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The ''alipin'' refers to the lowest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Visayan languages, the equivalent social classes were known as the ''oripun'', ''uripon'', or ''ulipon''.


Overview

The most common translation of the word is "servant" or "slave", as opposed to the higher classes of the '' timawa''/'' maharlika'' and the ''
tumao The Tagalog ''maginoo'', the Kapampangan ''ginu'', and the Visayan ''tumao'' were the nobility social class among various cultures of the pre-colonial Philippines. Among the Visayans, the ''tumao'' were further distinguished from the immediate ...
''/'' maginoo''. This translation, however, is inaccurate. The concept of the ''alipin'' relied on a complex system of obligation and repayment through labor in ancient Philippine society, rather than on the actual purchase of a person as in Western and Islamic slavery. Indeed, members of the ''alipin'' class who owned their own houses were more accurately equivalent to medieval European serfs and commoners.


Etymology

''Alipin'' comes from the transitive form of the archaic Visayan root word ''udip'' ("to live"). It derived from the word meaning "to let live" in the senses of letting a war captive live or paying or ransoming someone for a debt that exceeds the value of their life. ''Alipin'' were also known as ''kiapangdilihan'' in the Sultanate of Sulu, where they were distinguished from the Arab and European-inspired
chattel slaves Slavery and enslavement are both the state and the condition of being a slave—someone forbidden to quit one's service for an enslaver, and who is treated by the enslaver as property. Slavery typically involves slaves being made to perf ...
(known as ''banyaga'', ''bisaya'', ''ipun'', or ''ammas'').


Subclasses

As a social class, ''alipin'' had several subclasses based on the nature of their obligations and their dependence on their masters: *''Horo-han'' or ''horohan'', a hereditary class of ''oripun'' unique to the Visayans and first mentioned in the ''
Boxer Codex The ''Boxer Codex'' is a late sixteenth century Spanish manuscript that was produced in the Philippines. The document contains seventy-five colored illustrations of the peoples of China, the Philippines, Java, the Moluccas, the Ladrones, and Sia ...
''. Instead of serving obligations through labor, the ''horo-han'' instead served their masters as warriors (usually as paddlers for warships). Unlike the ''timawa'' warrior class, they were not considered nobility, though higher-status ''horo-han'' were virtually indistinguishable from lower-class ''timawa''. Like the ''timawa'', they may also sometimes be obligated to do communal work and paid a vassalage fee known as ''dagupan''. *''Aliping namamahay'' (translated as "Servant who is housed") refers to ''alipin'' that had their own houses, which was usually built on the property of their masters. They were also known as ''tuhay'', ''mamahay'', or ''tumaranpoc'' (Spanish spelling: ''tumaranpoque'') in Visayan, literally means "house dweller" or "villager." They were not at all slaves, as they were often only obligated to pay a percentage of their earnings or harvests (known as ''handog'' in Tagalog and ''buhis'' in Visayan, 'tribute' and 'tax' respectively) to their masters and no more, thus making them more similar to the medieval European serfs and commoners. They may sometimes be called upon by their masters for harvesting, sowing fields, building new structures, or for aid in emergencies, though these were usually not part of their obligations. They could also freely buy their way out of debt and could marry without the consent of their masters. In the Visayas, some ''tuhay'' might also serve their masters in war, like the ''horohan''. *''Alipin sa gigilid'' (translated as "Servant in the corners
f the master's house F, or f, is the sixth letter in the Latin alphabet, used in the modern English alphabet, the alphabets of other western European languages and others worldwide. Its name in English is ''ef'' (pronounced ), and the plural is ''efs''. Hist ...
) refers to unmarried ''alipin'' without a house and whose existence was completely dependent on the graces of their masters. They were also known as ''tomataban'', ''alalay'', ''hayohay'', or ''ayuey'' in Visayan (meaning "servant", "assistant", or "follower"). They could only marry with the consent of their master (rarely given for female ''alipin sa gigilid''). Once married, an ''alipin sa gigilid'' became an ''aliping namamahay'', as the master was not obligated to feed and house the family of the latter. Their obligations (i.e. services) could also be transferred or sold to another master. Most of the people belonging to this class were the unmarried children of ''aliping namamahay'', or were un
ransom Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or the sum of money involved in such a practice. When ransom means "payment", the word comes via Old French ''rançon'' from Latin ''re ...
ed captives taken from wars or raids (''bihag''). At lower ranks than the above were the ''alipin'' of ''alipin''. The ''alipin sa gigilid'' of an ''aliping namamahay'' was called ''bulisik'' ("vile"), while an ''alipin sa gigilid'' of an ''alipin sa gigilid'' was known by the even more derogatory ''bulislis'' (literally meaning "lifted skirt", a term implying that these persons were so vulnerable that it seems like their genitals are exposed). At an even more lower social rank than the latter two were ''alipin'' who were acquired through war or who came from other communities. They were often treated as non-persons until they became fully integrated into the local culture.


