Muhammad Azim ud-Din I ( ar , مُحَمَّدعلیم الدین, Jawi:محمدعلیم الدیند also Muhammad Alimuddin;

Christian Name A Christian name, sometimes referred to as a baptismal name, is a religious personal name given on the occasion of a Christian baptism, though now most often assigned by parents at birth. In English-speaking cultures, a person's Christian name ...

: Don Fernando de Alimuddin) was

Sultan Sultan (; ar, سلطان ', ) is a position with several historical meanings. Originally, it was an Arabic abstract noun meaning "strength", "authority", "rulership", derived from the verbal noun ', meaning "authority" or "power". Later, it ...

Sulu Sulu (), officially the Province of Sulu (Tausug language, Tausūg: ''Wilāya sin Lupa' Sūg''; tl, Lalawigan ng Sulu), is a Provinces of the Philippines, province of the Philippines in the Sulu Archipelago and part of the Bangsamoro, Bangsamor ...

from 1735 to 1748, and again from 1764 until his abdication in 1774. He was briefly converted to Catholicism under the name Fernando until he returned to Sulu and reverted to Islam, dying as a Muslim.

Early life

The young Alimuddin initially attended the school of his father, Badar ud-Din I, and was later sent to

Batavia Batavia may refer to: Historical places * Batavia (region), a land inhabited by the Batavian people during the Roman Empire, today part of the Netherlands * Batavia, Dutch East Indies, present-day Jakarta, the former capital of the Dutch East In ...

Dutch East Indies The Dutch East Indies, also known as the Netherlands East Indies ( nl, Nederlands(ch)-Indië; ), was a Dutch colony consisting of what is now Indonesia. It was formed from the nationalised trading posts of the Dutch East India Company, which ...

, to complete his education. There he became proficient in Arabic and

Malay Malay may refer to: Languages * Malay language or Bahasa Melayu, a major Austronesian language spoken in Indonesia, Malaysia, Brunei and Singapore ** History of the Malay language, the Malay language from the 4th to the 14th century ** Indonesi ...

, and gained mastery of the Qur'an.

First reign

Azim ud-Din I acceded the throne in 1732 after his father abdicated, but only assumed full powers and formal recognition in 1735 when his cousin,

Nasar ud-Din Nasar ( el, Νάσαρ), originally baptized Basil ( el, Βασίλειος),. was a distinguished Byzantine military leader in the Byzantine–Arab conflicts of the latter half of the 9th century. Biography Not much is known about Nasar's family ...

, abandoned claims to the throne. One of the earliest events in the reign of Azim ud-Din I was his ratification of the Treaty of 1737. He was represented in Manila by Datu Mohammad Ismael and Datu Ja'far, who both signed the document. The treaty, drawn in January 1737 by

Governor-General Governor-general (plural ''governors-general''), or governor general (plural ''governors general''), is the title of an office-holder. In the context of governors-general and former British colonies, governors-general are appointed as viceroy t ...

Fernando Valdes y Tamon, contained five articles: first, the preservation of permanent peace between the two states; second, the provision for alliance and mutual aid against any foreign foe; third, free trade between the two states; fourth, responsibility of each state for all infractions of the peace; and fifth, provision for the exchange of captives and return of all church images and ornaments.

Abdication

On 12 July 1744, Philip V of Spain sent him a letter requesting permission for missionaries from the Society of Jesus to propagate Christianity in the southern Philippines. When his panditas learnt that he had given his assent, they raised fierce opposition. A party was formed under the leadership of the Sultan's brother, Prince Bantilan, for the purpose of expelling the missionaries and deposing Azim ud-Din I. Hostilities increased and civil war became imminent. Bantilan tried to assassinate the Sultan by thrusting a spear at him, inflicting a severe wound on his side or thigh. In the ensuing unrest, it became too dangerous for the missionaries to remain in Jolo. Overpowered, disheartened, and grieved, Azim ud-Din I fled Jolo with his family and retinue for Zamboanga, where he sought the aid of Spain against Bantilan's unopposed seizure of power. Bantilan did not expel the Jesuits but he gave them no opportunity to accomplish their mission.

Conversion to Christianity

Azim ud-Din I travelled to Cavite on 2 January 1749. In Manila,

Juan de Arechederra,

Bishop of Nueva Segovia The Archdiocese of Nueva Segovia is an archdiocese of the Catholic Church in the Philippines. It covers the province of Ilocos Sur, on the island of Luzon. The see of the archdiocese is the city of Vigan.Sacrament of Baptism to the latter's great joy. He was baptised in 1750, taking the name ''Fernando de Alimuddin'', with the regnal name of Ferdinand I ( es, Fernando 1.° de Sulú). The new Governor-General, the Marquis of Brindisi and Ovando, promised now Ferdinand I that the Spanish would restore him to the throne and punish Bantilan and his pirates. It is unclear whether Ferdinand I embraced Christianity sincerely or merely as a political move, a matter held in doubt by the Spanish.

Second reign

Before leaving Manila in 1751 to return to Sulu, Ferdinand I wrote a letter in Arabic addressed to Muhammad Khair ud-Din Amir ud-Din Itamza, Sultan of Maguindanao, on behalf of the Marquis of Ovando. However, inconsistent translations into Spanish led to allegations that he had advocated treason in the letter. He was subsequently arrested and imprisoned for ten years on charges of treason. Ferdinand I remained in prison until the Kingdom of Great Britain captured and occupied Manila during the Seven Years' War in 1762. The following year, he was restored to the throne by the British, upon whose departure from Manila after the signing of the Treaty of Paris saw raids by Sulu pirates on the city intensify.

Reversion to Islam

After Sultan Bantilan had died, Bantilan's son,

Azim ud-Din II Sultan Azim ud-Din II (reigned 1763–1764, 1778–1791), was the 21st Sultan of Sulu. He was the son of Sultan Bantilan Muizz ud-Din, and cousin to Sultan Muhammad Israil ud-Din. After the death of Sultan Bantilan Muizz ud-Din in 1763, he ...

, took power, and upon the latter's death Ferdinand I returned to Sulu. He was welcomed by his people and reverted to Islam, remaining a Muslim until his death. In November 1773, he abdicated the throne in favour of his son, Israil.

Legacy

Azim ud-Din I is one of the more beloved monarchs of Sulu, regarded to be a man of peace and a reformer. He kept his end of the Treaty of 1737 faithfully and was actually obliterated during the whole period he held the reins of government. He also minted money, organised an army and tried to establish a navy. He had a reputation amongst his subjects as "an authority almost supreme," earning him the title "Chief of Pandita" for his erudite and precise explanations of the Qur'an. He revised the sultanate's legal code and its justice system, and initiated translation of portions of the Qur'an and several legal and religious into the local language. He strongly urged his government to observe their religion faithfully, and wanted all panditas to learn Arabic, initiating the drafting of a vocabulary of Islamic terms as a preliminary step into making Arabic the official language of the state.

Citations

References

* . {{DEFAULTSORT:Azim Ud-Din I Sultans of Sulu 18th-century monarchs in Asia British invasion of Manila Converts to Islam from Roman Catholicism Filipino datus, rajas and sultans Filipino Muslims People of the Seven Years' War Sulu Archipelago