Lakandula
In page 13 of "Cracks in the Parchment Curtain", preeminent historian William Henry Scott quotes Riquel's original text, which he found in the Spanish archives under "Archivo General de Indias Seccion Patronato leg.
The relevant part of the text read:[1] ...declaracion llamarse Raha Ache el Viejo y Raha Solimane el Mozo, senores y principales del pueblo de Manila, y Sibunao Lacandola, principal del pueblo de Tondo...(emphasis added)Modern historians routinely remove the Filipino word "si", a grammatical article that precede personal names, from recorded names during this era because Spanish writers had not yet learned the local languages and often mistakenly included "si-" in Filipino names.
Hence, Gatdula would literally read "Nobleman of the Palace", meaning essentially the same thing as the Kapampangan version, Lakandula.
[8] Alternatively, rather than a surname per se, Dula may have referred to a family group or clan, but there does not neem to be any historical evidence to support this postulation.
Historian Jose N. Sevilla y Tolentino, theorized that "Dula" was not a personal name at all, but a local word that meant something akin to "Palace".
All things considered, the most accurate way to style the historical person's name and title would be "Bunao, Lakandula" or "the Lakan of Tondo".
[2] [10] and Filipino historian and national artist for literature Nick Joaquin takes pains to point out that the term Lakan, not Rajah, was used by the rulers of Tondo.
According to National Artist Nick Joaquin "he is presumed to be of native birth," with mixed Sinaunang Tagalog (Dumagat) and Kapampangan ancestry.
Joaquin further speculates on the Lakandula's religious beliefs:[2] "Tondo's Lakan Dula may have been unusual in being neither foreign nor Muslim.
And now it was the king of Tondo who was responsible for sending the merchandise upriver to the lakeside communities, there to be traded for local products.
)[2] Lakandula had refused to join Macabebe and Sulayman's coalition, but among the prisoners taken by the Spaniards after the battle were two of his nephews and a number of his officers.
Joaquin notes that this was a wise choice on Legazpi's part:[2] "If he had been playing a double game before, Lakandula now became earnest in supporting the Spanish.
"Later that year, Legaspi sent Martin de Goiti to spread Spanish rule to the peoples of what are now the provinces of Bulacan and Pampanga, particularly the territories of Lubao with Macabebe, Guagua on September 14, 1571.
The account continues:[1] "Lacandola agreed to go, and served with two ships provided at his cost, and distinguished himself by performing much service for His Majesty, and went along so the said Pampangos would give him obedience, as in fact they did.
"These boats were joangas (karakoa), a type of seacraft capable of carrying 300 men each,[3][6] which, as Dery[3] points out, were common in Maritime Southeast Asia.
Lakandula's close association with the Spanish continued despite Legazpi's death on August 20, 1572, and his replacement as governor by Guido de Lavezares, who had been the colony's treasurer.
The possession of the Islands was unsuccessfully disputed by a rival expedition under the command of Limahong, a Chinese pirate, who had been outlawed by the Celestial Emperor of China.
[1][6]: 192 Lakandula's role as ruler of Tondo was then taken up by his grandnephew, and Rajah Soliman's adopted son, Agustin de Legazpi.
[1][6]: 192 Agustin de Legazpi, who was married to the cousin of Sultan Bolkiah, would lead Tondo as a territory under Spanish rule until he rose up against them in 1587–1588 Revolt of the Lakans, and was deposed and killed as a result.
Dery identifies three types of sources regarding Lakandula:[3] In his "Bibliographic Essay" at the end of his book "Barangay:Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society", William Henry Scott[6]: 284 identifies the three accounts directly detailing the events of Lakandula's lifetime: Scott singles this third account out as particularly useful, because it includes careful observations of the islands and people contacted.
[6]: 284 Scott also identifies other accounts that do not directly refer to that occasion, but provide additional information about conditions at the time.
[3] Local folk legends recount that Mexico-born conquistador Juan de Salcedo fell in love with an 18-year-old noblewoman called "Dayang-dayang Kandarapa", who was said to be the niece of Lakandula.
