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The alipin refers to the lowest social class among the various cultures of the Philippines before the arrival of the Spanish in the 16th and 17th centuries. In the Visayan languages, the equivalent social classes were known as the oripun, uripon, or ulipon.
The most common translation of the word is "servant" or "slave", as opposed to the higher classes of the timawa / maharlika and the tumao / maginoo . This translation, however, is inaccurate. The concept of the alipin relied on a complex system of obligation and repayment through labor in ancient Philippine society, rather than on the actual purchase of a person as in Western and Islamic slavery. Indeed, members of the alipin class who owned their own houses were more accurately equivalent to medieval European serfs and commoners. [1] : 146–147
Alipin comes from the transitive form of the archaic Visayan root word udip ("to live"). It derived from the word meaning "to let live" in the senses of letting a war captive live or paying or ransoming someone for a debt that exceeds the value of their life. [2]
Alipin were also known as kiapangdilihan in the Sultanate of Sulu, whereas then Muslim Manila (Which opossed and supplanted local Hindu Tondo) [3] prefer the term Alipin when referring to slaves, either Muslim or Non-Muslim. [4] where they were distinguished from the Arab and European-inspired chattel slaves (known as banyaga, bisaya, ipun, or ammas). [5]
As a social class, alipin had several subclasses based on the nature of their obligations and their dependence on their masters:
At lower ranks than the above were the alipin of alipin. The alipin sa gigilid of an aliping namamahay was called bulisik ("vile"), while an alipin sa gigilid of an alipin sa gigilid was known by the even more derogatory bulislis (literally meaning "lifted skirt", a term implying that these persons were so vulnerable that it seems like their genitals are exposed). At an even more lower social rank than the latter two were alipin who were acquired through war or who came from other communities. They were often treated as non-persons until they became fully integrated into the local culture. [9]
While the alipin does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as "slave" in the western sense of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documented observations from the 17th century indicate that there may be significant differences between the Western concept of "slave" and the Pre-Hispanic Filipino concept of "alipin". [2] Some academics prefer to use the more accurate terms "debtors", "serfs", "bondsmen", or "dependents" instead. [12]
The lowest class of alipin originating from prisoners-of-war were traded like market goods initially. But unlike Western slaves, subsequent transfer of the alipin to a new master was priced at the value of the [remaining] bond. It was the labor obligation of the alipin being sold, not the person. Most alipin usually acquired their status either voluntarily (usually because of material or honor debt, or as a form of assistance to impoverished relatives), by inheriting the status of their parents, as a form of legal punishment for crime, or by being spared from execution after being captured in wars or raids. Alipin who acquired their status by debt were known as tinubos (literally "redeemed" or "ransomed"), and their creditors might sell their services for profit at the price of the debt incurred. [2]
The actual degree of obligations of the alipin could vary considerably. It was dependent on the monetary equivalent of the obligation owed and was usually limited in duration. An alipin could earn their freedom or gain higher status by marriage, being set free by their masters (known as matitimawa or tinimawa among Visayans), buying it with their earnings, fulfillment of the obligations, or by extraordinary accomplishments and bravery in battle. [2] [9]
The inheritance of the alipin status was subject to a complex system of rules dependent on the offspring's condition known as the saya. For example, the first child of a male freeman and a female alipin would be free, but their second child would be an alipin like the mother; and so on with the rest of the children. If the number of children was not even, the last child would be a partial alipin. The master of an aliping namamahay might also sometimes take one child of the latter as an alipin sa gigilid in the case of the latter's death. They might become sibin or ginogatan ("favorites") of their masters and be set free upon the master's death. [2]
An alipin who inherits the debts of their parents was known as a gintubo (literally "grown up with"). [11] Children of parents who are both alipin were known as ginlubos, while the children of ginlubos were known as lubos nga oripun. [2]
Partial alipin retain their alipin ancestors' obligations according to their degree of relation. The partial alipin child of a timawa and an alipin, for example, will inherit half of their alipin parent's obligations, while the grandchild of an alipin will only owe a quarter. Half alipin whose services were scheduled alternately by months are referred to as bulan ("moon" or "month") or pikas ("half"). Quarter alipin were referred to as tilor or sagipat ("quarter"). They could also freely buy their way out of service if they can afford it. Part or all of the alipin duties of the parents are often taken over by their children. [2] [11]
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