribes or elements which ... the highest places in its pantheon to Indra , the sky ; Agni , the fire ; Vayu , the wind ; Surya , the sun .
47. Boomgaard, Peter, ed. (2007). A World of Water: Rain, Rivers and Seas in Southeast Asian Histories. NUS Press. p. 366. ISBN 978-9971693718. ... 113 , 118 , 131-2 , 283 Sulu 31 , 42 , 127-9 , 131-3 , 148 , 172 Sulu Archipelago see Sulu Islands Sulu Islands 36 ... 338 , 345-6 Surapura 248 Surat 39 Surigao 171 Surya Agung Kertas ( SAK ) 328 Sutherland , Heather 4 Swahili coast ...
48. Galang, Zoilo M., ed. (1950). Encyclopedia of the Philippines: Religion. Vol. 10 of Encyclopedia of the Philippines, Zoilo M. Galang (3 ed.). E. Floro. p. 50. ... the highest places in its pantheon to Indra , the sky ; Agui , the fire ; Vayu , the wind ; Surya , the sun . ... married the daughter of Raja Sipad the Younger , Iddha , ' and became the forefather of the principal people of Sulu .
49. Galang, Zoilo M., ed. (1957). Encyclopedia of the Philippines: History. Vol. 15 of Encyclopedia of the Philippines, Zoilo M. Galang (3 ed.). E. Floro. p. 45.
50. Fernando-Amilbangsa, Ligaya (2005). Ukkil: Visual Arts of the Sulu Archipelago (illustrated ed.). Ateneo University Press. p. 23. ISBN 9715504809. ... Vayu ( wind ) , and Surya ( sun ) . These elements were probably worshipped by the ancient peoples of the Sulu Archipelago whose former religion is presumed to be of Hindu origin ( Saleeby , 1963 : 38 ) , now obscured by Islam .
51. Balfour, Edward (1885). The Cyclopædia of India and of Eastern and Southern Asia, Commercial Industrial, and Scientific: Products of the Mineral, Vegetable, and Animal Kingdoms, Useful Arts and Manufactures, Volume 3 (3 ed.). Bernard Quaritch. p. 1188. Sringa takamu , TEL . , Trapa bispi- Su - hoh - hiang , C'HIN . , Storax , Rose Surya - kund - Tapta - kund . maloes . Suryavansa . See Orissa ; Solar Race . Sringeri . See Adwaita . Sulu , LEPCH . , Inuus rhesus . Susa in Khuzistan .
52. Cerdas jelajah Internet. Niaga Swadaya. p. 110. ISBN 9791477655. Tangan , Melan Surya Sulu Ouh aku bingung Tidak tau harus bagaimana mengatakannya pada suami ku . Baru beberapa hari kemarin dia menikahiku , dan sekarang aku resmi menjadi Cyberlove , Selingku Bukan Ya ? Jangan Lupa Jemurannya Helloow ...
53. Surya, Hendra (May 2007). Reinhart: Titisan Lima Ksatria Agung Eirounos. Yayasan Pustaka Obor Indonesia. p. 54. ISBN 978-6024333447. Titisan Lima Ksatria Agung Eirounos Hendra Surya. Jenderal Sulu terdiam mendengar keluhan Raja Bian, dia tak dapat memungkiri kenyataan yang dikatakan Raja Bian. "Kini apa yang harus kami lakukan, Baginda?" tanya Teguilla memberanikan ...
54. Marr1, Timothy (2014). "DIASPORIC INTELLIGENCES IN THE AMERICAN PHILIPPINE EMPIRE: THE TRANSNATIONAL CAREER OF DR. NAJEEB MITRY SALEEBY". Mashriq & Mahjar. 2 (1). doi:10.24847/22i2014.27. ISSN 2169-4435.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
55. Saleeby, Najeeb (1913). The Moro problem; an academic discussion of the history and solution of the problem of the government of the Moros of the Phillipine Islands. P. I. [Press of E. C. McCullough & Company ]. pp. 23, 24, 25.
56. https://quod.lib.umich.edu/p/philamer/afj2200.0001.001?view=text&seq=17 https://books.google.com/books?id=lEaOgkGazTUC&dq=An%20Acad&source=gbs_book_other_versions https://books.google.com/books?id=JiKToUHvWH4C&q=An%20Acad
57. Post (30 June 2013). "Tausug Architecture". Slideshare.net. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
58. "Tausug Architecture" (PDF). www.ichcap.org. 30 June 2013. Retrieved 2 October 2019.
59. "Artists explore state of Filipino art, culture in the diaspora". usa.inquirer.net. 7 June 2017. Retrieved 5 January 2019.
60. Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society, Volume 2. University of San Carlos. 1974. pp. 129, 126, 132. Tausug practice preferential cousin marriage , with no particular preference for patrilateral or matrilateral cousins . The practice is explicitly justified in terms of the ease of the marriage negotiations in an arranged marriage : in ...
61. Kiefer, Thomas M. (1969). Tausug Armed Conflict: The Social Organization of Military Activity in a Philippine Moslem Society. Research Series No. 7 Series (reprint ed.). Philippine Studies Program, University of Chicago. pp. 28, 75. ISBN 0598448330. There is also a tendency towards kindred epdogany , normatively sanctioned through preferential cousin marriage . This preference is Justified by such practical considerations as the ease of the marriage negotiations if the parents of ...
62. U.S. Army Special Forces Language Visual Training Materials – TAUSUG. Jeffrey Frank Jones. p. 7. Traditionally, marriages are arranged to first or second cousins; however, most young adults are now starting to choose their own spouses. In the Tausug society, there is no generally approved method for courting.
63. Kiefer, Thomas M. (1986). The Tausug: Violence and Law in a Philippine Moslem Society (illustrated, reprint, reissue, revised ed.). Waveland Press. pp. 40, 44, 81. ISBN 0881332429. A marriage with a first cousin is considered ideal for several reasons . First , there is the ease of negotiation when the transaction is arranged between the parents ( who would be siblings ) of first cousins .
64. an- Naʾīm, ʿAbdallāh Aḥmad, ed. (2002). "1 Social, Cultural and Historical Background :The Region and Its History". Islamic Family Law in a Changing World: A Global Resource Book. Vol. 2 van Global resource book (illustrated ed.). Zed Books. p. 255. ISBN 1842770934. Among the Tausug communities , marriages are ideally arranged by parents , in line with Islamic law . First and second cousins are favoured spouses since their parents are kinsmen and the problems of inheritance are simplified .
65. Kiefer, Thomas M. (1972). Tausug of the Philippines. Descriptive ethnography series Ethnocentrism series, Human Relations Area Files Ethnocentrism series. HRAFlex book OA16-001. Contributor Bijdrager. Human Relations Area Files. pp. 109, 140, 142. It is not likely for a sister to feed her sister's child as this might interfere with first – cousin marriage . ' Grandparents are very likely to feed . M.2.4.Q : What things would make little boys cry ? Little boys would cry if they ...
66. Johnson, Mark (2020). Beauty and Power: Transgendering and Cultural Transformation in the Southern Philippines. Explorations in Anthropology (reprint ed.). Routledge. p. 106. ISBN 978-1000184570. Technically it is the usba of either side who negotiate the marriage transactions; the woman's father's kindred is ... given the preference of many Tausug and some Sama for first-cousin marriage, incest (sumbang) at once inscribing and ...
67. Ethnology, Volume 10. University of Pittsburgh. 1971. pp. 88, 81, 89. MARRIAGE Tausug marriage involves a complex sequence of activities , of both a ritual and secular nature . ... Marriage Preferences The preferred marriage is between first cousins ; the next preference is between second cousins ...
68. Hassan, Irene (1975). Tausug-English Dictionary: Kabtangan Iban Maana. Vol. 4 of Sulu studies. Contributors Notre Dame of Jolo College. Coordinated Investigation of Sulu Culture, Philippines. Bureau of Public Schools, Summer Institute of Linguistics. Coordinated Investigation of Sulu Culture. p. 23.
69. Madale, Nagasura T. (1981). The Muslim Filipinos: A Book of Readings. Alemar-Phoenix Publishing House. p. 67. Like most Philippine ethnolinguistic groups , Tausug kinship was bilateral , emphasizing relationships derived from ... There was a tendency toward marriage within the kindred and a marked tendency toward preferential cousin marriage ...
70. Tobias, Maricris Jan. "GAMABA: Darhata Sawabi". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved 2 April 2021.

