{{Short description|Lowest social class in the precolonial cultures in the Philippines}} {{italic title}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2022}} {{Use Philippine English|date=October 2022}} {{Pre-hispanic History of the Philippines}} The '''''alipin''''' refers to the lowest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Visayan languages, the equivalent social classes were known as the '''''ulipon''''' (Cebuano and Hiligaynon) and '''''uripon''''' (Waray).
==Overview== {{main|Precolonial barangay|History of the Philippines (900–1565)}} The most common translation of the word is "servant" or "slave", as opposed to the higher classes of the ''timawa''/''maharlika'' and the ''tumao''/''maginoo''. This translation, however, is inaccurate. The concept of the ''alipin'' relied on a complex system of obligation and repayment through labor in ancient Philippine society, rather than on the actual purchase of a person as in Western and Islamic slavery. Indeed, members of the ''alipin'' class who owned their own houses were more accurately equivalent to medieval European serfs and commoners.<ref>{{cite journal|last=Scott|first=William Henry|authorlink=William Henry Scott (historian)|url= https://www.jstor.org/stable/42632521|title=Filipino Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century|journal=Philippine Studies|year=1980|volume=28|issue=2|pages=142–175 |jstor=42632521 }}</ref>{{rp|146-147}}
==Etymology== ''Alipin'' comes from the transitive form of the archaic Visayan root word ''udip'' ("to live"). It derived from the word meaning "to let live" in the senses of letting a war captive live or paying or ransoming someone for a debt that exceeds the value of their life.<ref name="scott2">{{cite book|author=William Henry Scott|title =Baranggay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society|publisher =Ateneo De Manila University Press|year =1994|isbn =9715501354|url =https://ia802800.us.archive.org/32/items/BarangaySixteenthCenturyPhilippineCultureAndSociety/Barangay%20-%20Sixteenth%20Century%20Philippine%20Culture%20and%20Society_text.pdf}}</ref>
''Alipin'' were also known as ''kiapangdilihan'' in the Sultanate of Sulu (an Islamized Visayan polity).<ref name="Scott1994">{{cite book |last=Scott |first=William Henry |author-link=William Henry Scott (historian) |title=Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society |publisher=Ateneo de Manila University Press |year=1994 |location=Quezon City |isbn=978-971-550-135-4}}</ref> They were distinguished from the Arab and European-inspired chattel slaves (known as ''banyaga'', ''bisaya'', ''ipun'', or ''ammas''). The ''kiapangdilihan'' were commoners who were temporarily enslaved to pay off debt or as punishment for a crime. Like the ''alipin'' in other groups, they were slaves only in terms of their temporary service requirement to their master, but retained most of the rights of the freemen, including protection from physical harm and the fact that they could not be sold.
The ''banyaga'', on the other hand, were outsiders captured from slave raids (mostly from Spanish-controlled Philippine territories, as well as neighboring settlements in Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei). The statuses of the ''banyaga'' were permanent. They were treated as possessions with no legal rights, and could be sold or killed at will.<ref name="warren2">{{cite book|author=James Francis Warren|title =Iranun and Balangingi: Globalization, Maritime Raiding and the Birth of Ethnicity|publisher =NUS Press|year =2002|pages=53–56|isbn =9789971692421|url =https://nuspress.nus.edu.sg/products/iranun-and-balangingi}}</ref>
In Manila the term Alipin is used when referring to slaves, both Muslim or Non-Muslim.<ref name="PCDSPO2015">{{Cite web|url=http://malacanang.gov.ph/75832-pre-colonial-manila|title=Pre-colonial Manila|date=June 23, 2015|website=Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library|series=Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library Araw ng Maynila Briefers|publisher=Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211214074040/http://malacanang.gov.ph/75832-pre-colonial-manila/?s=cult&json=1|archive-date=December 14, 2021|url-status=dead|access-date=April 27, 2017}}("The population at that time was estimated to be composed of at least 2, 000 people. The inhabitants were well- attired and that the chiefs wore more elegant clothing and wore anklets of gold around their arms. The wealthiest owned slaves that were both Muslims and non- Muslims. They also wore colorful head dresses with golden trinkets and other body ornaments.")</ref> And in which case Al- is often applied in Dialetheistic sense since the Al- is a common Islamic and Arabic definite article.<ref name="Ibn_Hisham_159_190">{{harvp|Ibn Hishām|2001|pp=159–190}}</ref>
== Subclasses == [[File:Ulipon - Philippines (c.1668).jpg|thumb|An illustration from ''Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas'' (1668) by Francisco Ignacio Alcina depicting a tattooed ''uluhan'' with a paddle, labeled "''esclavo''" ("slave")]] As a social class, ''alipin'' had several subclasses based on the nature of their obligations and their dependence on their masters:<ref name="PCDSPO2015" />
