Gu Kur History - Empires and Civilizations
@gukur.bsky.social
Exploring the rise and fall of history's greatest powers, plus the untold stories that shaped our world.
This week: the Ottoman Empire!
Exploring the history, culture and legacy of one of the longest lasting and most influential empires. From sultans and battles to daily life, let's uncover its story and why it still matters.
Follow along and join the conversation!
#OttomanEmpire #History #Empire
Exploring the history, culture and legacy of one of the longest lasting and most influential empires. From sultans and battles to daily life, let's uncover its story and why it still matters.
Follow along and join the conversation!
#OttomanEmpire #History #Empire
June 9, 2025 at 3:05 AM
This week: the Ottoman Empire!
Exploring the history, culture and legacy of one of the longest lasting and most influential empires. From sultans and battles to daily life, let's uncover its story and why it still matters.
Follow along and join the conversation!
#OttomanEmpire #History #Empire
Exploring the history, culture and legacy of one of the longest lasting and most influential empires. From sultans and battles to daily life, let's uncover its story and why it still matters.
Follow along and join the conversation!
#OttomanEmpire #History #Empire
Precolonial Philippines is often misunderstood or oversimplified.
Let's bust some of the most persistent myths about Tondo and the complex world that existed in the era before the Spanish set foot on the islands. 🧵🔍
#PhilippineHistory #PrecolonialPhilippines #SoutheastAsianHistory #Tondo
Let's bust some of the most persistent myths about Tondo and the complex world that existed in the era before the Spanish set foot on the islands. 🧵🔍
#PhilippineHistory #PrecolonialPhilippines #SoutheastAsianHistory #Tondo
June 8, 2025 at 7:15 AM
Precolonial Philippines is often misunderstood or oversimplified.
Let's bust some of the most persistent myths about Tondo and the complex world that existed in the era before the Spanish set foot on the islands. 🧵🔍
#PhilippineHistory #PrecolonialPhilippines #SoutheastAsianHistory #Tondo
Let's bust some of the most persistent myths about Tondo and the complex world that existed in the era before the Spanish set foot on the islands. 🧵🔍
#PhilippineHistory #PrecolonialPhilippines #SoutheastAsianHistory #Tondo
Archaeological finds unearthed in Manila and around Laguna Bay continue to reshape our understanding of the past. Artifacts show a complex society, rich and connected through trade and culture, flourishing long before any European contact.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Archaeological finds unearthed in Manila and around Laguna Bay continue to reshape our understanding of the past. Artifacts show a complex society, rich and connected through trade and culture, flourishing long before any European contact.
Today, efforts are underway to revive the ancient Baybayin script, deepen the study of precolonial history, and celebrate diverse native heritage. These initiatives are working to reclaim and tell Tondo's story, rescuing it from centuries of imposed silence.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Today, efforts are underway to revive the ancient Baybayin script, deepen the study of precolonial history, and celebrate diverse native heritage. These initiatives are working to reclaim and tell Tondo's story, rescuing it from centuries of imposed silence.
During the Spanish colonial period, efforts were made to erase native systems and traditions. Yet indigenous languages, rituals, and traditional crafts persisted underground, enduring quietly. These cultural elements sometimes resurfaced, especially during nationalist movements.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
During the Spanish colonial period, efforts were made to erase native systems and traditions. Yet indigenous languages, rituals, and traditional crafts persisted underground, enduring quietly. These cultural elements sometimes resurfaced, especially during nationalist movements.
Indeed, many modern Filipino families trace their lineage to Tondo's maginoo nobility, including prominent political clans. This link provides a thread connecting the contemporary Philippines and its people to their pre-Spanish roots.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Indeed, many modern Filipino families trace their lineage to Tondo's maginoo nobility, including prominent political clans. This link provides a thread connecting the contemporary Philippines and its people to their pre-Spanish roots.
The name Lakan Dula survives, honoured in streets, schools, and the collective public memory across the Philippines. This recognition, however, often exists without historical context. Nonetheless, he remains a symbol of precolonial sovereignty and an embodiment of Filipino resilience.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
The name Lakan Dula survives, honoured in streets, schools, and the collective public memory across the Philippines. This recognition, however, often exists without historical context. Nonetheless, he remains a symbol of precolonial sovereignty and an embodiment of Filipino resilience.
Today, Tondo is a bustling district in Manila, recognised as one of the largest urban poor communities in Asia. Its journey, from an ancient royal seat of power to a modern megacity's dense, often struggling, urban centre, tells a story of transformation and survival.
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Today, Tondo is a bustling district in Manila, recognised as one of the largest urban poor communities in Asia. Its journey, from an ancient royal seat of power to a modern megacity's dense, often struggling, urban centre, tells a story of transformation and survival.
