Datu Utto (reigned: 1875–1888) was also known as Sultan Anwarud-din Utto or Sultan Utto Anwaruddin, was the 18th
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 ...
of Buayan, one of the minor sultanates of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
. As a military leader he distinguished himself in many battles against the Spanish.
Early life and career
Datu Uto was born Anwarud-din Uto to Sultan Bangon Marajanun Sa Didagen and Tuan Bai Sa Buayan. During his father's reign as
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 ...
Uto led a force of 500 men sent as assistance to the Spanish against
Talayan
Talayan, officially the Municipality of Talayan ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Talayan''; Iranun: ''Inged a Talayan''; tl, Bayan ng Talayan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
rebels in 1864. This included the four guides who escorted the combined force headed by Colonel La Hoz, Governor of
Cotabato
Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: Ú¤Ú ÙˆØªØ±Ù† كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...
. However, instead of helping the Spanish, he went against his father's orders and sided with the Talayan''
datu
''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, especial ...
'' (ruler). Although inferior in numbers and equipment, the Spanish having the advantage of possessing artillery, they triumphed and chased the Spaniards as far as
Taviran.
It was during this battle that he lost his eye, earning himself the title "one-eyed man", but he became a recognized leader in Buayan as a result. Sultan Bayao, Bangon's brother,
succeeded to the throne upon his father's death in 1872. Nevertheless, Uto succeeded as sultan three years later.
Uto's ancestry
Sultan
Alliances
![Datu Uto and Rajah Putri](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4c/Datu_Uto_and_Rajah_Putri.jpg)
Uto ruled Buayan from the inland town of
Zapakan. He married the daughter of
Maguindanao's Sultan Qudratullah Untong, Rajah Putri Bai-labi.
In 1874 he joined forces with Sultan Jamal ul-Azam, the
Sultan of Sulu
The Sultanate of Sulu ( Tausūg: ''Kasultanan sin Sūg'', كاسولتانن سين سوڬ; Malay: ''Kesultanan Sulu''; fil, Sultanato ng Sulu; Chavacano: ''Sultanato de Sulu/Joló''; ar, سلطنة سولك) was a Muslim state that ruled t ...
, to take the offensive against the Spanish. Evidently, Sulu needed the slave shipments Uto had been able to provide.
In the same year he stated in a letter to the Governor of
Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
, Colonel Carraga, that he has a large contingent to accompany him, which included at least 18 datus and 600 men. At the peak of his power he had as many as 5,000 slaves.
In turn, the Spanish attacked
Bakat, Buayan's major stronghold (''cota'' or ''kuta''), and occupied it. However, Uto was able to regain the stronghold and force the Spanish to sign a peace accord in May 1875.
The leaders of the
Pulangi river basin gravitated towards Uto's leadership, and this enabled them to keep the Spanish at bay. Included in the areas where Uto's influence grew were
Talayan
Talayan, officially the Municipality of Talayan ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Talayan''; Iranun: ''Inged a Talayan''; tl, Bayan ng Talayan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
,
Buluan, and
Tumbao In music of Afro-Cuban origin, tumbao is the basic rhythm played on the bass. In North America, the basic conga drum pattern used in popular music is also called ''tumbao''. In the contemporary form of Cuban popular dance music known as timba, piano ...
.
The Spanish recognised his "ingenuity in manipulating friendships and debt relationships to suit his ends." He solidified his alliances by friendship and marriage. For instance, he had a total of 60 wives.
![Buayan](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/46/Buayan.png)
While keeping his administration small, mainly composed of a council, it was his personality which built a coalition with the neighboring leaders. His domain extended from
Lake Buluan
Lake Buluan is a lake located in the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. With an estimated surface area of , it is the third largest lake in Mindanao, after Lake Lanao and Lake Mainit. It has an average elevation of .
The lake is sandwiched be ...
to
Sarangani Bay
Sarangani Bay is a bay located on the southern tip of Mindanao in the Philippines. It opens up to the Celebes Sea on the Pacific Ocean. General Santos City
General Santos, officially the City of General Santos,; hil, Dakbanwa sang Heneral ...
.
However, to conceal his true rank as sultan, Sultan Tambilawan (Sultan Bayao's son and Uto's cousin) was installed as the titular "Sultan of Buayan," even though Tambilawan was Sultan of
Kudarangan, a sultanate within Buayan. This caused Buayan to retain the title of
datu
''Datu'' is a title which denotes the rulers (variously described in historical accounts as chiefs, sovereign princes, and monarchs) of numerous indigenous peoples throughout the Philippine archipelago. The title is still used today, especial ...
