Sultan Paduka Pahala

Sultan Paduka Pahala (?-1417) was a Sultan of Sulu, most famous for being the first and only monarch of the Philippines to visit China.

Journey to China and Demise of the Sultan

During 1417, the East King of the Sultanate of Sulu, Paduka Pahala, sailed with his family and 300 other people of noble descent. He was to pay tribute to the Yongle Chinese emperor, Zhu Di, who was of the Ming Dynasty. While he was welcomed by the emperor upon his arrival in China, he nevertheless contracted a mysterious disease on his way home and passed away at Dezhou, a town in Shandong province in China. The emperor immediately commissioned artisans and sculptors to built a tomb for the deceased monarch, which still stands today.

Descendants

Tradition dictates that the descendants of Sultan Paduka Pahala remained in China and were subsequently classified as members of the Hui nationality.

Popular culture

He was immortalised in the Filipino film Hari sa Hari, Lahi sa Lahi, which recounts his voyage to China to give tribute to the Chinese Emperor. [ [http://hometown.aol.com/__121b_gN/c9+2Gcahc8K9j1qLfLvHtujDnp8lqov/qAoPfFd2ohkTJhOn4BQ= Hari sa Hari ] ]

References