Laguna Copperplate Inscription

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (900 A.D.), a thin copper plate measuring less than 8 × 12 inches (20 × 30 cm) in size and inscribed with small writing that had been hammered into its surface. It shows heavy Indian cultural influence (by way of Srivijaya) present in the Philippines during the era prior to Spanish colonization in the 16th century.

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (also shortened to LCI) is the earliest known written document found in the Philippines. The plate was found in 1989 by a sand laborer working on Lumbang River near the outlet to Laguna de Bay, in Barangay Wawa, Lumban, in the Laguna province.The inscription on the plate was first deciphered by Dutch anthropologist Antoon Postma.

The discovery of the plate has highlighted the evidence of cultural links present between the Tagalog people of this time and the various contemporary civilizations in Asia, most notably the Javanese Medang Kingdom, the Srivijaya empire, and the Middle kingdoms of India, a topic in Philippine history of which not much is presently known.

Description

The LCI has inscribed on it a date in the Saka era calendar, year of Siyaka 822, month of Waisaka, the fourth day of the waning moon; which corresponds to Monday, April 21, 900 AD in the Gregorian calendar. The writing system used is the Kawi Script. The language is a variety of Old Malay containing numerous loanwords from Sanskrit and a few non-Malay vocabulary elements whose origin is ambiguous between Old Javanese and Old Tagalog. The document states releasing its bearers, the children of Namwaran, from a debt in gold amounting to 1 kati and 8 suwarnas (865 grams).

The document also mentions the places of Tondo (Tundun); Paila (Pailah), now a sitio of Brgy. San Lorenzo in Norzagaray; Binuangan (Binwangan), now a barangay of Obando; and Pulilan (Puliran), all in the area around Manila Bay; and Mdaη (the Javanese Kingdom of Medang), Indonesia as concluded by the Dutch anthropologist and Mangyan language expert Antoon Postma. The present location of Pailah and Puliran are contested as they could mean the settlements of Pila and the southeastern part of the lake previously known are Puliran which are closer to where the plate was found.

Discovery

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription was found in 1989 near the mouth of the Lumbang River near Laguna de Bay, by a man who was dredging sand to turn into concrete. Suspecting that the artifact might have some value, the man sold it to an antique dealer who, having found no buyers, eventually sold it to the National Museum of the Philippines landing in the hands of Alfredo E. Evangelista, head of its Anthropology Department..

It was in the National Museum a year later that Antoon Postma noticed that the writing on the inscription was similar to an ancient Indonesian script called Kavi. Postma translated the script and found the document dated itself to the Saka year 822, which in the old Hindu calendar corresponded to approximately 900 A.D. in the Gregorian calendar. This meant that the document pre-dated the arrival of Ferdinand Magellan in 1521, taking the pre-Hispanic written history of the Philippines to about the same time as the reference to the Philippines found in the official Chinese Sung History for the year 972.

Significance

The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, among other discoveries made in recent years in the country such as the Golden Tara of Butuan and 14th century pottery and gold jewellery artifacts found in Cebu, is highly important in revising the ancient history of the Philippines, which prior to the LCI discovery was considered by some western historians to be culturally isolated from the rest of Asia, as no evident pre-Hispanic written records were found at the time. Noted Philippines historian William Henry Scott debunked these theories in 1968 with his Prehispanic Source materials for the Study of Philippine History which was subsequently published in 1984. The LCI sheds light on the ancient Philippine history, which until the time of Scott was largely ignored because of the dominantly Hispanic-derived culture present during the Spanish occupation. This document is considered a National treasure and rests in the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila.

The copper scroll differs in manufacture from the Javanese scrolls of the time in that the words are embossed into the plate, rather than being inscribed onto a heated, softened scroll of metal.

Cultural references

The transliteration of the LCI shows heavy Sanskrit, Old Javanese and Malay linguistic influence. Among the observances made by Antonio Pigafetta in the 16th century Boxer Codex, Old Malay was spoken among pre-colonized Filipinos as a lingua franca.

The use of Hindu references in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription could also suggest the people who authored this inscription, were followers of Hinduism and Buddhism at this time in history. The Golden Tara icon, an ancient artifact discovered in Butuan, Mindanao dating from the same period, also highly suggests the influence of Hindu and Buddhist religions being followed in the area , prior to Roman Catholicism which was introduced to later become the dominant religion of the Filipino people.

Transliteration and translation

Transliteration

English translation

Swasti. Ṣaka warṣatita 822 Waisakha masa di(ng) Jyotiṣa.

Long Live! Year of Syaka 822, month of Vaisakha, according to Jyotisha (Hindu astronomy).

Caturthi Kriṣnapaksa Somawāra sana tatkala Dayang Angkatan lawan dengan nya sānak barngaran si Bukah anak da dang Hwan Namwaran di bari waradāna wi shuddhapattra ulih sang pamegat senāpati di Tundun barja(di) dang Hwan Nāyaka tuhan Pailah Jayadewa.

The fourth day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion, Lady Angkatan, and her brother whose name is Bukah, the children of the Honourable Namwaran, were awarded a document of complete pardon from the Commander in Chief of Tundun, represented by the Lord Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa.

Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang kayastha shuddha nu di parlappas hutang da walenda Kati 1 Suwarna 8 di hadapan dang Huwan Nayaka tuhan Puliran Kasumuran.

By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable Namwaran has been forgiven of all and is released from his debts and arrears of 1 Katî and 8 Suwarna before the Honourable Lord Minister of Puliran Kasumuran by the authority of the Lord Minister of Pailah.

dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah barjadi ganashakti. Dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadana sanak kapawaris ulih sang pamegat dewata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat Medang dari bhaktinda diparhulun sang pamegat.

Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief, the Honourable and widely renowned Lord Minister of Binwangan recognized all the living relatives of Namwaran who were claimed by the Chief of Dewata, represented by the Chief of Medang.

Ya makanya sadanya anak cucu dang Hwan Namwaran shuddha ya kapawaris dihutang da dang Hwan Namwaran di sang pamegat Dewata.

Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable Namwaran are forgiven, indeed, of any and all debts of the Honourable Namwaran to the Chief of Dewata.

Ini gerang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari kamudyan ada gerang urang barujara welung lappas hutang da dang Hwa

This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth that on some future day should there be a man who claims that no release from the debt of the Honourable...

See also

• Copperplate
• Tamil Copper-plate inscriptions
• Indian copper plate inscriptions
• Vatteluttu

External links

• Hector Santos' A Philippine Document from 900 A.D.
• Paul Morrow's THE LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION
• Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Route to Paracale
• Laguna Copperplate Inscription Purchase Story