, a strategy aimed to confuse the Spaniards as to who was the real ruler of Buayan.
Continued warfare
Peace did not last long. The new
Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines (Spanish: ''Gobernador y Capitán General de Filipinas''; Filipino: ''Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas''; Japanese: ) was the title of the government executive during the colon ...
,
José Malcampo, 3rd Marquis of San Rafael, renewed the military campaigns in Mindanao. In 1876, the Spanish captured
Jolo
Jolo ( tsg, SÅ«g) is a volcanic island in the southwest Philippines and the primary island of the province of Sulu, on which the capital of the same name is situated. It is located in the Sulu Archipelago, between Borneo and Mindanao, and has ...
. The following year, the Spanish were able to convince the sultans of
Cotabato
Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: Ú¤Ú ÙˆØªØ±Ù† كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...
and
Tumbao In music of Afro-Cuban origin, tumbao is the basic rhythm played on the bass. In North America, the basic conga drum pattern used in popular music is also called ''tumbao''. In the contemporary form of Cuban popular dance music known as timba, piano ...
to make an alliance against Buayan. Nevertheless, due to the signed peace accord, the Spanish did not dare to venture into Buayan itself.
Due to this success, Malcampo was granted the
victory title
A victory title is an honorific title adopted by a successful military commander to commemorate his defeat of an enemy nation. The practice is first known in Ancient Rome and is still most commonly associated with the Romans, but it was also adop ...
s of ''Count of Jolo'' and ''Viscount of Mindanao''.
Real decreto haciendo merced de TÃtulo del Reino, con la denominación de Conde de Joló, Vizconde de Mindanao, al Contraalmirante de la Armada D. José Malcampo y Monje, Marqués de San Rafael
Gaceta de Madrid
La Gaceta may refer to
* ''La Gaceta'' (Honduras), the official journal of the Republic of Honduras.
* ''La Gaceta'' (Tampa), a trilingual newspaper in Tampa, Florida, United States
* ''La Gaceta'' (Tucumán), a newspaper in San Miguel de Tucumà ...
no. 210, 29/07/1877, pg. 297.(BOE-A-1877-5842) On 20July 1878, Sultan Jamal ul-Azam signed a treaty recognizing Spanish sovereignty, but the Tausug made an issue of testing the limits of the treaty. By 1880 other sultanates began to emerge in the Pulangi River Basin. With this development, Uto made plans to defend the area against the Spanish. The Tausug and the Chinese began to supply him with arms in exchange for slaves. In particular, Buayan began to receive Enfield
Enfield may refer to:
Places Australia
* Enfield, New South Wales
* Enfield, South Australia
** Electoral district of Enfield, a state electoral district in South Australia, corresponding to the suburb
** Enfield High School (South Australia)
...
and Spencer rifles, as well as assorted pistols.
The Spanish began to see in him the making of the next Muhammad Kudarat
Muhammad Dipatuan Kudarat (1581–1671) was the 7th Sultan of Maguindanao from 1619 to 1671. During his reign, he successfully fought off Spanish invasions and halted the spread of Catholicism on the island of Mindanao, much like the other Musl ...
. Therefore in 1885 the succeeding 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 ...
, Emilio Terrero y Perinat, launched yet another military offensive in Mindanao
Mindanao ( ) ( Jawi: مينداناو) is the second-largest island in the Philippines, after Luzon, and seventh-most populous island in the world. Located in the southern region of the archipelago, the island is part of an island group of ...
, personally leading the Spanish forces. This prompted Federico Roldan, Governor of Cotabato
Cotabato or North Cotabato ( hil, Aminhan Cotabato; ceb, Amihanang Cotabato; Maguindanaon: ''Pangutaran Kutawatu'', Jawi: Ú¤Ú ÙˆØªØ±Ù† كوتاواتو; fil, Hilagang Cotabato), officially the Province of Cotabato, is a landlocked province in ...
