The Iranun are a
Moro ethnic group
An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
native to
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
,
Philippines
The Philippines (; fil, Pilipinas, links=no), officially the Republic of the Philippines ( fil, Republika ng Pilipinas, links=no),
* bik, Republika kan Filipinas
* ceb, Republika sa Pilipinas
* cbk, República de Filipinas
* hil, Republ ...
(in
Maguindanao del Norte:
Barira
Barira, officially the Municipality of Barira ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Barira''; Iranun: ''Inged a Barira''; tl, Bayan ng Barira), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
,
Buldon
Buldon, officially the Municipality of Buldon ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Buldon''; Iranun: ''Inged a Buldon''; tl, Bayan ng Buldon), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Norte, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, ...
,
Parang,
Matanog,
Sultan Mastura
Sultan Mastura, officially the Municipality of Sultan Mastura ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Sultan Mastura''; Iranun: ''Inged a Sultan Mastura''; tl, Bayan ng Sultan Mastura), is a 5th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Norte, Phi ...
, and
Sultan Kudarat;
North Cotabato:
Alamada,
Banisilan,
Carmen
''Carmen'' () is an opera in four acts by the French composer Georges Bizet. The libretto was written by Henri Meilhac and Ludovic Halévy, based on the novella of the same title by Prosper Mérimée. The opera was first performed by the ...
,
Libungan, and
Pigcawayan;
Lanao del Norte:
Kauswagan and
Kolambugan;
Lanao del Sur:
Balabagan
Balabagan, officially the Municipality of Balabagan (Maranao and Iranun: ''Inged a Balabagan''; tl, Bayan ng Balabagan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a populatio ...
,
Bumbaran, and
Picong;
Bukidnon:
Kalilangan;
Zamboanga del Sur:
Pagadian City,
San Pablo,
Dumalinao
Dumalinao, officially the Municipality of Dumalinao ( ceb, Lungsod sa Dumalinao; Subanen: ''Benwa Dumalinao''; Chavacano: ''Municipalidad de Dumalinao''; tl, Bayan ng Dumalinao), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Zamboanga del Sur, ...
,
Dimataling and
Tukuran)
(the west coast of
Sabah
Sabah () is a state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah borders the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and the North Kalimantan province of Indonesia to the south. The Federal Territory ...
,
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
(in which they are found in 25 villages around the
Kota Belud and
Lahad Datu districts; also in
Kudat and
Likas,
Kota Kinabalu
, image_skyline =
, image_caption = From top, left to right, bottom:Kota Kinabalu skyline, Wawasan intersection, Tun Mustapha Tower, Kota Kinabalu Coastal Highway, the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque, the Wism ...
but there are also Iranun communities in other parts of
Malaysia
Malaysia ( ; ) is a country in Southeast Asia. The federal constitutional monarchy consists of thirteen states and three federal territories, separated by the South China Sea into two regions: Peninsular Malaysia and Borneo's East Mal ...
), There are Iranun communities in
Indonesia
Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Gui ...
especially
Riau Islands
The Riau Islands ( id, Kepulauan Riau) is a province of Indonesia. It comprises a total of 1,796 islands scattered between Sumatra, Malay Peninsula, and Borneo including the Riau Archipelago. Situated on one of the world's busiest shipping lan ...
,
Sumatra
Sumatra is one of the Sunda Islands of western Indonesia. It is the largest island that is fully within Indonesian territory, as well as the sixth-largest island in the world at 473,481 km2 (182,812 mi.2), not including adjacent i ...
,
Kalimantan
Kalimantan () is the Indonesian portion of the island of Borneo. It constitutes 73% of the island's area. The non-Indonesian parts of Borneo are Brunei and East Malaysia. In Indonesia, "Kalimantan" refers to the whole island of Borneo.
In 2019, ...
whom adopted the Melayu Timur identity and language but still used the
Iranun at the same time.
Origins
The origin of the name "Iranun" remains contested.
