The
Kingdom of Butuan was an ancient
Indianized kingdom in pre-colonial southern
Philippines centered on the present
Mindanao city of
Butuan. It was known for its mining of gold, its gold products and its extensive trade network across the
Nusantara area. The kingdom had trading relationships with the ancient civilizations of
China,
India,
Indonesia,
Persia,
Cambodia and areas now comprised in
Thailand.
The
balangay (large outrigger boats) that have been found along the east and west banks of the
Libertad river have revealed much about Butuan's history. As a result Butuan is considered to have been a major trading port in the
Caraga region during the pre-colonial era.
Chinese records
thumb|justify|160px|above|left|A golden vestment worn by the Hindu Brahmi Caste, found in Butuan Archeological Digs.
thumb|160px|justify|above|left|A Golden statuette of the Hindu-Buddhist goddess "Kinari" found in a Butuan Archeological Dig.thumb|160px|justify|above|left|A Transliteration of a Prehispanic Philippine document, the Butuan Silver-strip.Evidence indicates that Butuan was in contact with
Song dynasty of
China by at least 1001 AD. The Chinese annal
Song Shih recorded the first appearance of a Butuan tributary mission at the Chinese Imperial Court on March 17, 1001 AD and it described Butuan (
P'u-tuan) as a small Hindu country with a Buddhist Monarchy in the sea that had a regular connection with the
Champa kingdom and intermittent contact with China under the
Rajah named Kiling. The rajah sent an envoy under I-hsu-han, with a formal memorial requesting equal status in court protocol with the Champa envoy. The request was denied later by the Imperial court, mainly because of favoritism over
Champa.
A new ruler with the Indianized name Sri Bata Shaja later succeeded in attaining diplomatic equality with
Champa by sending the flamboyant ambassador Likanhsieh. Likanhsieh shocked the Emperor by presenting a memorial engraved on a gold tablet, some
white dragon (
Bailong 白龍)
camphor,
Moluccan cloves, and a
South Sea slave at the eve of an important ceremonial state sacrifice. This display of
irreverence sparked interests from China over the small Rajahnate and the diplomatic relations between the two states reached its peak during the
Yuan Dynasty.
Excavated artifacts
Numerous jars have been found in the Butuan area that indicate the wealth of the kingdom and the existence of foreign traditions. Some of these jars have been dated as follows:
- Chinese (10th to 15th centuries AD),
- Khmer (9th to 10th centuries AD),
- Thai (14th to 15th centuries AD)
- Champa (11th to 13th centuries AD)
- Persian (9th to 10th centuries AD)
Artifacts have been recovered from within the vicinities of
Ambangan Archeological Site in Libertad that attest to the historical accounts that Butuan traded with the Chinese and Southeast Asia countries during these periods.
Origins of the name
The name
Butuan is believed to have existed long before the Spanish
conquistadores arrived in the Philippine archipelago. One possible indication of this is a rhinocerous ivory seal with design carved in ancient Javanese or early
kawi script (used around the 10th century AD ) which, according to a Dutch scholar, was deciphered as But-wan. Another account suggests the name derives from the word
batuan, a
mangosteen-related fruit common in Mindanao. Another alternative is that the name derives from Datu Bantuan, possibly a former
chieftain of the region.
Recorded monarchs
See also
