Urduja
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Urduja was a princess who was the ruler of a city called Kaylukari in the land of Tawalisi mentioned in the travel account of Ibn Battuta (1304 - possibly 1368 or 1377 C.E.), a Muslim traveler from Morocco who was on his way to China. Princess Urduja was described as a daughter of a king 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 of China, which was then ruled by a Mongol dynasty. Ibn Battuta sailed for 17 days to reach China from the land of Tawalisi.
Ibn Battuta made a pilgrimage to Mecca and he traveled to many other parts of the Islamic world. From India and Sumatra, 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 single combat with other warriors. She was quoted as saying that she will marry no one but him who fights and defeats her in single combat. Other warriors avoided fighting with her for fear of being disgraced.
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 of ginger, pepper, lemons, and mangoes, all salted, in preparation for Ibn Battuta's sea-voyage to China.
Although there were Muslim settlements in pre-colonial Philippines, Islam was not able to establish itself in Pangasinan. When the Spanish arrived in Pangasinan, the people of Pangasinan were practicing their own set of beliefs, which is Shamanist in character. The people of Pangasinan maintained this set of beliefs through a strong priesthood: a hierarchy of priestesses and healers who represent pantheon of anitos. One of the temples was dedicated to an anito called Ana Gaoley, which spoke through the medium of some women called manag-anito, the officiating priestesses. These priestesses wore a special costume when serving an anito and they offered it oils, ointments, essences and perfumes in exquisite vessels; and after the offerings the anito is supposed to reply in a secret room to their questions.
Jose Rizal, the national hero of the Philippines 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, a province of the Philippines, located on the west central area of the island of Luzon along Lingayen Gulf. Philippine school textbooks have included 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.
The story of Princess Urduja remains unverified. It is possible that the story of Princess Urduja existed only in the imagination of Ibn Battuta. Even if the story of Princess Urduja is true, it remains a speculation that the land of Tawalisi is in the area of Pangasinan. But, the description of Princess Urduja's gifts of rice, buffaloes, ginger, pepper, lemons, mangoes, and salt fits Pangasinan perfectly because of the abundance of those products in Pangasinan. The Pangasinan people and the closely related Ibaloi people also have an oral tradition of a woman warrior who once ruled an ancient kingdom or an alliance of lowland and highland settlements in Pangasinan and the neighboring province of Benguet. Perhaps, historians can help verify the story of Princess Urduja by following the travels of Ibn Battuta.
