- Urduja
Infobox Philippine mythology
title = Princess Urduja
description = Philippine folk heroine
gender = Female
region =Pangasinan
equivalent =Urduja (ca.
1350 C.E -1400 C.E.), is a legendary warrior-princess who is recognized as a heroine inPangasinan . The name Urduja appears to beSanskrit in origin, and a variation of the name "Udaya," meaning "arise" or "rising sun," or the name "Urja," meaning "breath." A historical reference to Urduja can be found in the travel account ofIbn Battuta (1304 - possibly1368 or1377 C.E.), aMuslim traveler fromMorocco .Ibn Battuta
Ibn Battuta described Urduja as the ruler of "Kaylukari" in the land of "Tawalisi." After reaching Samudra in what is now
Sumatra , Ibn Battuta passed by Tawalisi on his way toChina . Princess Urduja was described as a daughter of a ruler named Tawalisi of a land that was also called Tawalisi. The ruler of Tawalisi, according to Ibn Battuta, possessed many ships and was a rival ofChina , which was then ruled by aMongol dynasty. [Ibn Battuta, "The Travels of Ibn Baṭṭūṭa, A.D. 1325–1354", vol. 4, trans. H. A. R. Gibb and C. F. Beckingham (London: Hakluyt Society, 1994), pp. 884–5.] Ibn Battuta sailed for 17 days to reach China from the land of Tawalisi. [Ibn Battuta, p. 888.]Ibn Battuta made a pilgrimage toMecca and he traveled to many other parts of theIslamic world. FromIndia andSumatra , Ibn Battuta reached the land of Tawalisi. Ibn Battuta described Princess Urduja as a warrior princess whose army was composed of men and women. Princess Urduja was a woman warrior who personally took part in the fighting and engaged in duels with other warriors. She was quoted as saying that she will marry no one but him who fights and defeats her in a duel. Other warriors avoided fighting with her for fear of being disgraced. [Ibn Battuta, p. 887.]Princess Urduja impressed Ibn Battuta with her military exploits and her ambition to lead an expedition to India, known to her as the "Pepper Country." But, Princess Urduja also showed her hospitality by preparing a banquet for Ibn Battuta and the crew of his ship. Princess Urduja generously provided Ibn Battuta with gifts that included robes,
rice , two buffaloes, and four large jars ofginger , pepper,lemons , andmangoes , all salted, in preparation for Ibn Battuta's sea-voyage to China. [Ibn Battuta, pp. 886–7.]Research
Jose Rizal , the national hero of thePhilippines who was also a respected scholar, speculated that the land of Tawalisi was in the area of the northern part of the Philippines, based on his calculation of the time and distance of travel Ibn Battuta took to sail to China from Tawalisi. In 1916, Austin Craig, a historian of the University of the Philippines, in "The Particulars of the Philippines Pre-Spanish Past," traced the land of Tawalisi and Princess Urduja to Pangasinan. Philippine school textbooks have included Princess Urduja in the list of great Filipinos. In the province of Pangasinan, the capitol building inLingayen is named "Urduja Palace." A statue of Princess Urduja stands at theHundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan.The description of Princess Urduja's gifts of
rice , buffaloes,ginger , pepper,lemons ,mangoes , andsalt fits Pangasinan perfectly because of the abundance of those products in Pangasinan. The closely relatedIbaloi people have an oral tradition of a woman named Udayan who ruled an ancient alliance of lowland and highland settlements in Pangasinan and the neighboring province ofBenguet .Ibn Battuta also mentioned that Urduja had some knowledge of Turkish. During the time ofIbn Battuta period, the influence of the TurkishOttoman Empire was on the rise.Ibn Batutta 's travel account suggests that he also saw elephants in the land ruled by Urduja. Elephants can still be found inBorneo , and may have been gifts or traded in Pangasinan in earlier times. AncientMalayo-Polynesian sailing vessels, like the ones used by the ancientBugis and those depicted in theBorobudur bas-reliefs, were capable of transporting heavy cargoes, including elephants. There are depictions of such ancient ships in maritimeSoutheast Asia transporting several elephants for trade.In Pangasinan, Urduja has been depicted as the only daughter of a "datu" whose sons lost their lives defending their agricultural settlements in the
Agno River valley and sea trade routes to theirSrivijaya andChampa allies. Urduja was trained in the art of war since she was a child, and she became an expert with thekampilan and a skilled navigator. She commanded a fleet of proas to protect their maritime trade networks against pirates and threats fromChina . With her beauty, she attracted many suitors.Animated film
APT Entertainment, Seventoon and Imaginary Friends (no connection to IFS Singapore whatsoever) had produced a full-length animated feature based on the legendary princess. [ [http://meowok.blogspot.com/2008/01/urduja-full-length-tagalog-animated.html Urduja] . Accessed August 28, 2008.] The film was released in June 18, 2008. It stars
Regine Velasquez (in the lead role of Princess Urduja),Cesar Montano ,Eddie Garcia ,Johnny Delgado ,Michael V. andAllan K. as voice actors.Joey de Leon wrote the lyrics, and the music was composed byOgie Alcasid .ee also
*
Ibn Battuta
*Pangasinan
*Benguet
*Ibaloi References
External links
* [http://www.urduja.com/princess.html "In Search of a Princess" from Urduja.com]
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