*'''''Uluhan''''' (literally "at the head"),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Clark |first1=Jordan |title=VISAYAN Class Structure in the Sixteenth Century Philippines |url=https://www.aswangproject.com/visayan-class-structure-precolonial/ |website=The Aswang Project |date=June 16, 2018 |access-date=16 October 2025}}</ref> a hereditary class of ''ulipon'' unique to the Visayans and first mentioned in the ''Boxer Codex'' (as "horo-han"). Instead of serving obligations through labor, the ''uluhan'' instead served their masters as warriors (usually as paddlers for warships).<ref name="scott2"/><ref name="szanton">{{cite book|author=Cristina Blanc-Szanton|editor =Jane Monnig Atkinson & Shelly Errington|title =Power and Difference: Gender in Island Southeast Asia|chapter =Collision of Cultures: Historical Reformulations of Gender in the Lowland Visayas, Philippines|publisher =Stanford University Press|year =1990|page=[https://archive.org/details/powerdifferenceg00atki/page/356 356]|isbn =9780804717816|url =https://archive.org/details/powerdifferenceg00atki|url-access=registration|quote=tumao nobility.}}</ref><ref name="Souza"/> Unlike the ''timawa'' warrior class, they were not considered nobility, though higher-status ''uluhan'' were virtually indistinguishable from lower-class ''timawa''.<ref name="angel">{{cite journal|author=Jose Amiel Angeles |year=2007|title=The Battle of Mactan and the Indigenous Discourse on War|journal=Philippine Studies: Historical and Ethnographic Viewpoints|volume=55|issue=1|pages=3–52|publisher=Ateneo de Manila University|issn=2244-1093}}</ref> Like the ''timawa'', they may also sometimes be obligated to do communal work and paid a vassalage fee known as ''dagupan''.<ref name="scott2"/><ref name="Souza">{{cite book |title=The Boxer Codex: Transcription and translation of an illustrated late sixteenth-century Spanish manuscript concerning the geography, ethnography and history of the Pacific, South-East Asia and East Asia |translator-last1=Turley|translator-first1=Jeffrey S.|editor1-last=Souza|editor1-first=George Bryan|editor2-first=Jeffrey S.|editor2-last=Turley|date=2016 |publisher=Brill |location=Leiden |isbn=978-90-04-30154-2 |pages=346–347}}</ref> *'''''Aliping namamahay''''' (literally "servant who is housed") refers to ''alipin'' that had their own houses, which was usually built on the property of their masters. They were also known as '''''tuhay''''', '''''mamahay''''', or '''''tumaranpoc''''' (Spanish spelling: ''tumaranpoque'') in Visayan, literally means "house dweller" or "villager." They were not at all slaves, as they were often only obligated to pay a percentage of their earnings or harvests (known as ''handog'' in Tagalog and ''buhis'' in Visayan, 'tribute' and 'tax' respectively) to their masters and no more, thus making them more similar to the medieval European serfs and commoners. They may sometimes be called upon by their masters for harvesting, sowing fields, building new structures, or for aid in emergencies, though these were usually not part of their obligations. They could also freely buy their way out of debt and could marry without the consent of their masters. In the Visayas, some ''tuhay'' might also serve their masters in war, like the ''uluhan''.<ref name="scott2"/><ref name="morrow"/><ref name="blair"/> *'''''Alipin sa gigilid''''' (literally "servant in the corners [of the master's house]") refers to unmarried ''alipin'' without a house and whose existence was completely dependent on the graces of their masters. They were also known as '''''tomataban''''', '''''alalay''''', '''''hayohay''''', or '''''ayuey''''' in Visayan (meaning "servant", "assistant", or "follower"). They could only marry with the consent of their master (rarely given for female ''alipin sa gigilid''). Once married, an ''alipin sa gigilid'' became an ''aliping namamahay'', as the master was not obligated to feed and house the family of the latter. Their obligations (i.e. services) could also be transferred or sold to another master.<ref name="morrow"/><ref name="blair">{{cite book|editor =Emma Helen Blair & James Alexander Robertson|title =The Philippine Islands, 1493-1803, Volume V., 1582-1583: Explorations By Early Navigators, Descriptions Of The Islands And Their Peoples, Their History And Records Of The Catholic Missions, As Related In Contemporaneous Books And Manuscripts, Showing The Political, Economic, Commercial And Religious Conditions Of Those Islands From Their Earliest Relations With European Nations To The Beginning Of The Nineteenth Century|chapter =Relacion de las Yslas Filipinas (1582) by Miguel de Loarca|publisher =The A.H. Clark Company (republished online by Project Gutenberg)|year =1903|url =https://www.gutenberg.org/files/16501/16501-h/16501-h.htm}}</ref> Most of the people belonging to this class were the unmarried children of ''aliping namamahay'', or were unransomed captives taken from wars or raids (''bihag'').<ref name="halili">{{cite book|author=M.C. Halili|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=gUt5v8ET4QYC&dq=alipin&pg=PA57|title =Philippine History|publisher =Rex Bookstore, Inc.|page=57|year =2004|isbn = 9789712339349}}</ref>
