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Sri Rajahmura Lumaya, known in his shortened name Sri Lumay, was the first Rajah and the founder of the Indianized Rajahnate of Cebu. According to the epic Aginid, Bayok sa atong Tawarik,[1] a Bisayan epic story, Sri Lumay was a half-Tamil and half Malay minor prince of the Chola dynasty. Sri Lumay was the grandfather of Rajah Humabon.[2] He may be called a semi-legendary figure, since no other written records mentions about Sri Lumay, other than in oral traditions in the Visayan epic story of Aginid.
| Sri Lumay Rajahmura Lumaya | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rajah of Cebu | |||||
| Predecessor | Rajahnate established | ||||
| Successor | Rajah Bantug | ||||
| Born | Uncertain: he was a minor prince of the Chola dynasty | ||||
| Died | Rajahnate of Cebu | ||||
| |||||
| House | Chola | ||||
| Religion | Hinduism | ||||
Legendary accounts
editSri Lumay, or Rajahmura Lumaya, established the Rajahnate of Cebu. He was a prince of the Chola dynasty. Initially, he was commissioned by the Maharajah to establish a base for their army force; instead, he created his own kingdom which he himself ruled with his son, Sri Alho and Sri Ukob; they ruled the south known as Sialo, which included Valladolid, Carcar, up to Santander.[3][2][1]
The account of Aginid, Bayok sa atong Tawarik is about Sri Lumay who settled in Sugbo with his son, Sri Alho, ruling the south known as Sialo which included Valladolid, Carcar, up to Santander. Sri Lumay established the city of Singhapala that become the capital of the rajahnate and what is now part of Mabolo in the northern district of Cebu City.[4]
Battle campaigns
editSri Lumay fought the Magalos, or destroyers of peace, Muslim Moro warriors coming from Mindanao, who had been raiding the island of Cebu in search for precious items like gold or ceramics and slaves. Sri Lumay was noted for his strict policies in defending against Moro Muslim raiders and slavers from Mindanao. His use of scorched earth tactics to repel invaders gave rise to the name Kang Sri Lumayang Sugbu (literally "that of Sri Lumay's great fire") to the town, which was later shortened to Sugbu ("scorched earth").[5]
In other folk stories, the problem about the Magalos where already an issue since the time of early Malay settlers during the time of the legendary Datu Daya who build a watch tower to watch the community against the upcoming raids.
Death
editHe died in battle, fighting with the Muslim Moro pirates known as magalos from Mindanao.[5]
Sources
editThe Aginid epic mentioned Sri Lumay, his works, where he came from, and how he established the rajahnate:
His other son, Sri Ukob, ruled the north known as Nahalin which includes the present towns of Consolacion, Liloan, Compostela, Danao, Carmen, and Bantayan. As a ruler, Sri Lumay was known to be strict, merciless, and brave. He assigned magalamags to teach his people to read and write ancient letterings. He ordered routine patrols by boats from Nahalin to Sialo by his mangubats (warriors). Although a strict ruler, Sri Lumay was a loving person that not a single slave ran away from him. During his reign, the Magalos (literally destroyers of peace) who came from Southern Mindanao from time to time invaded the island to loot and hunt for slaves. Sri Lumay commanded to burn the town each time the southerners came to drive them away empty handed. Later, they fought these Magalos (Moro raiders) so that they leave the town for good. The town was thus permanently called Kang Sri Lumayng Sugbo, or Sri Lumay’s scorched town. Trading was vibrantly carried on by Sri Lumay’s people with merchants from China, Japan, India, and Burma in Parian, (located at the northeastern part of Cebu City). The archipelago was strategically positioned in Southeast Asia that it naturally became part of the trade route of the ancient world. Agricultural products were bartered for Chinese silk cloths, bells, porcelain wares, iron tools, oil lamps, and medicinal herbs. From Japan, perfume and glass utensils were usually traded with native goods. Ivory products, leather, precious and semi-precious stones and sarkara (sugar) mostly came from the Burmese and Indian traders. Sri Lumay was killed in one of the battles against the magalos and was succeeded by his youngest son Sri Bantug who ruled Singhapala . “Bantug carried on his father’s rules throughout his reign. He organized umalahukwans (Town criers) to urge people in Nahalin and Sialo to obey his orders, especially on agricultural production and defense.
Issue
editSee also
edit- Datu Daya - a legendary Malay chief who was one of the early settlers in northern Cebu.
- Rajahnate of Cebu
- Singhapala - the ancient capital of the Rajahnate of Cebu.
- Rajah Humabon
- Cebu City
- Lapu-lapu
- Ferdinand Magellan
References
edit- ^ a b Ouano-Savellon, Romola (4 May 2018). ""Aginid Bayok Sa Atong Tawarik": Archaic Cebuano and Historicity in a Folk Narrative". Philippine Quarterly of Culture and Society. 42 (3/4): 189–220. JSTOR 44512020.
- ^ a b "Early Cebu History".
- ^ "The Aginid - Philstar.com". philstar.com.
- ^ "The Aginid - Philstar.com". philstar.com.
- ^ a b "Latest Articles". cebueskrima.s5.com. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. Retrieved 15 January 2022.