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Muhammad Azim ud-Din I ( ar , مُحَمَّدعلیم الدین, Jawi:محمدعلیم الدیند also Muhammad Alimuddin;
Christian Name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often assigned by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian nam ...
: Don Fernando de Alimuddin) was
Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it c ...
of
Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu ( Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM). Its cap ...
from 1735 to 1748, and again from 1764 until his abdication in 1774. He was briefly converted to
Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
under the name Fernando until he returned to Sulu and reverted to Islam, dying as a Muslim.


Early life

The young Alimuddin initially attended the school of his father, Badar ud-Din I, and was later sent to Batavia,
Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, whic ...
, to complete his education. There he became proficient in
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
and Malay, and gained mastery of the
Qur'an The Quran (, ; Standard Arabic: , Quranic Arabic: , , 'the recitation'), also romanized Qur'an or Koran, is the central religious text of Islam, believed by Muslims to be a revelation from God. It is organized in 114 chapters (pl.: , si ...
.


First reign

Azim ud-Din I acceded the throne in 1732 after his father abdicated, but only assumed full powers and formal recognition in 1735 when his cousin,
Nasar ud-Din Nasar ( el, Νάσαρ), originally baptized Basil ( el, Βασίλειος),. was a distinguished Byzantine military leader in the Byzantine–Arab conflicts of the latter half of the 9th century. Biography Not much is known about Nasar's family ...
, abandoned claims to the throne. One of the earliest events in the reign of Azim ud-Din I was his ratification of the Treaty of 1737. He was represented in
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
by Datu Mohammad Ismael and Datu Ja'far, who both signed the document. The treaty, drawn in January 1737 by
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Fernando Valdes y Tamon, contained five articles: first, the preservation of permanent peace between the two states; second, the provision for alliance and mutual aid against any foreign foe; third, free trade between the two states; fourth, responsibility of each state for all infractions of the peace; and fifth, provision for the exchange of captives and return of all church images and ornaments.


Abdication

On 12 July 1744,
Philip V of Spain Philip V ( es, Felipe; 19 December 1683 – 9 July 1746) was King of Spain from 1 November 1700 to 14 January 1724, and again from 6 September 1724 to his death in 1746. His total reign of 45 years is the longest in the history of the Spanish mo ...
sent him a letter requesting permission for missionaries from the
Society of Jesus , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...
to propagate Christianity in the southern Philippines. When his panditas learnt that he had given his assent, they raised fierce opposition. A party was formed under the leadership of the Sultan's brother, Prince Bantilan, for the purpose of expelling the missionaries and deposing Azim ud-Din I. Hostilities increased and
civil war A civil war or intrastate war is a war between organized groups within the same state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government polici ...
became imminent. Bantilan tried to assassinate the Sultan by thrusting a spear at him, inflicting a severe wound on his side or thigh. In the ensuing unrest, it became too dangerous for the missionaries to remain in Jolo. Overpowered, disheartened, and grieved, Azim ud-Din I fled Jolo with his family and retinue for Zamboanga, where he sought the aid of Spain against Bantilan's unopposed seizure of power. Bantilan did not expel the Jesuits but he gave them no opportunity to accomplish their mission.


Conversion to Christianity

Azim ud-Din I travelled to
Cavite Cavite, officially the Province of Cavite ( tl, Lalawigan ng Kabite; Chavacano: ''Provincia de Cavite''), is a province in the Philippines located in the Calabarzon region in Luzon. Located on the southern shores of Manila Bay and southw ...
on 2 January 1749. In Manila,
Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...
Juan de Arechederra,
Bishop of Nueva Segovia The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It covers the province of Ilocos Sur, on the island of Luzon. The see of the archdiocese is the city of Vigan.Sacrament of Baptism to the latter's great joy. He was baptised in 1750, taking the name ''Fernando de Alimuddin'', with the
regnal name A regnal name, or regnant name or reign name, is the name used by monarchs and popes during their reigns and, subsequently, historically. Since ancient times, some monarchs have chosen to use a different name from their original name when they ...
of Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando 1.° de Sulú). The new Governor-General, the Marquis of Brindisi and Ovando, promised now Ferdinand I that the Spanish would restore him to the throne and punish Bantilan and his pirates. It is unclear whether Ferdinand I embraced
Christianity Christianity is an Abrahamic monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth. It is the world's largest and most widespread religion with roughly 2.38 billion followers representing one-third of the global popula ...
sincerely or merely as a political move, a matter held in doubt by the Spanish.


Second reign

Before leaving
Manila Manila ( , ; fil, Maynila, ), officially the City of Manila ( fil, Lungsod ng Maynila, ), is the capital of the Philippines, and its second-most populous city. It is highly urbanized and, as of 2019, was the world's most densely populated ...
in 1751 to return to Sulu, Ferdinand I wrote a letter in
Arabic Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
addressed to Muhammad Khair ud-Din Amir ud-Din Itamza, Sultan of Maguindanao, on behalf of the Marquis of Ovando. However, inconsistent translations into Spanish led to allegations that he had advocated treason in the letter. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for ten years on charges of treason. Ferdinand I remained in prison until the
Kingdom of Great Britain The Kingdom of Great Britain (officially Great Britain) was a sovereign country in Western Europe from 1 May 1707 to the end of 31 December 1800. The state was created by the 1706 Treaty of Union and ratified by the Acts of Union 1707, wh ...
captured and occupied Manila during the
Seven Years' War The Seven Years' War (1756–1763) was a global conflict that involved most of the European Great Powers, and was fought primarily in Europe, the Americas, and Asia-Pacific. Other concurrent conflicts include the French and Indian War (1754 ...
in 1762. The following year, he was restored to the throne by the British, upon whose departure from Manila after the signing of the Treaty of Paris saw raids by Sulu pirates on the city intensify.


Reversion to Islam

After Sultan Bantilan had died, Bantilan's son, Azim ud-Din II, took power, and upon the latter's death Ferdinand I returned to Sulu. He was welcomed by his people and reverted to Islam, remaining a Muslim until his death. In November 1773, he abdicated the throne in favour of his son, Israil.


Legacy

Azim ud-Din I is one of the more beloved monarchs of Sulu, regarded to be a man of peace and a reformer. He kept his end of the Treaty of 1737 faithfully and was actually obliterated during the whole period he held the reins of government. He also minted money, organised an army and tried to establish a navy. He had a reputation amongst his subjects as "an authority almost supreme," earning him the title "Chief of Pandita" for his erudite and precise explanations of the Qur'an. He revised the sultanate's legal code and its justice system, and initiated translation of portions of the Qur'an and several legal and religious into the local language. He strongly urged his government to observe their religion faithfully, and wanted all panditas to learn Arabic, initiating the drafting of a vocabulary of Islamic terms as a preliminary step into making Arabic the official language of the state.


See also

*
History of the Philippines Earliest hominin activity in the Philippine archipelago is dated back to at least 709,000 years ago. '' Homo luzonensis'', a species of archaic humans, was present on the island of Luzon at least 67,000 years ago. The earliest known anatomically ...


Citations


References

* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Azim Ud-Din I Sultans of Sulu 18th-century monarchs in Asia British invasion of Manila Converts to Islam from Roman Catholicism Filipino datus, rajas and sultans Filipino Muslims People of the Seven Years' War Sulu Archipelago