At lower ranks than the above were the ''alipin'' of ''alipin''. The ''alipin sa gigilid'' of an ''aliping namamahay'' was called '''''bulisik''''' ("vile"), while an ''alipin sa gigilid'' of an ''alipin sa gigilid'' was known by the even more derogatory '''''bulislis''''' (literally meaning "lifted skirt", a term implying that these persons were so vulnerable that it seems like their genitals are exposed). At an even more lower social rank than the latter two were ''alipin'' who were acquired through war or who came from other communities. They were often treated as non-persons until they became fully integrated into the local culture.<ref name="morrow"/>
==Differences from the western concept of slavery== {{See also|Peon}} While the ''alipin'' does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as "slave" in the western sense of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documented observations from the 17th century indicate that there may be significant differences between the Western concept of "slave" and the Pre-Hispanic Filipino concept of "''alipin''".<ref name="scott2"/> Some academics prefer to use the more accurate terms "debtors", "serfs", "bondsmen", or "dependents" instead.<ref name="brewer">{{cite book|author=Carolyn Brewer|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=xCzLUqFQ3YsC&dq=alipin+debtor&pg=PA197|title =Shamanism, Catholicism, and Gender Relations in Colonial Philippines, 1521-1685|publisher =Ashgate Publishing, Ltd.|page=197|year =2004|isbn = 9780754634379}}</ref>
[[File:Naturales 1.png|thumb|left|upright|A plate in the ''Boxer Codex'' possibly depicting ''alipin'' in the Prehispanic Philippines]] The lowest class of ''alipin'' originating from prisoners-of-war were traded like market goods initially. But unlike Western slaves, subsequent transfer of the ''alipin'' to a new master was priced at the value of the [remaining] bond. It was the labor obligation of the ''alipin'' being sold, not the person. Most ''alipin'' usually acquired their status either voluntarily (usually because of material or honor debt, or as a form of assistance to impoverished relatives), by inheriting the status of their parents, as a form of legal punishment for crime, or by being spared from execution after being captured in wars or raids. ''Alipin'' who acquired their status by debt were known as ''tinubos'' (literally "redeemed" or "ransomed"), and their creditors might sell their services for profit at the price of the debt incurred.<ref name="scott2"/>
The actual degree of obligations of the ''alipin'' could vary considerably. It was dependent on the monetary equivalent of the obligation owed and was usually limited in duration. An ''alipin'' could earn their freedom or gain higher status by marriage, being set free by their masters (known as ''matitimawa'' or ''tinimawa'' among Visayans), buying it with their earnings, fulfillment of the obligations, or by extraordinary accomplishments and bravery in battle.<ref name="scott2"/><ref name="morrow">{{cite web|url=https://www.pilipino-express.com/history-a-culture/in-other-words/251-maharlika-and-the-ancient-class-system.html|title=Maharlika and the ancient class system|author=Paul Morrow|date=January 16, 2009|publisher=Pilipino Express|accessdate=July 18, 2012}}</ref>
The inheritance of the ''alipin'' status was subject to a complex system of rules dependent on the offspring's condition known as the ''saya''. For example, the first child of a male freeman and a female ''alipin'' would be free, but their second child would be an ''alipin'' like the mother; and so on with the rest of the children. If the number of children was not even, the last child would be a partial ''alipin''. The master of an ''aliping namamahay'' might also sometimes take one child of the latter as an ''alipin sa gigilid'' in the case of the latter's death. They might become ''sibin'' or ''ginogatan'' ("favorites") of their masters and be set free upon the master's death.<ref name="scott2"/>
An ''alipin'' who inherits the debts of their parents was known as a ''gintubo'' (literally "grown up with").<ref name="halili"/> Children of parents who are both ''alipin'' were known as ''ginlubos'', while the children of ''ginlubos'' were known as ''lubos nga ulipon''.<ref name="scott2"/>
Partial ''alipin'' retain their ''alipin'' ancestors' obligations according to their degree of relation. The partial ''alipin'' child of a ''timawa'' and an ''alipin'', for example, will inherit half of their ''alipin'' parent's obligations, while the grandchild of an ''alipin'' will only owe a quarter. Half ''alipin'' whose services were scheduled alternately by months are referred to as ''bulan'' ("moon" or "month") or ''pikas'' ("half"). Quarter ''alipin'' were referred to as ''tilor'' or ''sagipat'' ("quarter"). They could also freely buy their way out of service if they can afford it. Part or all of the ''alipin'' duties of the parents are often taken over by their children.<ref name="scott2"/><ref name="halili"/>
==See also== *Slavery in the Sultanate of Sulu *Piracy in the Sulu Sea *Spanish expedition to Balanguingui
==References== {{Reflist|2}}
==Sources== * {{cite book |last= Ibn Hishām |first= Abu Muhammad ‘Abd al-Malik |title= Sabīl al-Hudā 'alā Sharh Qaţr al-Nadā wa-Ball a;-Ṣadā |year=2001|publisher= Maktab Dār al-Fajr |location= Damascus }}
==Further reading== * Leon Ma. Guerrero (2007). ''The First Filipino''. Guerrero Publishing. Manila. * Reynaldo Oliveros (2007). ''Philippine History and Government''. Ibon Publishing. Manila.
Category:History of the Philippines (900–1565) Category:Social class in the Philippines