Differences from the western concept of slavery

While the ''alipin'' does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as " slave" in the western sense of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documented observations from the 17th century indicate that there may be significant differences between the
Western Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...
concept of " slave" and the Pre-Hispanic Filipino concept of "''alipin''". Some academics prefer to use the more accurate terms "debtors", "serfs", "bondsmen", or "dependents" instead. The lowest class of ''alipin'' originating from prisoners-of-war were traded like market goods initially. But unlike Western slaves, subsequent transfer of the ''alipin'' to a new master was priced at the value of the emainingbond. It was the labor obligation of the ''alipin'' being sold, not the person. Most ''alipin'' usually acquired their status either voluntarily (usually because of material or honor debt, or as a form of assistance to impoverished relatives), by inheriting the status of their parents, as a form of legal punishment for crime, or by being spared from execution after being captured in wars or raids. ''Alipin'' who acquired their status by debt were known as ''tinubos'' (literally "redeemed" or "ransomed"), and their creditors might sell their services for profit at the price of the debt incurred. The actual degree of obligations of the ''alipin'' could vary considerably. It was dependent on the monetary equivalent of the obligation owed and was usually limited in duration. An ''alipin'' could earn their freedom or gain higher status by marriage, being set free by their masters (known as ''matitimawa'' or ''tinimawa'' among Visayans), buying it with their earnings, fulfillment of the obligations, or by extraordinary accomplishments and bravery in battle. The inheritance of the ''alipin'' status was subject to a complex system of rules dependent on the offspring's condition known as the ''saya''. For example, the first child of a male freeman and a female ''alipin'' would be free, but their second child would be an ''alipin'' like the mother; and so on with the rest of the children. If the number of children was not even, the last child would be a partial ''alipin''. The master of an ''aliping namamahay'' might also sometimes take one child of the latter as an ''alipin sa gigilid'' in the case of the latter's death. They might become ''sibin'' or ''ginogatan'' ("favorites") of their masters and be set free upon the master's death. An ''alipin'' who inherits the debts of their parents was known as a ''gintubo'' (literally "grown up with"). Children of parents who are both ''alipin'' were known as ''ginlubos'', while the children of ''ginlubos'' were known as ''lubos nga oripun''. Partial ''alipin'' retain their ''alipin'' ancestors' obligations according to their degree of relation. The partial ''alipin'' child of a ''timawa'' and an ''alipin'', for example, will inherit half of their ''alipin'' parent's obligations, while the grandchild of an ''alipin'' will only owe a quarter. Half ''alipin'' whose services were scheduled alternately by months are referred to as ''bulan'' ("moon" or "month") or ''pikas'' ("half"). Quarter ''alipin'' were referred to as ''tilor'' or ''sagipat'' ("quarter"). They could also freely buy their way out of service if they can afford it. Part or all of the ''alipin'' duties of the parents are often taken over by their children.


See also

*
Slavery in the Sultanate of Sulu The history of slavery in the Muslim world began with institutions inherited from pre-Islamic Arabia;Lewis 1994Ch.1 and the practice of keeping slaves subsequently developed in radically different ways, depending on social-political factors such ...
* Piracy in the Sulu Sea * Spanish expedition to Balanguingui


References

{{Reflist, 2


Further reading

* Leon Ma. Guerrero (2007). ''The First Filipino''. Guerrero Publishing. Manila. * Reynaldo Oliveros (2007). ''Philippine History and Government''. Ibon Publishing. Manila. History of the Philippines (900–1565) Tagalog words and phrases Social class in the Philippines