Legacy of Tondo: Echoes in Modern Philippines
Tondo's ancient kingdom may be gone but its legacy lives on. In countless place names, prominent family names and the very fabric of Filipino identity, the spirit of whispers from the past. 🧵🔍👇
#Philippines #TondoLegacy #PhilippineHistory
Tondo's ancient kingdom may be gone but its legacy lives on. In countless place names, prominent family names and the very fabric of Filipino identity, the spirit of whispers from the past. 🧵🔍👇
#Philippines #TondoLegacy #PhilippineHistory
June 8, 2025 at 3:05 AM
Legacy of Tondo: Echoes in Modern Philippines
Tondo's ancient kingdom may be gone but its legacy lives on. In countless place names, prominent family names and the very fabric of Filipino identity, the spirit of whispers from the past. 🧵🔍👇
#Philippines #TondoLegacy #PhilippineHistory
Tondo's ancient kingdom may be gone but its legacy lives on. In countless place names, prominent family names and the very fabric of Filipino identity, the spirit of whispers from the past. 🧵🔍👇
#Philippines #TondoLegacy #PhilippineHistory
And yet Lakan Dula's name survived, etched into the collective consciousness, imprinted on enduring place names and kept alive in the local memory of the people. Even today, some families in the Philippines proudly trace their ancestry to Don Lacandola, a symbol of their nation's lost sovereignty.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
And yet Lakan Dula's name survived, etched into the collective consciousness, imprinted on enduring place names and kept alive in the local memory of the people. Even today, some families in the Philippines proudly trace their ancestry to Don Lacandola, a symbol of their nation's lost sovereignty.
This proved to be the last major act of resistance by Tondo's ruling class. In the aftermath, Tondo ceased to be a kingdom. Instead, it was absorbed into the Spanish colonial framework, becoming another administrative district. Its identity as a sovereign polity was erased.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
This proved to be the last major act of resistance by Tondo's ruling class. In the aftermath, Tondo ceased to be a kingdom. Instead, it was absorbed into the Spanish colonial framework, becoming another administrative district. Its identity as a sovereign polity was erased.
But not all accepted this. A resistance emerged in 1587-1588, as Lakan Dula's relatives, along with other native nobility, joined the Tondo Conspiracy: a plot to overthrow Spanish rule with help from Brunei, Japan, and Borneo.
It ultimately failed, and its leaders were either killed or exiled.
It ultimately failed, and its leaders were either killed or exiled.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
But not all accepted this. A resistance emerged in 1587-1588, as Lakan Dula's relatives, along with other native nobility, joined the Tondo Conspiracy: a plot to overthrow Spanish rule with help from Brunei, Japan, and Borneo.
It ultimately failed, and its leaders were either killed or exiled.
It ultimately failed, and its leaders were either killed or exiled.
Later, after Lakan Dula's death, an erosion of power began, stripping his heirs of their traditional authority. By the early 1600s, Spanish colonial law had replaced native customs. Tondo's once-powerful noble families were reduced to a new class of Christianised elites under European colonial rule.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
Later, after Lakan Dula's death, an erosion of power began, stripping his heirs of their traditional authority. By the early 1600s, Spanish colonial law had replaced native customs. Tondo's once-powerful noble families were reduced to a new class of Christianised elites under European colonial rule.
The Spanish, facing the task of controlling Luzon, needed allies. They gave Lakan Dula the title of Don Carlos Lacandola and treated him as a local chief. But this was not equality; it was subjugation. Tondo went from independent polity to vassal, then just another province under colonial rule.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
The Spanish, facing the task of controlling Luzon, needed allies. They gave Lakan Dula the title of Don Carlos Lacandola and treated him as a local chief. But this was not equality; it was subjugation. Tondo went from independent polity to vassal, then just another province under colonial rule.
In 1571, after Rajah Sulayman's defeat at the Battle of Bangkusay, Spain established Intramuros, a walled colonial capital, over the ruins of Manila. Faced with this reality, Lakan Dula accepted Spanish suzerainty. He was permitted to retain some power, but this arrangement would be temporary.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
In 1571, after Rajah Sulayman's defeat at the Battle of Bangkusay, Spain established Intramuros, a walled colonial capital, over the ruins of Manila. Faced with this reality, Lakan Dula accepted Spanish suzerainty. He was permitted to retain some power, but this arrangement would be temporary.
In 1570, the Spanish launched their assault on Manila, meeting fierce opposition from Rajah Sulayman. Meanwhile, Lakan Dula, ruler of neighbouring Tondo, chose to negotiate with the Spanish, hoping to preserve his own kingdom through diplomacy. This approach seemed to work... for a while.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
In 1570, the Spanish launched their assault on Manila, meeting fierce opposition from Rajah Sulayman. Meanwhile, Lakan Dula, ruler of neighbouring Tondo, chose to negotiate with the Spanish, hoping to preserve his own kingdom through diplomacy. This approach seemed to work... for a while.