Sources

• Abinales, P. N.; Amoroso, Donna J. (2005). State and Society in the Philippines. Rowman & Littlefield. pp. 43–45. ISBN 978-0-7425-1024-1.
• Donoso, Isaac (2022). "The Qur'an in the Spanish Philippines". In García-Arenal, Mercedes; Wiegers, Gerard (eds.). The Iberian Qur'an: From the Middle Ages to Modern Times. De Gruyter. pp. 499–532. doi:10.1515/9783110778847-019. ISBN 978-3-11-077884-7.
• Gonda, Jan (1975), Religionen: Handbuch der Orientalistik: Indonesien, Malaysia und die Philippinen unter Einschluss der Kap-Malaien in Südafrika, vol. 2, E.J. Brill, ISBN 978-90-04-04330-5
• Gunn, Geoffrey C. (2011). History Without Borders: The Making of an Asian World Region, 1000–1800. Hong Kong University Press. pp. 91–95. ISBN 9789888083343.
• Larousse, William (2001), A Local Church Living for Dialogue: Muslim-Christian Relations in Mindanao-Sulu, Philippines : 1965–2000, Editrice Pontificia Università Gregoriana, ISBN 978-88-7652-879-8
• Saleeby, Najeeb Mitry (1908), The History of Sulu, Bureau of Printing

External links

• Tausūg at Encyclopædia Britannica