Etymology
''"Rajah Matandâ"'' means "old ruler" in Tagalog, and Joaquin claims that the Hindu-Islamic origin of the term "Rajah" indicates that the noble houses of Maynila at the time was organized according to a Muslim social orientation, even if Spanish records indicate that the common folk of Maynila practiced ''pag-aanito''. Spanish records refer to him as ''Rajah Ache el Viejo'' (King Ache the Old). He is also sometimes referred to as ''Rajah Laya'', a name derived from ''Ladyang Matanda'' – a local pronunciation of his title.Sources
Events in Rajah Matanda's life are documented by two different sets of firsthand Spanish accounts. The better known set of accounts takes place in 1571–72, when the forces of Martin De Goiti, and later Miguel De Legazpi himself, arrived in Manila Bay. These are described in the numerous accounts of the Legazpi expedition, including those by the expedition's designated notary Hernando de Riquel, and by Legazpi himself. Less known are the accounts of the Magellan Expedition in 1521, by which time Magellan had already been killed and Sebastian Elcano had taken over command of the expedition. These accounts describe how Ache, then serving as commander of naval forces for the Sultan of Brunei, was captured by the men Sebastian Elcano. These events, and the details Ache's interrogation were recorded in accounts of Magellan and Elcano's men, including expedition members Rodrigo de Aganduru Moriz, Gines de Mafra, and the expedition's scribe Antonio Pigafetta. Additional details about Raja Matanda are sometimes derived from genealogical accounts which mention him, but these focus on Ache's genealogy, and so do not provide details about specific events.Early life, as recounted in the Elcano expedition
Among the Spanish accounts of Ache's capture, that of Rodrigo de Aganduru Moriz is considered among those which extensively record Ache's statements. Details of Ache's early life are thus usually based on the Aganduru Moriz account. According to this document, Ache's unnamed father died when he was still very young, and his mother acceded as ruler of Maynila. In the meantime, Ache was raised alongside his cousin, the ruler of Tondo, and this person is identified by some to be Bunao Lakandula. During this time, the "young prince" Ache realized that his mother was being "slyly" taken advantage of by his cousin, the ruler of Tondo, who was encroaching on territory belonging to Maynila. When Ache asked his mother for permission to address this matter, she refused and told him to keep his peace. Ache could not accept this, and thus left Maynila with some of his late father's trusted men to see his "grandfather", the Sultan of Brunei, and request assistance. The Sultan responded by giving Ache a position as commander of his naval forces. Pigafetta noted that Ache was "much feared in these parts", but especially by the non-Muslims, who considered the Sultan an enemy potentate. He was a strict enforcer of Islamic rule in Brunei and the Philippines as he waged war against Tondo. The Sultan commended him for successfully sacking the Buddhist city of Loue in southwest Borneo, which adhered to the old religion and resisted the authority of the Sultanate.Tom Harrisson, Brunei's Two (or More) Capitals, Brunei Museum Journal, Vol. 3, No. 4 (1976), p. 77 sq.Battle with the Expedition of Sebastian Elcano (1521)
Aganduru Moriz recounts that in 1521, Ache was in command of the Bruneian fleet when they chanced upon what remained of the Magellan expedition, under the command of Sebastian Elcano, somewhere off the southeastern tip of Borneo. Rizal notes that Ache had just won a naval victory at the time, and Rizal and Dery both say Ache was on his way to marry a cousin – a ritual which Scott describes as the usual way that nobles at that time gained influence and power. (Luciano PR Santiago notes that this practice helps explain the close interrelationships among the ruling houses in Manila, Brunei and Sulu.) Dery notes that Ache's decision to attack must have been influenced by a desire to bring Elcano's ship back to Manila bay, for use as leverage against his cousin, the ruler of Tondo. Elcano, however, was able to defeat Ache. As a result, Ache was captured and brought onboard Elcano's ship. According to Scott, Ache was eventually released after a ransom was paid.Reign (until 1570)
Sometime between 1521 and 1570, Ache succeeded his mother and becameArrival of De Goiti (1570)
By the late 1560s, Miguel López de Legazpi was already searching for a more suitable place to establish the Spanish colonial capital, having found firstArrival of Legazpi (1571)
The following year, Legazpi himself arrived in Manila. He was welcomed first by Lakandula of Tondo and then by Rajah Matanda. Fearing his presence would exacerbate the conflict between Maynila and the Spanish, Sulayman did not meet with Legazpi face to face until later. The rulers of Maynila and Tondo eventually cut a deal with Legazpi, which allowed him to claim Maynila for the crown of Spain, and the Spanish city of Manila was born in June 1571.Death (1572) and succession
In August 1572, Rajah Matanda fell ill and requested to beDescendants
According to archival research of historian Luis Camara Dery, Rajah Matanda had at least two sons and one daughter: Don Ambrocio Mag-isa Ladyangbata, Don Luis Ylao, and Doña Maria Bolactala. Dery theorizes that unlike their father who had befriended the Spanish, these siblings "appeared to be lukewarm to the Spaniards", so that the privileges and exemptions granted to Matanda's descendants by Legazpi were only claimed by their children and grandchildren – the third (as of 1612) and fourth (as of 1679) generation from Rajah Matanda. As of 1696, Rajah Matanda's descendants had fallen on hard times,"Cedulario, 1696–1698. Reserva de tributo polos y servicios personales a Don Joseph Punsalan y Doña Ynes de Robles naturales del pueblo de Malate Jurisdicion de Tondo. Manila 2 de Mayo 1696" as cited by Dery, Luis Camara (2001) "A History of the Intarticulate." Manila: New Day Publishers."Cedulario, 1696–1698. Reserva de tributo polos y servicios personales a Don Thadeo de Herrera, Don Dionisio de los Santos, y Doña Cathalina Hiyas y Consortes por decendientes de Ladya Matanda Principales del Pueblo de Tagui. Manila, 23 de Noviembre 1696" as cited by Dery, Luis Camara (2001) "A History of the Intarticulate." Manila: New Day Publishers. as Dery notes:See also
* Rajahnate of Maynila *References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rajah Matanda Filipino paramount rulers Hinduism in the Philippines 16th-century conflicts 16th-century monarchs in Asia Converts to Roman Catholicism from Islam Filipino datus, rajas and sultans Filipino former Muslims Filipino Roman Catholics Paramilitary Filipinos People from Manila People of Spanish colonial Philippines History of the Philippines (900–1565) 1572 deaths