Great villains make memorable stories, and the tale of the ten datus is no exception.
Unique among the people mentioned in the maragtas tradition, Raja Makatunao is known from historical records to have been a real person. Chinese records dating from February, 1082 A.D., list attendees at a diplomatic meeting. Among those noted as being present are a certain Seri Maharaja and his son Raja Makatunao*.
Srivijaya was one of the dominant powers throughout the Malaysian archipelago from the 7th to the 12th centuries. Trading with China was the most lucrative business the was involved in, so it comes as little surprise that the reigning Rajas occasionally made trips to renew and strengthen that relationship.
Being top dog and enjoying such a beneficial relationship with China comes with a price though, and Srivijaya kept it’s position by becoming a formidable military power. As leader of such a nation, Makatunao was surely a man accustomed to war and violence, as were the datus.
Problems began when that aggression was turned inward, opening a rift between Makatunao and the nobles of the empire. Different tellings give the exact sequence of events in various orders, but all agree that Makatunao began seizing the datus’ property and making advances on their wives. Although the datus later had conflicts with other peoples and groups, Makatunao seems to have been especially reviled by the datus and their descendants.
We don’t know what happened to Makatunao after the datus fled his reach. We are told that when the datus returned twenty years later, Makatuano still reigned. Given how hotly contested power was in the region, keeping his throne was no mean feat and testifies to his prowess and competence.
Unfortunately for the raja, the datus’ return would mark the end of his reign. He was slain in battle by Labao Dungog and Paibara, who then proceeded to execute his wife and son, effectively ending his dynasty. Records indicate that sometime during the 12th century a new dynasty came to power in Srivijaya. No records have been found detailing what brought the previous dynasty to an end or when exactly it happened, but given that Makatunao’s father was still ruling in 1082 it’s entirely possible Makatunao’s death triggered the regime change.
*Detailed in Rozan Yunos’ article The Pre-Islamic Kings of Brunei, published in Pusaka, 2009.
All art on this page was created by Ethel Martinez for our upcoming book. To learn more about the book and her other projects follow her at https://www.instagram.com/ate.ethels.fond.memories/
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