Paramount rulers in early Philippine history

The term Paramount Ruler, or sometimes Paramount Datu, is a term applied by historians to describe the highest ranking political authorities in the largest lowland polities (see: Barangay state) or inter-polity alliance groups in early Philippine history, most notably those in Maynila, Tondo, Pangasinan, Cebu, Bohol, Butuan, Cotabato, and Sulu.

Different cultures of the Philippine archipelago referred to the most senior datu or leader of the "Barangay state" or Bayan using different titles.

In Muslim polities such as Sulu and Cotabato, the Paramount ruler was called a Sultan. In Tagalog communities, the equivalent title was that of Lakan. In communities which historically had strong political or trade connections with Indianized polities in Indonesia and Malaysia, the Paramount Ruler was called a Rajah. Among the Subanon people of the Zamboanga Peninsula, a settlement's Datus answer to a Thimuay, and some Thimuays are sometimes additionally referred to as "Thimuay Labi," or as Sulotan in more Islamized Subanon communities. In some other portions of the Visayas and Mindanao, there was no separate name for the most senior ruler, so the Paramount ruler was simply called a Datu, although one Datu was identifiable as the most senior.

Although Junker notes that a position as paramount leader could be passed on through heredity, the inheritor would still have to prove himself worthy of the position, through a combination of personal charisma, capable leadership, and prowess in war. In this way, Jocano notes that this Paramount Datu was chosen by the Datus from among themselves, a situation Jocano likened to “’’a living democracy.’’”

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