Tagalog people

Tagalog is a Filipino ethnic group on Luzon. The members are also called Tagalogs. 18% of the residents of the Philippines are Tagalog. Their language is the same Tagalog. The derived Filipino is in addition to English the official language of the Philippines.

Origin

The ancestors of the Tagalogs were probably 2,000 BC by China or North Vietnam to the island. The Tagalogs are descendants of Malay immigrants and live in Central Luzon, Mindoro, Marinduque, and in small numbers the other islands of the Philippines. You have superseded the found mixed population of Negritos and earlier immigrant Malays into the interior of the islands are partially addressed in them.

Religion

Today, 80 % of Tagalog are Catholic, a consequence of the Spanish colonization ( 1565-1898 ). In the 12th century came from Malaysia Hinduism on the island. It is not clear whether the Tagalog Hinduism, dominated the Malay Archipelago at this time also accepted. Words from the Indian (Sanskrit ) and Malay and the font Baybayin, the Indonesian models ( Kawi script) has, suggest. Buddhism came in the 9th century by China forth to the island, but remained a religion of the immigrant Chinese. Islam came through Malay and Arab traders in the 15th century to Luzon. Some Muslim villages emerged, including Maynilad, later Manila ( Tagalog: Maynila ), the current capital of the Philippines.

Pre-colonial social structure

Members of the pre-colonial feudal Tagalog society on the island of Luzon were the aristocratic Maginoo, they placed the highest class in the social structure dar. from their class recruited the leaders of the Datus, Rajas and the Lakans. The next level were the Timawa and followed them the warrior class of the Maharlika. The lowest class of society represented the Alipin, this class was divided again into two levels.

When the Spaniards arrived in 1570, the Manila Bay, they met there on the Lakan Dula Banaw in Tondo, the center of the Luzon Empire, the Raja ( Ladyang ) Matanda (Raja Matanda Sapa ) and Raja Suleyman III. in today's Manila.