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 cturies. In the Visayan languages, the equivalt 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 repaymt through labor in ancit 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 equivalt to medieval European serfs and commoners.
Kasaysayan At Kalagayan />
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 sses of letting a war captive live or paying or ransoming someone for a debt that exceeds the value of their life.
Si Usman, Ang Alipin
Alipin were also known as kiapangdilihan in the Sultanate of Sulu, where they were distinguished from the Arab and European-inspired chattel slaves (known as banyaga, bisaya, ipun, or ammas).
An illustration from Historia de las Islas e Indios de Bisayas (1668) by Francisco Ignacio Alcina depicting a tattooed horo-han with a paddle, labeled esclavo (slave)
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 ev more derogatory bulislis (literally meaning lifted skirt, a term implying that these persons were so vulnerable that it seems like their gitals are exposed). At an ev more lower social rank than the latter two were alipin who were acquired through war or who came from other communities. They were oft treated as non-persons until they became fully integrated into the local culture.
Sinaunang Lipunang Pilipino
While the alipin does, indeed, serve another person, historians note that translating the term as slave in the western sse of the word may not be fully justifiable. Documted observations from the 17th ctury indicate that there may be significant differces betwe the Western concept of slave and the Pre-Hispanic Filipino concept of alipin.
The lowest class of alipin originating from prisoners-of-war were traded like market goods initially. But unlike Western slaves, subsequt 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 parts, as a form of legal punishmt 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.
The actual degree of obligations of the alipin could vary considerably. It was depdt on the monetary equivalt 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, fulfillmt of the obligations, or by extraordinary accomplishmts and bravery in battle.
Philippine Popular Culture
The inheritance of the alipin status was subject to a complex system of rules depdt 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 childr. If the number of childr was not ev, 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.
Childr of parts who are both alipin were known as ginlubos, while the childr of ginlubos were known as lubos nga oripun.
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 part'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 parts are oft tak over by their childr.
Mga Sinaunang Lipunang Pilipino
The inheritance of the alipin status was subject to a complex system of rules depdt 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 childr. If the number of childr was not ev, 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.
Childr of parts who are both alipin were known as ginlubos, while the childr of ginlubos were known as lubos nga oripun.
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 part'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 parts are oft tak over by their childr.