The Philippines is steeped in a rich, diverse cultural heritage spanning centuries of migration, trade, colonization, and independence.
India is one of the lesser-known, yet influential forces in this culture, leaving its mark across language, religion, art, and architecture.
Despite the distance between India and the Philippines, the former has had a notable impact on the latter’s history and culture. India maintained trade and cultural contacts with Southeast Asia – including the Philippines – from the 1st century onward via the Indian Ocean trade network.
This network connected kingdoms within India to Southeast Asia, East Africa, and the Middle East.
The trade network of ancient India and Southeast Asia facilitated the exchange of spices, textiles, precious stones, and metals, resulting in wealth and prosperity for the participating countries.
It is believed that Indian culture influenced the Philippines as early as the 7th century CE. The early connections were largely through trade between Indian kingdoms and those of Southeast Asia.
The Srivijaya Empire, a maritime kingdom located on Sumatra in present-day Indonesia, played a crucial role in the trade network. This empire, which spanned from the 7th to 13th centuries CE, controlled the Strait of Malacca, an important shipping route between China and India. With their expertise, Srivijaya formed trading routes with the Philippines, exchanging silk, spices, and gold.
In exchange for goods such as rice, wax, and honey, the Philippines was impacted by the Chola Empire – a Tamil Empire that ruled parts of India from 9th to 13th century CE. Due to its vast navy, the Chola Empire were able to establish trade routes with Southeast Asia.
Records from the 11th and 12th centuries indicate that the Chola Empire traded textiles with Philippine kingdoms.
These fabrics, especially those made of cotton and silk, were renowned for their quality due to Chola expertise in weaving and dyeing. Their fabrics were highly sought after in Southeast Asia.
The Cholas obtained pearls, tortoise shells, gold, and spices in exchange for textiles from the Philippines, as part of the Indian Ocean trade network which linked the Indian kingdoms to Southeast Asia and allowed for the sharing of goods, customs, knowledge, and technology.
Trade between India and the Philippines led to mutual influence and a cultural and linguistic connection between the two regions. Perhaps the most significant Indian contribution was introducing Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language used as a lingua franca in Southeast Asia, including the Philippines.
Sanskrit was used by traders, scholars and priests and also was the language of inscriptions. This enabled the development of a writing system to record events, laws, and traditions.
The Kawi script, derived from Pallava in southern India, was used in Maritime Southeast Asia between the 8th and 16th centuries. Its influence on the Philippine language and writing system is evident in the Laguna Copperplate Inscription, written in Kawi and containing several Sanskrit words.
The Laguna Copperplate Inscription (c. 900 CE) is an Old Malay legal document found in the Philippines in 1989. It details a debt repayment by a local chieftain to a Tamil trader, Namwaran, of the Chola Empire.
The 16th century Boxer Codex, an illustrated manuscript in Spanish, contains customs and beliefs of the Filipino people and their neighbors. Many words and phrases in the illustrations are written in Kawi script, showing its continued use.
There is also speculation that Sanskrit may have helped create other Philippine “suyat” scripts, like Baybayin. Baybayin is thought to have derived from Kawi script and was used to write Tagalog and other languages like Ilocano and Visayan.
Many words in Filipino languages have Sanskrit roots, such as those related to religion, trade, and culture. The influence of Sanskrit on Philippine language and writing is unmistakable.
From the Kawi script to the emergence of different Filipino scripts (suyats), Sanskrit has profoundly shaped Philippine culture, demonstrating the pervasive impact of Indian culture in Southeast Asia.
Indian religions, such as Buddhism and Hinduism, had a major impact on the beliefs and practices of the native people of the Philippines, as they were widely introduced by the Indianized states of Southeast Asia.
The start of the Indianization of the Philippines began with the introduction of Hinduism. This was then followed by Buddhism in the 9th century, brought by the Sri Vijaya Empire of Indonesia. Probably the most significant influence of Indian religion was the integration of indigenous beliefs and customs.
Ancient Filipinos combined animistic beliefs with Hinduism and Buddhism to form their own religion. Tagalogs believed in Diwatas, with Bathala as the supreme deity.
