SULU MOST BRIEF HISTORY

Neldy Jolo

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Sulu is basically known as archipelagic and volcanic part of the Southeast Asian Nations. In the present era when we say Sulu, it is a province after illegally annexed to Philippines when Spanish ceded Philippines to American through Treaty of Paris on December 10, 1899.

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Bud tumantangis, highest peak in Sulu Archipelago

Sulu actually is a nation and a state since 1390 when following the anniversary of the Sulu Public Administration that is done every September of the year. Some historians claim Sulu officially became nation-state started in 1401 or 1405.

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Sulu was internationally recognized as a nation-state and never subjugated and conquered for 321 years (1578-1899) by the Spanish, 47 years by the Americans (1899-1946), 4 years by the Japanese (1942-1945) and 62 years by Filipinos (Protégé of King Philip II of Spain) (1946-2008).

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Sulu is called Sug or Lupa’ Sug by its populace, translated into ‘Land of the sea current’ from the word ‘sug’ means current in the Bahasa Sug or Sinug (Tausug Language). According to the Tausug mystic knowledge there was a mystical piece of land called Lupa’ Sug which is usually can be seen only by pious men if he is fortunate.

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Sayyeda Rukaya Alfad enumerated in her article “Sulu, the Land of Mysticism” published in Hangadhulat, MSU-Sulu Student Publication in 2005 that says “among us in the Far East [Sulu], there are four hidden things, such as; the Hidden Knowledge, the Hidden Wealth, the Hidden City and the Hidden Power [Islamic Sultanate Government]” therefore this is the Sulu Hidden Kingdom or the Sulu Stolen Kingdom. Only God Knows.

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Calliter wrote in his article “The Journey of a Tausug” that Tausug are generally refers to Sug as the Way. If he says ‘makusug in sug‘, he actually meant ‘it is hard to cross the way.’ If he says ‘dih masangsang in sug‘, he is actually saying ‘the flow, the force or the way of the current is unstoppable‘. Tausugs call themselves ‘People of the Way or Ahlus Suluk.’ We redefined the Way further as the Living Current where all life flows, and Lupah Sug as “The Land of the Living Current.”

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Indeed, Sulu archipelago is “the tip of the east” and “the hidden treasure in the east”. Tagalog phrase “saan man sulok ng mundo” (wherever in the tip of the world) might be influenced by word Suluk. People who practiced Suluk usually did it at the corner and the tip of the Mosque. Tagalog word “Sulok” could mean as “tip” or “corner”.

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Sulu is famous for its pearls and Pearl Farm in Marunggas Island as well its white sand beaches like Igasan Beach (Quezon Beach) and Bangas Beach (Ramos Beach), coral reefs and exotic fruits that suggests to tag Sulu as “Land of Exotic Fruits”. These possessions might be portrayal of the idea to the character of Sulu archipelago as a “Beautiful Woman” or “Queen” of world’s archipelagos.

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Excerpt from the manuscript: Sulu Archipelago: The Islands of Pearls and the Wisdom behind it written by Neldy Jolo and edited by Yazz Abdurajim