The "Iranun" (
archaic "Iranaoan") may have been the original
endonym
An endonym (from Greek: , 'inner' + , 'name'; also known as autonym) is a common, ''native'' name for a geographical place, group of people, individual person, language or dialect, meaning that it is used inside that particular place, group, ...
of the ancestral group which later split into the Iranun, Maranao, and Maguindanao people. The Iranun and Maranao still speak the language closest to the ancient Proto-Danaw among all of the
Danao languages spoken by these groups.
History
For centuries, the Iranun were involved in
pirate
Piracy is an act of robbery or criminal violence by ship or boat-borne attackers upon another ship or a coastal area, typically with the goal of stealing cargo and other valuable goods. Those who conduct acts of piracy are called pirates, v ...
-related occupations in Southeast Asia. Lanun means pirate in
Malay language
Malay (; ms, Bahasa Melayu, links=no, Jawi: , Rencong: ) is an Austronesian language that is an official language of Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Singapore, and that is also spoken in East Timor and parts of the Philippines an ...
. Originally from the
Sultanate of Maguindanao
The Sultanate of Maguindanao ( Maguindanaon: ''Kasultanan nu Magindanaw''; Old Maguindanaon: كاسولتانن نو ماڬينداناو; Jawi: کسلطانن ماڬيندناو; Iranun: ''Kesultanan a Magindanao''; ms, Kesultanan Magindan ...
, in southern Mindanao, Iranun colonies spread throughout Mindanao, the
Sulu Archipelago and the north and east coast of Borneo. Most Iranuns are
Muslim
Muslims ( ar, المسلمون, , ) are people who adhere to Islam, a monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God of Abrah ...
. Their language is part of the
Austronesian family, and is most closely related to the
Maranao people of
Lanao. Historically, the Iranun were given the exonym Ilanun (also spelled variously as Illanun, Illanoan, Illanoon, Ilanoon, etc.) during the British colonial era. The Malay term ''Lanun'' or pirate originated from the exonym.
In the case of inter-marriages of an Iranun woman and an outsider man, the cultural influences of the woman's family will be more dominant that the outsider man would be considered as an Iranun man; although in a lot cases this does not happen.
The Sultanate of Maguindanao traces its ancestry to Iranun roots.
For several centuries, the Iranuns in the Philippines formed part of the Sultanate of Maguindanao. In the past, the seat of the Maguindanao Sultanate was situated at
Lamitan and
Malabang
Malabang, officially the Municipality of Malabang (Maranao: ''Inged a Malabang''; tl, Bayan ng Malabang), is a 3rd class municipality in the province of Lanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has a population of 49,088 peop ...
. Both of which were the strongholds of the Iranun society. Iranuns fought the Western invaders under the flag of the Maguindanao Sultanate. They formed part of the Moro resistance against the USA occupation of the Philippines from 1899 to 1913.
The Iranun were excellent in maritime activity as they are traditionally sailors and pirates.
They used to ply the route connecting the
Sulu Sea
The Sulu Sea ( fil, Dagat Sulu; Tausug: ''Dagat sin Sūg''; Chavacano: ''Mar de Sulu''; Cebuano: ''Dagat sa Sulu''; Hiligaynon: ''Dagat sang Sulu''; Karay-a: ''Dagat kang Sulu''; Cuyonon: ''Dagat i'ang Sulu''; ms, Laut Sulu) is a body o ...
,
Moro Gulf to
Celebes Sea
The Celebes Sea, (; ms, Laut Sulawesi, id, Laut Sulawesi, fil, Dagat Selebes) or Sulawesi Sea, of the western Pacific Ocean is bordered on the north by the Sulu Archipelago and Sulu Sea and Mindanao Island of the Philippines, on the east b ...
, and raided the Spanish held territories along the way.
See also
*
Sama-Bajau people
*
Karakoa
*
Garay (ship)
*
Penjajap
Penjajap, also pangajava and pangayaw, were native outrigger warships used by several Austronesian ethnic groups in maritime Southeast Asia. They were typically very long and narrow, and were very fast. They are mentioned as being used by native f ...
References
{{Authority control
Ethnic groups in Sabah
Ethnic groups in Mindanao
Muslim communities of the Philippines
Moro ethnic groups