Integration of Indigenous Beliefs and Customs with Indian Religion
Scholars theorize that the name Bathala may stem from the Sanskrit word Bhattara, meaning “lord of lords.” Indian traders and Brahmins brought Lingam Yoni worship of Hinduism to the Philippines during the ancient period of Indianization.
The belief system of the pre-colonial Philippines, Anito worship, was thought to have been adapted from existing practices throughout the country. Characteristics of the religion include veneration of ancestral spirits and deities, as well as rituals associated with fertility, agriculture, and hunting.
Anito Worship: A Pre-Colonial Religion
Anito worship has endured in some areas of the Philippines, even with the introduction of other religions. This indicates the cultural exchange between India and the Philippines that happened in the early centuries of the Common Era, as Indian religions and symbols have become incorporated into Filipino culture.
Indian culture had a major influence on the Philippines, impacting religion, language, customs and traditions. The caste system, a hierarchical framework based on occupation and family lineage, was brought to the country by Indian traders and Brahmins, further contributing to the nation’s distinct cultural identity.
Filipino society developed its own social hierarchy, known as the “datu system,” instead of adopting India’s caste system. This structure was led by powerful chieftains, or datus, who ensured peace and order in their barangays.
Rajahnates, independently governed territories led by a Rajah, enabled the development of the datu system. Rajahs were the highest-ranking datus and were expected to be generous and hospitable to their people, distributing wealth and resources equitably.
The Filipino Rajahs hailed from various backgrounds, including Malays, Chinese, and Indians. Notable among them were Rajah Humabon of Cebu, Rajah Sulayman of Manila, and Rajah Baguinda of Sulu. Indian influence is visible in pre-colonial Filipino art and architecture.
The golden image of Agusan, believed to depict an Indian deity, is a prominent example of Indian influence on Philippine art. It is estimated to have been created in the 10th century CE and was discovered in 1917 in Agusan del Sur, Mindanao. Made of 21-carat gold, the image weighs 4.2 kilograms.
The design of the traditional dance form Singkil, which originated in the southern Philippines, is influenced by Indian art styles of the Gupta period, reminiscent of the Indian epic Ramayana which tells of a princess reuniting with her prince after surmounting obstacles.
Indian musical practices, such as kulintang gongs, have left an imprint on Philippine culture. Filipino epics like “Biag ni Lam-ang” and “Hinilawod” have many similarities to Indian epics like “Ramayana” and “Mahabharata,” which all feature legendary characters, divine figures, and supernatural forces that shape the destiny of humans.
Indian architecture greatly impacted the architecture of the Philippines, particularly when it came to religious structures. As an example, the Candi of Indonesia, although not located in the Philippines, exemplifies this influence from the 8th to 9th centuries. Candi is a term used to describe temple-like structures.
The Sailendra dynasty, which had strong Indian cultural influence, built Candi structures in Indonesia. These structures resemble Indian temple architecture, especially the Prambanan and Borobudur temples in Java. Moreover, Spanish colonial architecture in the Philippines was highly inspired by Indian and Islamic architecture.
Spanish colonial architecture contains “ventanillas,” a type of wooden screen similar to Indian “jali” screens, demonstrating the long-standing impact of Indian culture on the Philippines. Such a bond between cultures serves as reminder of the value of cultural exchange and understanding.
Indian influence on the Philippines was far-reaching. Trade, language, writing systems, religion and the arts all demonstrate the significant impact of Indian culture. Thank you for joining me on this exploration of their influence. Today we have seen how they shaped Southeast Asia’s history and culture.
India had a major influence in Southeast Asia, starting with its ties to the Srivijaya Empire and later the Chola Empire. Sanskrit became the primary language of the region, leading to the development of the Kawi and Baybayin scripts.
Indian religions, such as Hinduism and Buddhism, have deeply influenced Philippine beliefs and practices. Today, Indian culture remains evident in various aspects of Philippine culture, highlighting India’s lasting impact on Southeast Asia.