, to attack Buayan. In 1886, two Spanish corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was first named as such in 1805. The size of a corps varies great ...
under General Serina razed Bakat to make way for the construction of a new fort and a railway from Iligan
Iligan, officially the City of Iligan ( ceb, Dakbayan sa Iligan; fil, Lungsod ng Iligan; Maranao: ''Inged a Iligan''), is a 1st class highly urbanized city in the region of Northern Mindanao, Philippines. According to the 2020 census, it has ...
to Lake Lanao. The project was abandoned as Uto's forces harassed the Spanish, gathering the metal used in construction to produce kris
The kris, or ''keris'' in the Indonesian language, is an asymmetrical dagger with distinctive blade-patterning achieved through alternating laminations of iron and nickelous iron (''pamor''). Of Javanese origin, the kris is famous for its disti ...
es. Nevertheless, it was apparent that Uto would not dare to take the offensive.
Attempting to break Buayan's defenses, the Spanish utilized artillery. While managing to destroy some strongholds, it was not enough to open up Uto's territory. Nevertheless, his followers began to fall to the Spanish offensive. Among them were Datu Kambing, Datu Kaliz, and the Sultan of Talayan
Talayan, officially the Municipality of Talayan ( Maguindanaon: ''Ingud nu Talayan''; Iranun: ''Inged a Talayan''; tl, Bayan ng Talayan), is a 4th class municipality in the province of Maguindanao del Sur, Philippines. According to the 2020 cens ...
. Sultan Tambilawan also pledged loyalty to the Spanish. On 10March 1887, Uto signed a peace treaty imposed by the Spanish. By 1888, his allies defected and his prestige was lost. Nevertheless, when the military campaigns of the Spanish ended, Uto remained unconquered.
Later life and death
While he had lost most of the influence he possessed prior to 1888, Uto remained strong in local politics and tried to gain the title of 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 ...
(a title he never used at the peak of his power). For instance, from 1888 to 1896, the Sultanate of Maguindanao
The Sultanate of Maguindanao ( Maguindanaon: ''Kasultanan nu Magindanaw''; Old Maguindanaon: كاسولتانن نو ماڬينداناو; Jawi: کسلطانن ماڬيندناو; Iranun: ''Kesultanan a Magindanao''; ms, Kesultanan Magindana ...
had no sultan. While it is apparent that Uto wanted to be sultan of the two sultanates of Buayan and Maguindanao, he backed his brother-in-law, Datu Mamaku, to take the vacant position in Maguindanao. Meanwhile, the Spanish wanted to place as sultan a Sibugay datu allied to them. Sultan Mangigin succeeded as sultan in 1896.
Despite the American occupation of the Philippines, Uto remained a powerful figure in the area until 1899. He had disappeared from the political scene by 1900, and Uto died two years later. Nevertheless, he was recorded as having met William Howard Taft
William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) was the 27th president of the United States (1909–1913) and the tenth chief justice of the United States (1921–1930), the only person to have held both offices. Taft was elected pr ...
, Governor-General of the Philippines
The Governor-General of the Philippines (Spanish: ''Gobernador y Capitán General de Filipinas''; Filipino: ''Gobernador-Heneral ng Pilipinas/Kapitan Heneral ng Pilipinas''; Japanese: ) was the title of the government executive during the colon ...
from 1901 to 1903. His wife married Mangigin in 1906. His unofficial successors continued their resistance, this time against the Americans. Among his former companions who would resist American rule in Mindanao were Datu Ali
Datu Ali, was a prominent Moro Chieftain of great distinction and the Rajahmuda of Tinukop before succeeding his cousin, Datu Uto, as Sultan of Bwayan from 1899 until 1905. He was the brother of Datu Djimbangan and Sultan Tambilawan of Kudaran ...
and Datu Djimbangan. Another successor, Datu Piang
*
*
*
*
*
1846 births
1933 deaths
Members of the Philippine Legislature
Filipino datus, rajas and sultans
Filipino Muslims
People from Cotabato City
{{philippines-bio-stub
Filipino politicians of Chinese descent , would prefer to cooperate with the Americans. In the process, he crowned himself Sultan of Mindanao, much to the dismay of Uto. Piang formerly served as a minister of Datu Uto.
See also
* List of Sunni Muslim dynasties
The following is a list of Sunni Muslim dynasties.
Asia
Middle East Arabian Peninsula
* Banu Wajih (926–965)
*Sharif of Mecca (967–1925)
* Al Uyuniyun (1076–1253)
*Sulaymanids (1063–1174)
*Mahdids (1159–1174)
*Kathiri (Hadhramaut) ( ...
References
Further reading
*
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Datu Uto
Filipino datus, rajas and sultans
Filipino Muslims
People of Spanish colonial Philippines
Filipino nobility