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The 'Laguna Copperplate inscription' (also shortened to 'LCI'), found 1989 in Laguna de Bay, in the metroplex of Manila, Philippines, has inscribed on it a date of Saka era 822, corresponding to April 21, 900 CE according to Vedic astronomy, containing words from Sanskrit, old Javanese, old Malay and old Tagalog, releasing its bearer, Namwaran, from a debt in gold. The document mentions the places of Tondo, Pila and Pulilan in the area around Manila Bay and Medan, Indonesia. It shows the strong links present between the Tagalog speaking people of this time and the various contemporary civilizations in Asia, most notably the Middle kingdoms of India and the Srivijaya empire of Java.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription, among other discoveries made in recent years in the country such as the Golden Tara of Butuan and 14th century pottery and gold jewellery artifacts found in Cebu, is highly important in revising the ancient history of the Philippine archipelago (which prior to the LCI discovery was considered by western historians to be culturally isolated from the rest of Asia, as no evident pre-hispanic written records were found at the time). It sheds light on the ancient Philippine history, which was previously largely ignored due to the dominantly Hispanic-derived culture present during the Spanish occupation. This document is considered a National treasure and rests in the National Museum of the Philippines in Manila.

Contents

Cultural References

Transliteration

English translation

See also

External links

Cultural References

The transliteration of the LCI shows heavy Sanskrit and Malay linguistic influence. Among the observances made by Pigafetta in the 16th century Boxer Codex, Old Malay language was spoken among pre-colonized Filipinos as a lingua franca.
The use of Hindu references in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription would also suggest the ancient Tagalog people, who authored this inscription, were followers of Hinduism at this time. The Buddhist Golden Tara icon, an ancient artifact discovered in Butuan, Mindanao dating from the same period, also highly suggests the influence of Hindu-Buddhist religions being followed in the area (alongside Islam in many places in the archipelago from the 14th Century onwards) up until the 16th Century, when Catholism became the dominant religion of the Filipino people in a majority of the archipelago.

Transliteration

The transliteration is as follows:
''Swasti Shaka warsatita 822 Waisaka masa di(ng) jyotisa.''
''Caturthi Krisnapaksa somawara sana tatkala Dayang Angkatan lawan dengan nya sanak barngaran si Bukah anak da dang Hwan Namwaran dibari waradana wi shuddhapattra ulih sang pamegat senapati di Tundun barja(di) dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah Jayadewa. ''
''Di krama dang Hwan Namwaran dengan dang kayastha shuddha nu diparlappas hutang da walenda Kati 1 Suwarna 8 dihadapan dang Huwan Nayaka tuhan Puliran Kasumuran. ''
''dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Pailah barjadi ganashakti. Dang Hwan Nayaka tuhan Binwangan barjadi bishruta tathapi sadana sanak kapawaris ulih sang pamegat dewata [ba]rjadi sang pamegat Medang dari bhaktinda diparhulun sang pamegat. Ya makanya sadanya anak cucu dang Hwan Namwaran shuddha ya kapawaris dihutang da dang Hwan Namwaran di sang pamegat Dewata.''
''Ini grang syat syapanta ha pashkat ding ari kamudyan ada grang urang barujara welung lappas hutang da dang Hwa''

English translation

''Long Live! Year of Saka 822, month of Waisakha, according to astronomy. The fourth day of the waning moon, Monday. On this occasion, Lady Angkatan, and her brother whose name is Bukah, the children of the Honourable Namwaran, were awarded a document of complete pardon from the Commander in Chief of Tundun, represented by the Lord Minister of Pailah, Jayadewa. ''
''By this order, through the scribe, the Honourable Namwaran has been forgiven of all and is released from his debts and arrears of 1 Katî and 8 Suwarna before the Honourable Lord Minister of Puliran Kasumuran by the authority of the Lord Minister of Pailah.''
''Because of his faithful service as a subject of the Chief, the Honourable and widely renowned Lord Minister of Binwangan recognized all the living relatives of Namwaran who were claimed by the Chief of Dewata, represented by the Chief of Medang.''
''Yes, therefore the living descendants of the Honourable Namwaran are forgiven, indeed, of any and all debts of the Honourable Namwaran to the Chief of Dewata. ''
''This, in any case, shall declare to whomever henceforth that on some future day should there be a man who claims that no release from the debt of the Honourable...''
The copper scroll differs in manufacture from the Javanese scrolls of the time in that the words are embossed into the plate, rather than being inscribed onto a heated, softened scroll of metal.

See also

★ Copperplate

★ Tamil Copper-plate inscriptions

★ Indian copper plate inscriptions

★ Vatteluttu

External links

★ Hector Santos' A Philippine Document from 900 A.D.

★ Paul Morrow's THE LAGUNA COPPERPLATE INSCRIPTION

★ Laguna Copperplate Inscription and the Route to Paracale

★ Pailah is Pila, Laguna

★ Laguna Copperplate Inscription Purchase Story

★ Puliran in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription: Laguna de Bay or Pulilan, Bulacan