abstract
| - The Rajah Sulayman Dynasty (Jawi: راجه سوليمن كلوارڬ, Arabic: راجح سلالة سليمان, Spanish: Dinastía de Rajah Solimano, Filipino: Dinastiya ni Raha Solíman) or the Sulayman Dynasty in short was a Muslim royal dynasty (with Catholic members) and colonial nobility that ruled the southern parts of Manila Bay and the Pasig River from the reign of Rajah Ache (also known as Rajah Matanda) to the colonial governerships of Juan Carlos and Fernando Carlos in the 1700s. It started as a recognised, autonomous Muslim dynasty when Rajah Sulayman defeated Spanish forces in southern Manila and halted Roman Catholic missionaries from preaching to the Muslim settlements. Rajah Sulayman's grandson, Hassanal Sulayman officially the adopted the Islamic title sultan. The dynasty became Christian during the reign of Safar ud-Din, the sixth sultan of Manila, his Suluk wife Maryam of Sulu, and his heir, Esmael converted to Catholicism under the names Enrique, María and Carlos, adopting the Spanish royal titles don and cabeza who became part of the colonial native nobility known as the Principalía, the caste of native Philippine chiefs that converted to Catholicism and were allowed by the Spanish Crown to retain the priveliges, wealth and power they held prior to conversion. However, Enrique, as well as Carlos both reverted to Islam, and continued the dynasty as a Muslim dynasty. Their children however, were either Roman Catholic or irreligious. After Safar ud-Din and Esmael's temporary conversions to Christianity, the royal court was known as the the Casa de Solimano (House of Sulayman). The youngest son of Carlos, Juan became the chief of Manila while his old brother Fernando Carlos took an a heavier duty as the gobernadorcillo of Manila, controlling its native police force.
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