The Maguindanaon are part of wider political identity of Muslims known as Moro, who constitute the third largest ethnic group of Mindanao, Sulu and Palawan.

The Maguindanaons constitute the ninth largest Filipino ethnic group and are known for being distinguished in the realm of visual art.

[18][17] Before the arrivals of the first Muslim missionaries, the ancestors of both Maguindanaon and Teduray peoples lived as one in the Cotabato lowlands, among them the brothers Mamalu and Tabunaway.

When the first missionary, Sharif Kabungsuwan, came to preach Islam, the younger Tabunaway embraced the faith while the elder Mamalu refused, holding to old beliefs.

To maintain peace between the conflicting faiths, the brothers formed a pact for Mamalu to settle in the mountains and Tabunaway to remain in the lowlands along the Pulangi, both with their respective followers.

Thus, after separating, over time the lowland Muslims led by Tabunaway became the Maguindanaon and the highland animists of Mamalu the Teduray.

[19][20] In the early 16th century, Sharif Muhammad Kabungsuwan, an Arab-Malay preacher from the Royal House of Malacca, arrived in what is now Malabang, introduced Islamic faith and customs, settled down with a local princess, and founded a Sultanate whose capital was Cotabato.

The other center of power in the area, Sultanate of Buayan, once located in modern-day Datu Piang, Maguindanao del Sur, has an even longer history dating back to early Arab missionaries, who, although not able to implant the Islamic faith, introduced a more sophisticated political system.

In 1637, Governor General Hurtado de Corcuera personally led an expedition against Kudarat, and triumphed over his forces at Lamitan and Ilian.

From 1663 to 1718, Maguindanao influence extended as far as Zamboanga in the west, Cagayan de Oro in the north, Sarangani in the south, and Davao in the east.

In 1719, the Spaniards reestablished control with the building of the strategic Fort Pilar in Zamboanga (Miravite 1976:40; Angeles 1974:28; Darangen 1980:42-45).

In 1887, General Emilio Terrero led an expedition against Uto; although, he was able to destroy the kota (forts) in Cotabato, he was unable to enforce Spanish sovereignty (Miravite 1976:42; Ileto 1971:16-29).

The agreement was a mutual non-aggression pact which obligated the Americans to recognize the authority of the Sultan and other chiefs who, in turn, agreed to fight piracy and crimes against Christians.

After the Philippine–American War, the Americans established direct rule over the newly formed "Moro Province", which then consisted of five districts—Zamboanga, Lanao, Cotabato, Davao, and Sulu.

In 1916, after the passage of the Jones Law, which transferred legislative power to a Philippine Senate and House of Representatives, polygamy was made illegal.

"Proxy colonialism" was legalized by the Public Land Act of 1919, invalidating Muslim Pusaka (inherited property) laws.

In Cotabato, Datu Ambang of Kidapawan attempted to incite a jihad (holy war) against the Americans and the Christian Filipinos.

The Commonwealth years sought to end the privileges the Muslims had been enjoying under the earlier American administration.

Che Man (1990:56) believes that they were neither anti-American nor anti-Filipino, but simply against any form of foreign encroachment into their traditional way of life.

During World War II, the Muslims in general supported the fight against the Japanese, who were less tolerant and harsher to them than the American Commonwealth government.

The conflict was exacerbated in 1965 with the "Jabidah Massacre", in which Muslim soldiers were allegedly eliminated because they refused to invade Sabah.

This incident contributed to the rise of various separatist movements—the Muslim Independence Movement (MIM), Ansar el-Islam, and Union of Islamic Forces and Organizations.

The leader of this group, Nur Misuari, regarded the earlier movements as feudal and oppressive, and employed a Marxist framework to analyze the Muslim condition and the general Philippine situation.

Maguindanaon residents of both Soccsksargen and the rest of Mindanao can speak and understand Hiligaynon (main Visayan language in the former) and to the some extent, Cebuano and Ilocano along with their own native language since Mindanao (particularly in Soccsksargen) is a melting pot of cultures, resulting from southward migration from Luzon and Visayas since the 20th century.

Performers, depicting fierce warriors would carry shields with shell noisemakers in one hand and double-bladed sword in the other attempting rolling movements to defend their master.

The Islamic includes the Quran; tarsila or genealogical narratives; the Luwaran, an embodiment of customary laws; hadith or sayings of Muhammad; quiza or religious stories.

The Maguindanao believe in a basic unity underlying the various aspects of the environment and this belief is reflected in the use of often conflicting image and subject in the riddles (Notre Dame Journal 1980:17).

Maguindanao verses are expressed through such forms as ida-ida a rata (children rimes sung in chorus), or through tubud-tubud[check spelling] (short love poem).

Salsilas or tarsilas are family heirlooms that trace one's line of descent; they are used to ascertain noble lineages that may go back to the days of the Kabungsuan.

Notable B-pop artists include Datu Khomeini Camsa Bansuan (dubbed as the "King of Moro Songs"), Tamtax, Johnson Ampatuan, Shaira (dubbed as the "Queen of Bangsamoro Pop" known for her song "Selos"),[23] among others who perform in such venues as barangay basketball courts, residential neighborhoods, birthday or wedding parties and even remotest areas such as forest villages rather than clubs.