Editing Lakandula (section)

==Name and title==
Over time, the Lakandula's name has come to be written in several ways. However, according to the firsthand account written in Spanish by Hernando Riquel, the royal notary who accompanied [[Miguel López de Legazpi]], the Lord of Tondo specifically identified himself as "''Sibunao Lacandola, lord of the town of Tondo''"<ref name="scottparchment"/> when he boarded Legazpi's ship with the lords of Manila on May 18, 1571. According to Riquel, the lords of Manila introduced themselves as "''Rajah Ache the Old and Rajah Soliman the Young, lords and principals of the town of Manila''"<ref name="scottparchment"/>

In page 13 of "Cracks in the Parchment Curtain", preeminent historian [[William Henry Scott (historian)|William Henry Scott]] quotes Riquel's original text, which he found in the Spanish archives under "[[Archivo General de Indias]] Seccion Patronato leg. 24, no 24." The relevant part of the text read:<ref name="scottparchment"/> <blockquote>''...declaracion llamarse Raha Ache el Viejo y Raha Solimane el Mozo, senores y principales del pueblo de Manila, y'' '''''Sibunao Lacandola, principal del pueblo de Tondo'''''...(emphasis added)</blockquote>

Modern historians routinely remove the Filipino word "si", a grammatical article that precede personal names, from recorded names during this era because Spanish writers had not yet learned the local languages and often mistakenly included "si-" in Filipino names. ''Sibunao'' thus should be interpreted as ''"[Ako] si Bunao"'' = "[I am] Bunao". Historians thus take this to mean that the Lakan introduced himself as "Bunao Lakandula."<ref name="scottparchment"/> At the time, Lakandula was assumed to be a [[regnal name]], but as noted below, it was actually his title.

===Etymology of "Lakandula"===
His title "Lakan" denoted a "[[paramount ruler]]" (or more specifically, "''[[paramount datu]]''") of one of the large coastal settlements (known as a "bayan" or "large [[barangay]]") of the [[Tagalog people]].<ref name="PCDSPO2015">{{Cite web|url=http://malacanang.gov.ph/75832-pre-colonial-manila|title=Pre-colonial Manila|date=June 23, 2015|website=Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library|series=Malacañang Presidential Museum and Library Araw ng Maynila Briefers|publisher=Presidential Communications Development and Strategic Planning Office|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160309014757/http://malacanang.gov.ph/75832-pre-colonial-manila/|archive-date=March 9, 2016|url-status=dead|access-date=April 27, 2017}}</ref><ref name="inarticulate">{{cite book|last=Dery|first=Luis Camara|title=A History of the Inarticulate|publisher=New Day Publishers|year=2001|location=Quezon City|isbn=971-10-1069-0}}</ref><ref name="ScottBarangay">{{cite book|last=Scott|first=William Henry|author-link=William Henry Scott (historian)|title=Barangay: Sixteenth Century Philippine Culture and Society|publisher=Ateneo de Manila University Press|year=1994|location=Quezon City|pages=192|isbn=971-550-135-4}}</ref>

In its current [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] form, means "gentleman".

Another common variation of the name is '''Gat Dula''' (''alternatively spelled as a single word, '''Gatdula''''').<ref name="ScottLooking">{{cite book|last=Scott|first=William Henry|author-link=William Henry Scott (historian)|title=Looking for the Prehispanic Filipino|publisher=New Day Publishers|year=1992|location=Quezon City|isbn=971-10-0524-7}}</ref> Historically, the prefix ''Gat'', a shortened version of the [[Tagalog language|Tagalog]] honorific ''"Pamagat"'', meant "nobleman." Hence, Gatdula would literally read "Nobleman of the Palace", meaning essentially the same thing as the Kapampangan version, Lakandula.<ref name="ScottLooking"/>

This leaves the matter of the addendum "dula" to be settled. While this could not have been a family name such as Filipinos use today, this may not be a satisfactory explanation, since static family names were introduced to the Filipino culture much later, by a decree issued by Governor General Narciso Clavería y Zaldúa on November 11, 1849.<ref name="Jernegan">Jernegan, Prescott Ford (1905) [https://archive.org/details/ashorthistoryph00jerngoog "A short history of the Philippines: for use in Philippine schools"]. pp. 232-234. D. Appleton and Company, New York.</ref> Alternatively, rather than a surname per se, Dula may have referred to a family group or clan, but there does not neem to be any historical evidence to support this postulation. Historian Jose N. Sevilla y Tolentino, theorized that "Dula" was not a personal name at all, but a local word that meant something akin to "Palace". While he may not have ruled from a literal palace, this would have indicated the Lakan's seat of power. As such, the "Lakandula" would have been the local language title for the "Lord of the Palace" and ruler of Tondo.<ref name="Sevilla">{{cite book | last = Sevilla y Tolentino | first = Jose N. | author-link = Jose N. Sevilla y Tolentino | title = Mga Dakilang Pilipino o Ang Kaibigan ng mga Nagaaral  | year = 1922 | pages = 12–13 | language = tl | url = http://www.gutenberg.org/files/17786/17786-h/17786-h.htm }}</ref> Analogously, contemporary Rajah Ache was referred to as Rajah Matanda (Old Rajah), while Rajah Sulayman was sometimes referred to as Rajah Muda or Rajamora (Young Rajah).<ref name="scottparchment"/><ref name="JoaquinManila"/><ref name="inarticulate"/><ref name="ScottLooking"/><ref name="ScottBarangay"/>

Historians such as Dery and Scott explain that his given name was Bunaw, but they also continue to refer to him by his title, Lakandula or "the" Lakandula.<ref name="inarticulate"/><ref name="ScottLooking"/> On the other hand, Joaquin explains that the Lakan's given name was Bunaw, and proceeds to call him Lakan Dula (separate words) or "the" Lakan Dula throughout his "Manila, My Manila" manuscript.<ref name="JoaquinManila"/> In any case, many contemporary historians continue to ignore the fact that Lakan was a title, and refer to the last Lakan of Dula (or Lakan of Tondo) as "Lakandula" as if it had been his name. All things considered, the most accurate way to style the historical person's name and title would be "Bunao, Lakandula" or "the Lakan of Tondo".

==="Lakan" instead of "Rajah"===
While he has been erroneously referred to as '''Rajah Lakandula''', the terms "Rajah" and "Lakan" actually have practically the same meaning. In Tondo, the native Lakan title was used, making the use of both "Rajah" and "Lakandula" at the same time both redundant and erroneous.<ref name="JoaquinManila"/>
<ref name="laput">{{cite web|last=Laput|first=Ernesto J.|title=Buhay sa Nayon|work=Pinas: Munting Kasaysayan ng Pira-pirasong Bayan|publisher=Ernesto J. Laput|url=http://www.elaput.org/pinsnyon.htm|language=tl}}</ref> and Filipino historian and [[National Artist of the Philippines|national artist for literature]] [[Nick Joaquin]] takes pains to point out that the term ''Lakan'', not ''Rajah'', was used by the rulers of Tondo.<ref name="JoaquinManila"/>