moro pirates, moro pirates and escrima Options

[estocada]

moro pirates then and now are badass fighters:
http://www.fmapulse.com/content/fma-corner...irates-mindanao

[RedBagani]

In the Malay language, "Lanun" means pirate. It came from the name of the Iranun people. Another notorious group of adventurers in the Sulu-Western Mindanao-Sabah area was the Sea Dayaks, or Ibans. They were superb marine commandos and traditionally were head-hunters. They placed the heads of their slain enemies in their long houses. When I was a kid, I had classmates who were Ibans. They were actually nice. Their dads had great tattooes. Their moms had ear lobes made very long by heavy brass earrings.

If I were to re-start collecting swords, I would get either a Lanun kampilan, or an Iban mandau. Both are great for chopping off heads and hands.

[Sitbatan]

nice article

[torqui]

There is a book entitled The Sulu Zone, 1768-1898: The Dynamics of External Trade, Slavery, and Ethnicity in the Transformation of a Southeast Asian Maritime State. It documents the moro raids conducted all over the archipelago and in other SEA areas. It describes the social, political and economic situation of that era. The author, James Francis Warren, has authored many other books on related subjects. Very interesting reads for FMA people.

[engar]

Thanks for the article.

[AK-47]

Here is also an interesting article on the same topic from the Journal of Southeast Asian Studies:

http://journals.cambridge.org/action/displ...&aid=198853

[Sitbatan]

i wonder what people will be writing a hundred years from now, about the current pirates we have here... abu sayyaf and what not. It seems that time or antiquity seems to romantacise the facts.

[RedBagani]

Perspectives will definitely change 100yrs from now. I am not justifying the terrorist behavior of the Abu Sayyaf or even the Ampatuans, but facts are being obscured today because of political implications and emotions. In the future, we may be able to see things more objectively & understand how the Abu Sayyaf & Ampatuans came to be what they are now.

As for Moro pirates, I heard that because of Western colonization (Spanish & American in out case), trading was disrupted & many were driven to piracy. Piracy, however, was already present during the pre-Spanish period. I would like to have a copy of that book. I think this was explained there.

I lived in Borneo as a kid, and I remember weekly newspapers reporting raids by Filipino pirates on Malaysian sea vessels. Piracy was a regular incident, and gave Filipinos a bad rep in Sabah.

[torqui]

As for Moro pirates, I heard that because of Western colonization (Spanish & American in out case), trading was disrupted & many were driven to piracy. Piracy, however, was already present during the pre-Spanish period. I would like to have a copy of that book. I think this was explained there.

If I remember what I read in Warren's book, Sulu was a center of commerce in ancient times, being THE major trading port for goods coming from the North (India, China, etc) on their way to the South (Moluccas, Indonesia, Borneo, etc.) and vice versa. Sulu became very wealthy because of this "monopoly". Although piracy/slave raids did happen then, it wasn't on a very large scale.

It was when the Dutch discovered the spice islands (Moluccas/Indonesian archipelago) and established colonies there that a more direct route from North to South was discovered, bypassing Sulu all together. As a consequence, commercial traffic going though Sulu was reduced to a trickle. Because Sulu was no longer a major commercial trading center for goods from North and South, they had to find another source of income - something that still wasn't being addressed by the Dutch spice island route. What they eventually concentrated on was slave trading. The booming commercial centers in the Moluccas would need slaves for domestic use in the colonies or for export to other nearby countries. The Tausugs of Sulu, unjustly blamed for doing the raids themselves, were actually the big business financiers of the many slaving expeditions in the Philippine archipelago and other nearby areas. Those who actually did the raiding who were employed by the Tausugs were the Iranun and Balangingi tribesmen.

The moro raids were said to have peaked in intensity in the 1800's. The Spanish empire was in decline at this time (British and Dutch dominated the sea, costly uprisings in Spanish colonies) and did not have any resources to protect areas far from the capital (especially the Visayas). It was only during the American colonial era that the moro raids were effectively stopped on a wide scale.

On a side note and in connection with the moros' raiding practices, I think I remember reading that one big reason why Islam did not spread too far and wide outside of Mindanao and Sulu (and some small pockets in other parts) despite it predating Christianity significantly, was because of the moro penchant for raiding. The then animistic islanders would have nothing to do with the religion of the "pirates" who pillage their settlements, enslave their men and children and kidnap their women for harems. They refused conversion to Islam. The raids would actually encourage the animistic islanders to ally with the Spanish, enemies of the moros too, and convert to Christianity.

