Malay Letters from Mindanao and Sulu from the Early Eighteenth Century

Nine Malay letters, written in Jawi script and dating from 1703 to 1721, represent the oldest known Malay documents from the Philippines. These letters, discovered in the Archivo General de Indias in Seville, include correspondence between Sultan Jalaluddin of Maguindanao and Sultan Syahabuddin of Sulu with Spanish governors, as well as letters from Maulana Jafar Sadik Syah, a contender sultan of Maguindanao. The earliest letters pertain to the political turmoil following the killing of Sultan Kaharuddin Kuday in 1702, while later letters address governance and regional dynamics during the early eighteenth century. This discovery provides invaluable insights into the historical interactions between Mindanao and Sulu with Spanish colonial authorities, enriching our understanding of the region's political landscape and cultural exchanges.

Gallop, A. T. (2024). Malay Letters from Mindanao and Sulu from the Early Eighteenth Century. Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints, 72(2). https://doi.org/10.13185/2244-1638.4997