The Spanish, looking for a port, found Manila and Tondo, two rivals on the Pasig River. They realised Tondo was older, Tagalog, and rooted in animist traditions, while Manila was newer, linked to Brunei and predominantly Muslim. Recognising this dynamic, the Spanish chose to divide and conquer.
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
The Spanish, looking for a port, found Manila and Tondo, two rivals on the Pasig River. They realised Tondo was older, Tagalog, and rooted in animist traditions, while Manila was newer, linked to Brunei and predominantly Muslim. Recognising this dynamic, the Spanish chose to divide and conquer.
When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines in the 1570s, they didn't find tribes; they found kingdoms. Tondo was one of them: organised, wealthy, and ruled by a Lakan. What followed was diplomacy, betrayal… and colonisation. 🧵⚔️🇪🇸
#PhilippineHistory #Tondo #SpanishConquest #Colonialism
#PhilippineHistory #Tondo #SpanishConquest #Colonialism
June 7, 2025 at 10:05 AM
When the Spanish arrived in the Philippines in the 1570s, they didn't find tribes; they found kingdoms. Tondo was one of them: organised, wealthy, and ruled by a Lakan. What followed was diplomacy, betrayal… and colonisation. 🧵⚔️🇪🇸
#PhilippineHistory #Tondo #SpanishConquest #Colonialism
#PhilippineHistory #Tondo #SpanishConquest #Colonialism
The Spanish conquest shattered this regional web of alliances and trade. Suddenly, Manila was no longer a Tagalog trading city; it was transformed into a colonial capital. Its focus shifted, turning its back on Asia and facing Mexico and the Americas. In this shift, Tondo was sidelined.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
The Spanish conquest shattered this regional web of alliances and trade. Suddenly, Manila was no longer a Tagalog trading city; it was transformed into a colonial capital. Its focus shifted, turning its back on Asia and facing Mexico and the Americas. In this shift, Tondo was sidelined.
Did Tondo have enemies? Most likely, yes, mostly economic rivals. While no records of major wars pre-dating the Spanish arrival have survived, the landscape surely involved intense competition with Manila, clashes with rival datus, or even incursions from Visayan raiders.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Did Tondo have enemies? Most likely, yes, mostly economic rivals. While no records of major wars pre-dating the Spanish arrival have survived, the landscape surely involved intense competition with Manila, clashes with rival datus, or even incursions from Visayan raiders.
Tondo wasn't a naval empire, but its leaders understood the power of maritime diplomacy. Strategically controlling a major river mouth like the Pasig meant controlling the conversation with the outside world. Diverse foreign groups, including Muslim traders and Japanese merchants, passed through.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Tondo wasn't a naval empire, but its leaders understood the power of maritime diplomacy. Strategically controlling a major river mouth like the Pasig meant controlling the conversation with the outside world. Diverse foreign groups, including Muslim traders and Japanese merchants, passed through.
Further south, Tondo had indirect contact with maritime polities like Majapahit in Java and, later, Malacca: key players in regional commerce. This facilitated the movement of goods, and with them came ideas, styles and people. It was a world without borders, just sea lanes and trade deals.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Further south, Tondo had indirect contact with maritime polities like Majapahit in Java and, later, Malacca: key players in regional commerce. This facilitated the movement of goods, and with them came ideas, styles and people. It was a world without borders, just sea lanes and trade deals.
This led to a kind of Tagalog cold war. Tondo leaned into its established regional networks while Manila, across the river, bolstered its influence by cultivating Islamic and Bruneian ties. The true prize wasn't about religious conversion; rather, the control of trade routes and maritime commerce.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This led to a kind of Tagalog cold war. Tondo leaned into its established regional networks while Manila, across the river, bolstered its influence by cultivating Islamic and Bruneian ties. The true prize wasn't about religious conversion; rather, the control of trade routes and maritime commerce.
Tondo also had to engage with the powerful Sultanate of Brunei. Throughout the 1400s to 1500s, Brunei's rulers expanded their reach into Luzon, playing a pivotal role in establishing the Rajahnate of Manila. This development placed Brunei-aligned rulers directly across the river from Tondo.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
Tondo also had to engage with the powerful Sultanate of Brunei. Throughout the 1400s to 1500s, Brunei's rulers expanded their reach into Luzon, playing a pivotal role in establishing the Rajahnate of Manila. This development placed Brunei-aligned rulers directly across the river from Tondo.
This arrangement wasn't just flattery; under China's tribute system, the ceremonial gifts offered to the emperor were reciprocated with massive trade privileges. For kingdoms like Tondo, it was a pathway to access coveted elite Chinese goods and, significantly, to legitimise their rule at home.
June 6, 2025 at 6:55 PM
This arrangement wasn't just flattery; under China's tribute system, the ceremonial gifts offered to the emperor were reciprocated with massive trade privileges. For kingdoms like Tondo, it was a pathway to access coveted elite Chinese goods and, significantly, to legitimise their rule at home.