[AK-47]

Perspectives will definitely change 100yrs from now. I am not justifying the terrorist behavior of the Abu Sayyaf or even the Ampatuans, but facts are being obscured today because of political implications and emotions. In the future, we may be able to see things more objectively & understand how the Abu Sayyaf & Ampatuans came to be what they are now.

According to some the Abu Sayaf was a creation of the CIA (build with the help of the AFP) to serve the US geostrategic and economic interests in the area. The Philippines is very usefull for the projection of US power in the region (China, Indonesia). If there was no terrorism there would there still be reason's for balikatan? I doubt it.

Senator pimentel, on the Abu Sayaf:
http://www.nenepimentel.org/speeches/20000802.shtml


Davao's bombings and the Meiring case:
http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/Meiring.html

[Diego_Vega]

Another good book is Raiding, Trading and Feasting: The Political Economy of Philippine Chiefdoms, by Laura Lee Junker. Her theory was that maratime raiding was used by chiefdom based societies to acquire prestige goods (rare treasures, metal weaponry, slaves, women). She says that relationships between these societies were often about interpersonal relationships as well as kinship relationships and that the prestige goods were used both symbolically and ritually to reinforce them. At the same time the goods were used to consolidate relationships with underlings by selectively funneling down goods to local leaders. In Chapter 12, Raiding and Militarism as a Competitive Strategy, she writes:

Epic stories emphasizing warrior prowess, warfare-related ritual, and warrior status insignia reinforced the soical value of raiding activities, allowing chiefs to raise large fighting forces through their alliance networks.

So, at the time, the perspective on these pirates depended on whether they were with you or against you. As for the aforementioned quote, think about our current state of fma and our focus on "epic stories," "warfare-related ritual", and "warrior status insignia."

[Karl]

Perspectives will definitely change 100yrs from now. I am not justifying the terrorist behavior of the Abu Sayyaf or even the Ampatuans, but facts are being obscured today because of political implications and emotions. In the future, we may be able to see things more objectively & understand how the Abu Sayyaf & Ampatuans came to be what they are now.

According to some the Abu Sayaf was a creation of the CIA (build with the help of the AFP) to serve the US geostrategic and economic interests in the area. The Philippines is very usefull for the projection of US power in the region (China, Indonesia). If there was no terrorism there would there still be reason's for balikatan? I doubt it.

Senator pimentel, on the Abu Sayaf:
http://www.nenepimentel.org/speeches/20000802.shtml


Davao's bombings and the Meiring case:
http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/Meiring.html

Well I will not wonder if is true about what they say , juts look what happends not too long ago in NIcaragua/honduras, Panama; Irak.....and many more....One of the common factor there was the CIA.

[RedBagani]

So, at the time, the perspective on these pirates depended on whether they were with you or against you. As for the aforementioned quote, think about our current state of fma and our focus on "epic stories," "warfare-related ritual", and "warrior status insignia."

I guess I am guilty in a way.
I adopted the name "Bagani". The real Bagani was allowed to have slaves & keep several wives. I am too soft to be a slave owner, & too scared of my wife to get another.

[AK-47]

What about modern piracy?
Here is an ebook about contemporary piracy in South East Asia: Pirates in paradise: a modern history of Southeast Asia's maritime marauders
http://books.google.fr/booksid=SlDe_cmh3mg...ulu&f=false

[AK-47]

Perspectives will definitely change 100yrs from now. I am not justifying the terrorist behavior of the Abu Sayyaf or even the Ampatuans, but facts are being obscured today because of political implications and emotions. In the future, we may be able to see things more objectively & understand how the Abu Sayyaf & Ampatuans came to be what they are now.

According to some the Abu Sayaf was a creation of the CIA (build with the help of the AFP) to serve the US geostrategic and economic interests in the area. The Philippines is very usefull for the projection of US power in the region (China, Indonesia). If there was no terrorism there would there still be reason's for balikatan? I doubt it.

Senator pimentel, on the Abu Sayaf:
http://www.nenepimentel.org/speeches/20000802.shtml


Davao's bombings and the Meiring case:
http://www.davesweb.cnchost.com/Meiring.html

Well I will not wonder if is true about what they say , juts look what happends not too long ago in NIcaragua/honduras, Panama; Irak.....and many more....One of the common factor there was the CIA.

CIA in the Philippines: http://www.scribd.com/doc/20126654/Covert-...the-Philippines

[torqui]

Here's another article on Moro piracy: Moro Piracy During the Spanish Period and its Impact

It describes piracy and the slave trade during the Spanish era and touches a little bit on slave trade before the Spanish came. It also The article also describes how parish priests were central in organizing the defenses of the towns and the construction of fortifications. It also touches on the ban on locals carrying weapons and how that ban was lifted because of the intensification of the moro raids.