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Limasawa Island

In 1521, Rajah Calambu of Limasawa Island in the Philippines managed to guide the ships of Magellan, a potential threat, safely past his island to the more powerful chieftain on Cebu, where Magellan landed on April 7 1521.

Table of contents
1 The Spanish meet the Rajahs 1521
2 Before 1521: the Rajahs and the Sultans
3 Alliances in Southeast Asia, 1521
4 Impact on Southeast Asia from 1521, forward
5 Sultanate of Sulu Timeline 1470-20th Century

The Spanish meet the Rajahs 1521

Rajah Humabon of Cebu clearly understood the political implications; Magellan represented Spain, a potential invader, and adroitly steered the power of Magellan to his enemy on Mactan. Magellan had indentured a Malay interpreter during an earlier voyage, and could thus understand the Rajahs.

Gold was a powerful lure to the Spanish. The Spanish observed that the Rajahs of the Philippines showed their status by wearing several pounds of gold ornaments. Antonio Pigafetta, one of the 18 to complete the first voyage around the globe, remarks on the splendor of the Palace of Brunei in Borneo, where the three ships of Magellan sailed after Magellan died on Mactan.

Although Magellan died on his second trip to the islands of Southeast Asia, the charts of one of his ships, the Victoria, were delivered to Seville upon the completion of the first voyage around the globe in 1522. The Spanish returned in force to Cebu, and conquered the islands for Spain in later decades.

Before 1521: the Rajahs and the Sultans

Alliances in Southeast Asia, 1521

Thus as of
1521 the alliances in Southeast Asia at the time are currently understood to be:

Impact on Southeast Asia from 1521, forward

However this was only a part of the global picture, from the current perspective:

Sultanate of Sulu Timeline 1470-20th Century

See the history in
Sultanate of Sulu, Philippines