Pricess Urduja

Urduja (ca. 1350 – 1400 CE) is a legendary warrior princess who is recognized as a heroine in Pangasinan, Philippines. The name Urduja appears to be Sanskrit 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 A historical reference to Urduja can be found in the travel account of Ibn Battuta (1304 – possibly 1368 or 1377 C.E.), a Muslim traveler from Morocco.

Research: 

Modern research by historian William Henry Scott indicates Ibn Batutta's story of Urduja to be pure fiction and the land of Tawalisi to be similarly fictitious.^[5]

In the late 19th Century, Jose Rizal, national hero of the Philippines, who was also a respected scholar but who did not have access to William Henry Scott's sources, 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, an American historian of the University of the Philippines, in "The Particulars of the Philippines Pre-Spanish Past", who also did not have access to the sources relied upon by William Henry Scott, traced the land of Tawalisi and Princess Urduja to Pangasinan. However, the sources relied upon by William Henry Scott was very limited and not definitive; he did not do substantive archaeological work in Pangasinan or a more detailed study of Pangasinan history. Philippine school textbooks used to include Princess Urduja in the list of great Filipinos. In the province of Pangasinan, the capitol building in Lingayen is named "Urduja Palace". A statue of Princess Urduja stands at the Hundred Islands National Park in Pangasinan.

Princess Urduja's gifts of rice, buffaloes, ginger, pepper, lemons, mangoes, and salt are products that are abundant in Pangasinan. The closely related Ibaloi 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 of Benguet. Ibn Battuta also mentioned that Urduja had some knowledge of Turkish, which indicates some contact with foreigners. During the time of Ibn Battuta, the influence of the Turkish Ottoman 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 in Borneo, and may have been gifts or traded in Pangasinan in earlier times. Ancient Malayo-Polynesian sailing vessels (such as the Balangay), like the ones used by the ancient Bugis and those depicted in the Borobudur bas-reliefs, were capable of transporting heavy cargoes, including elephants. There are depictions of such ancient ships in maritime Southeast Asia transporting several elephants for trade.

In Pangasinan, the legendary Urduja has been depicted as the only daughter of a Rajah whose sons lost their lives defending their agricultural settlements in the Agno River valley and sea trade routes to their Srivijaya and Champa allies. Urduja trained in the art of war since she was a child and became an expert with the kampilan and a skilled navigator. She commanded a flotilla of proas to protect her country's maritime trade networks against pirates and threats from Mongol ruled China. With her beauty, she attracted many suitors.

In popular culture

Princesa Urduja, a live-action adventure film based on the legend, was released in 1942.^[6]

Urduja, an animated feature based on the legendary princess,^[7] was released on June 18, 2008. It stars Regine Velasquez (in the lead role of Princess Urduja), Cesar Montano, Eddie Garcia, Johnny Delgado, Michael V. and Allan K. as voice actors. Joey de Leon wrote the lyrics, and the music was composed by Ogie Alcasid.

Historical basis and debate

The only firsthand account of Princess Urduja is found in the travelogues of the Islamic writer Ibn Battuta. In his diaries, Battuta narrated his journey as he passed by the province of Pangasinan on his way to Canton, China, in the year 1347. He was appointed as an honorary citizen of a kingdom named Tawalisi which was ruled by a king with a daughter named Urduja. Urduja had proven herself in battle where her brother had fallen short, and so was granted charge over much of the kingdom. Battuta described Urduja as a warrior princess who personally fought in battles and duels and led a retinue of skilled female warriors riding on horseback.
In 1916, Austin Craig's paper entitled "The Particulars of the Philippines Pre-Spanish Past" quoted Jose Rizal's belief in Ibn Battuta's journey to Tawalisi, although he had doubts about its accuracy. Rizal based his own speculations on his calculation of the time and distance of travel Battuta took to sail from China to Tawalisi.
The Ibaloi tribe of the Cordillera region are said to trace their ancestry from Urduja. The name "Urduja" is rendered as "Deboxah" or "Debuca" in the Ibaloi language, and refers to a strong woman of noble descent.
Restituto Basa (author of Footnotes on Pangasinan History and The Story of Dagupan) believes that Urduja was not a Pangasinense but a Cambodian. He asserts that one who should be honored as a heroine of Pangasinan is Princess Kabontatala, daughter of the ruler of Barangay Domalandan, who married the Chinese pirate Lim-Ahong and helped him dig a canal to escape from the Spanish forces who blockaded the mouth of the Agno River^[1].

1959 painting by Fernando Amorsolo.

[edit] Cultural influence

The office and official residence of the governor of Pangasinan is known as the Princess Urduja building or Urduja Palace.
In his efforts to promote pre-Hispanic Filipino icons, National Artist Fernando Amorsolo made several paintings in the 1950s depicting Princess Urduja. Because of the lack of historical data about 14th-century Philippines, most of the details of his depiction - such as clothing and weaponry - came from Amorsolo's imagination.
The 2008 animated film Urduja is based on Princess Urduja's legend. It was the first Philippine-made feature-length animated film, and featured the voice talents of Regine Velasquez and Cesar Montano.